Apple Said to Sell the iPhone 6 in China Starting in Mid-October

Apple will begin to sell the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in China starting in mid-October, an inside source told iFeng. The rumour follows an earlier report from Sina Tech claiming that Apple has obtained the China compulsory certification for its iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus models from the Chinese regulator.

As Sina points out, Apple has obtained the certification for four iPhone models: the A1586, A1524, A1589, and A1593. Actually, as Reuters pointed out, the delay has offered iPhone smugglers the opportunity to sell devices for up to $3,000.

The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus pre-order went live on September 12 with the initial stock selling out in just a couple of hours. Apple today announced that the demand for its latest handsets has set a new record: 4 million units were pre-ordered during the first 24 hours of availability.

As the shipping date of the iPhone 6 models slipped to October, reports of supply constraints have surfaced, and Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Brian White was quick to jump to such a conclusion. Actually, it was Apple who said today that demand exceeded supply during the pre-order phase, so there isn’t much news here.

It remains to be seen whether Apple will experience the same supply constraints it did last year.