Report: iPhone 4S to Arrive in China by Chinese New Year

On December 10th, MMi reported that China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) finally issued the network access permit for the iPhone 4S. This permit was the last obstacle standing in Apple’s way to officially sell the iPhone 4S in China. Subsequently, China Unicom said that it expected to launch the device by the end of the month.

Now as we stand on the precipice of January and the start of a new year, one thing remains the same: no iPhone 4S in China yet. And it won't be there before the end of the month - and year - as originally planned. But there's a new time frame in mind for the popular Apple device's Chinese debut: January 23rd.


On Tuesday, word surfaced from China's People's Daily that Apple has, indeed, met all of the compulsory requirements to launch the smartphone in mainland China. The report indicates that the iPhone 4S will all but certainly reach the Chinese market before the Chinese New Year, which commences Monday, January 23, 2012.

Despite what feels like an eternity having passed before the iPhone 4S was cleared for takeoff in China, it should be noted that if the January 23rd launch date manifests, it will mark the fastest time Apple has gotten one of its new devices into the Chinese market.