iPhone 5 May Hit Mainland China Sooner Than Expected

Apple’s new iPhone 5 will likely debut in mainland China before the end of the year, just as China Unicom said it would.

Earlier this week, the China Quality Certification Center approved the device, granting Apple the compulsory certification necessary to sell it in China. Interestingly, the agency appears to have issued that approval far more expediently than it has in the past. As Shanghai Daily notes, certification has typically taken up to two months for previous iPhones. That could mean the iPhone 5 will launch in mainland China as early as October, assuming Apple is also able to secure the necessary approvals from the China Radio Management Office.

Apple declined comment on the iPhone 5’s China Quality Certification Center approval.