iPhone 5 and iPad Mini Release Confirmed for December in China
The iPhone 5, 4th Generation iPad and iPad Mini will all be released in China next month.
Both the new iPad, and mini iPad will launch on Friday Dec. 7, and the iPhone 5 will be released on Friday Dec. 14.
The iPad Mini and 4th Generation iPad are currently available in 42 countries while the iPhone 5 is available in 47 countries around the world including Australia, France, Germany, Japan and the U.K.
Apple confirmed the news in a press release earlier today. China Mobile, the nation's largest carrier still did not confirm if it was going to sign on to carry the new Apple smartphone or tablets.
The iPhone 5 might also be released on T-Mobile in the near future, according to a new report.
Fortune recently published a report highlighting a research note from Merrill Lynch analyst Scott Craig, who claims that T-Mobile USA may be preparing to announce at its analysts day next week that it will begin offering the iPhone.
"Now Merrill Lynch's Scott Craig is out with a note reporting that 'speculation is heightening' that Deutsche Telecom will announce a deal to bring the iPhone to its U.S. subsidiary at next week's analysts day," wrote Fortune.
"It makes sense. The carrier recently beefed up its iPhone-compatible high-speed HSPA+ network in 10 metropolitan areas, allowing some of the 1.5 million T-Mobile customers already using unlocked iPhones to enjoy something better than GSM download speeds."
T-Mobile has been working to refarm its spectrum to move its fastest data services to frequencies that are compatible with iPhones. The carrier even started the "Bring Your Own iPhone" program in order to encourage iPhone owners to move to the carrier.
This move was also made in order to prepare T-Mobile to officially carry the iPhone by the end of this year and this latest news might point to that actually becoming a reality.
The fact that T-Mobile has been left out of the iPhone club has hurt the carrier's sales and new subscriptions significantly as that smartphone has been one of the highest selling in the world.