Apple’s worldwide marketshare is about to grow as Chinese regulators have given their approval of the iPhone 5 for use in China. AllThingsD reports that the iPhone has been approved by China’s State Radio Management organization and it only needs a network access license and before it will finally be available to purchase.
The iPhone 5 has been approved for both China Telecom and China Unicom, which combined amounts for 127 million customers, many of which will be dying to get their hands on the new, thinner and taller iPhone 5. However, with the iPhone 5 already in short supply around the world, adding another massive territory like China will surely put more pressure on Apple’s Asian suppliers. Which means the iPhone 5 could be hard to come by when it launches in China—supposedly in December, according to Apple CEO Tim Cook—which may result in some panic by Chinese consumers. When Apple launched the iPhone 4S in China, riots broke out at several stores, forcing Apple to close its doors. It should be interesting to see how Apple prepares for this launch, will they do another online ticket system to avoid a rush at the door or will their be another instance of mass hysteria in the streets?