iPhone 5 gets regulatory approval in China

According to a new report, the China State Radio Management agency, one of China’s regulatory agencies, has just given Apple’s iPhone 5 the go-ahead for sale in the country.

The news comes about a month after the handset received approval from the China Compulsory Certificate, and about a month ahead of its scheduled December launch…

AppleInsider points to a report from Sina digital:

“A Chinese regulatory agency on Tuesday revealed that two models of Apple’s iPhone 5 have been granted approval to operate on the country’s networks, suggesting that the popular smartphone will soon launch in the world’s largest wireless market.”

And that’s why this is such a big deal. China is home to some of the world’s largest wireless carriers, and as Tim Cook said on the latest earnings call, it makes up 15% of Apple’s revenue.

The two iPhone models listed are the A1429 and A1442. The A1429 model is of the GSM variety, and is likely headed to China Unicom. And the A1442 is CDMA, and headed to China Telecom.

It’s worth noting that the A1429 is also compatible with China Mobile’s GSM network. Though, despite many rumors, there’s no word on whether or not Apple has finally inked a deal with the world’s largest carrier.

According to the company, the iPhone 5 is set to launch in China sometime in December. And it still plans to have the handset in more than 100 countries by the end of the year.