Apple gains approval to sell iPhone 5s/5c in Brazil

iOS 7 teaser (iPhone 5s ad 003)

Apple has gained approval to sell its iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c in Brazil. That country’s National Telecommunications Agency granted the tech giant the right to use the 4G-ready 2600 Mhz band, an upgrade from the previous 700 Mhz.

The new handsets are being produced at Foxconn’s Brazil factories. The government’s approval follows Apple winning the right to use the iPhone trademark. The only question remaining: when will the new smartphones appear on shelves in Brazil…

According to ZDNet, Apple’s latest phones were approved by Brazil’s regulatory agency much faster than happened with the iPad mini. Interestingly enough, Brazil is absent from Apple’s second wave of expansion that will see both new iPhones reach 51 more countries by November 1.

In that instance, the smaller Apple tablet appeared in Brazil eight months after its initial unveiling. The iPhone 5 was approved in October of 2012, but did not actually reach consumers there until mid-December.

Brazil was not among the list of countries announced Wednesday that will get the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c. The country is one of the BRIC markets which are gaining greater focus as growing smartphones markets. Along with Brazil, Apple is making efforts to increase iPhone sales in Russia, India and China.

The South American nation was also the focus of Apple’s legal team as Apple won a battle to use the familiar ‘iPhone’ moniker in Brazil. For nearly a year, the Brazilian electronics firm IGB Electronics had prevented Apple from promoting its smartphone.