Apple's iPhone 6 is in the final stages of review for approval, and results are "due shortly," according to a top Chinese government regulator, who spoke to Tencent.
Since Apple unveiled its new iPhone 6 earlier this month the status of the device in China has been a mystery. The company failed to confirm a launch date for the world's largest smartphone market, a move that many analyst thought would hurt the release of the new device.
Apple still sold 10 million new iPhone devices during the first three days iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus were available despite the fact the phones weren't available in China.
Company Chief Executive Tim Cook said the company could have sold even more iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus phones if supplies had been available, according to Reuters.
The delay led to speculation that the iPhone ran into difficulty securing regulatory approval from China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), with some reports suggesting the launch could be delayed until 2015.
"The iPhone 6 has entered the final stage of the approval process, now it's just a matter of time," MIIT chief Miao Wei told Tencent in an exclusive interview in Beijing, according to Reuters. "Netizens, please wait patiently."
Miao declined to say when the review should be completed, but did add that he expected a result "very soon."
Analyst predicted first-weekend sales of at least 10 million iPhones, after Apple pre-orders for the devices reached 4 million on Sept. 12, the day pre-orders opened.
The company's first-quarter revenue should be 9 percent higher than Wall Street estimates, based on reported sales and projected demand for the new iPhones, iPhones, Piper Jaffray & Co analyst Gene Munster wrote in a note.
The new iPhones will be available in 20 more countries on Sept. 26, and 115 countries by the end of 2014, according to a note by Stifel Nicolaus & Co analyst Aaron Rakers.
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