SHANGHAI, Sept 12(AFP) : When the last version of Apple's biggest-selling gadget went on sale, China was among the first territories to offer it. That will not be the case with the iPhone 6, despite the country's importance to the US firm.
In a widely anticipated event, Apple this week unveiled the iPhone 6 with a larger screen than previous models, making the smartphones available in 10 countries and regions from September 19.
They do not include China, despite Apple launching the iPhone 5s and 5c in the country at the same time as other major markets last year.
The US tech giant's revenue in Greater China-which includes Hong Kong and Taiwan-is second only to its home country, and chief executive Tim Cook has said he expects it to become its biggest market in time.
No date or price has yet been given for the new model's release on the mainland, where Apple's website was still advertising the 5s on Thursday.
An Apple spokeswoman told AFP in a statement the firm was looking forward to making them available "when they arrive in China. We will provide more information when available".
But the company has not explained why China has been omitted from the first wave, prompting speculation among analysts and consumers who have pointed to Chinese regulators.
Beijing's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology does not list the iPhone 6 as having received government approval. The ministry could not be reached for comment on Thursday.
In recent months state-run Chinese media have raised the alarm over potential security risks from Apple products.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV in July accused Apple of threatening national security through the iPhone's ability to track a user's location.
Apple denied it posed any such threat.
In August, reports said some Apple products-including MacBook laptops and the iPad-had been removed from an official procurement list over security concerns, but the government denied those allegations.
One analyst attributed the delay for the iPhone 6 to bureaucratic hurdles rather than a deliberate move by the government.
