iPhone 6 to go on sale in China following security concerns

Apple’s latest handset has been approved for sale in China, after government concerns that the iPhone would allow US agencies to track user data were quashed.

The iPhone 6 will hit Chinese shelves on October 17th, almost an entire month after the rest of the world.

Apple managed to convince Chinese authorities that the 6 and its bigger brother, the iPhone 6 Plus, did not contain security ‘backdoors’ through which American firms could harvest users’ private information.

The pre-approval regulator scrutiny conducted by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) also addressed worries surrounding Apple’s diagnostic tool, which had been highlighted as a possible security data leak risk.

The news follows the launch of Microsoft’s Xbox One in China yesterday (September 29th).

The console is the first foreign-made video game console to land in the country in 14 years – one year longer than the 13-year life of the Xbox brand.

While the console was delayed last-minute last week, Chinese gamers can now get their hands on the box along with a choice of 10 state-approved games.

The games, which have been deemed to meet government censorship regulations, include Forza Motorsport 5, Kinect Sports Rivals and the Chinese exclusive Naughty Kitties.

Microsoft’s rivals, Sony’s PS4 and Nintendo’s Wii U, are yet to have release dates confirmed for the territory.

Nintendo previously suggested it would introduce a completely new system into Chinese, built with Chinese consumers in mind.