Apple Yet To Announce India Launch Of iPhone 6 After Strong US Demand, Impending China Launch: Report

Apple Inc. is yet to announce a firm date for the launch of its iPhone 6 smartphone in India, the Times of India reported, citing unnamed executives at Apple's sales and distribution partners in India. The company's latest phones have seen unprecedented demand in the U.S., and the devices are expected to be launched in China soon.

Apple could be looking at an early November release as its Indian partners would want to make the most of the upcoming Indian holiday shopping season, which begins in the last week of October, the paper reported Tuesday. Diwali, or the festival of lights, is typically the time when many Indians indulge in serious shopping, and businesses gear up to cash in on the demand. Online shopping is on a tear in India and ecommerce portals are building up the buzz, which is missing Apple's iPhone 6, as a launch date has not been announced.

Apple first set a Sept. 26 date for the iPhone 6 launch in India and quickly changed it to Oct. 17, only to scrub that as well, leading to speculation that there would be a delay, the newspaper reported.

"The India team wants it (Apple) to launch before Diwali like always but the unprecedented global demand for the new iPhones is making Cupertino think otherwise, which is why unlike other years there is not much buzz in the trade yet," according to one of the trade partner executives, the paper reported.