The latest gadget of Apple Inc, iPhone 5, will possibly begin its sales in China in October, according to local media reports.

After the first round of official launch in nine countries and regions on September 21, the total shipments reached 5 million globally within three days. The second round of iPhone 5 began in another 22 countries and regions on Sept 28.

Though China is still not on the list, Apple iPhone 5 has passed the 3C (China Compulsory Certification) certification, on Sept 24, with a period of valid for five years.

The 3C certification will accelerate its process into the market. However, iPhone 5 still needs a network license from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and approval from China Radio Management before sales begin. The expected timing is about 20 days, according to usual practice.

Some industry insiders say that based on past experience, the official appearance of iPhone 5 will be expected in Chinese mainland in October.

China Unicom and China Telecom, two major telecom operators both said that they have been preparing for the introduction of iPhone 5 in the market.

China Unicom has begun to take orders for iPhone 5 in many cities in the Chinese mainland. It will also provide Nano SIM cards for users who owns iPhone 5.

The Nano SIM card required for iPhone 5 is much smaller than the previous Micro SIM card. It aims to release more memory and leave more room for battery.

China Telecom, the second Chinese telecom carrier to introduce Apple's iPhone series on contract, start to take orders in Shanghai and other cities.

The current price for an iPhone 5 in Zhongguancun, the mass electronics market in Beijing, is around 7,000 yuan ($1,111, 864 euros). On Oct 10, a black 16G iPhone 5 from Hong Kong costs 7,050 yuan, and black 32 G is about 7,100 yuan.