The company's two newest smartphones will be available in a total of 69 countries by month's end and are on track to reach more than 115 countries before January 1.
The global rollout of Apple's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus continues.

The Cupertino, Calif., company said Monday that its two newest smartphones will hit 36 more countries by the end of the month, for a total of 69 countries. The iPhones are on track to reach 115 countries by the end of the year, which the company said represents the fastest iPhone rollout yet.

While the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have been smash hits in markets such as the US, Japan and Australia, they have yet to reach the heavily populated markets of China and India. The company is increasingly relying on foreign markets to propel its sales growth. As such, a quick release is imperative for Apple.

There's been keen interest in the new iPhones because of their larger display, improved camera and apparently for the potential to pay for mobile goods through the Apple Pay service, which is expected to launch this month.

The news comes ahead of Apple's next launch event, scheduled for Thursday. The company is expected to unveil new iPads and Macs, as well as release its OS X Yosemite operating system.

Here are the release dates and countries:

• October 17: China, India and Monaco

• October 23: Israel

• October 24: Czech Republic, French West Indies, Greenland, Malta, Poland, Reunion Island and South Africa

• October 30: Bahrain and Kuwait

• October 31: Albania, Bosnia, Croatia, Estonia, Greece, Guam, Hungary, Iceland, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Macau, Macedonia, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, South Korea, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine and Thailand

http://www.cnet.com/news/apple-expan...ore-countries/