iPhone 6 and 6 Plus hit Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore on September 19

As expected, the new iPhone 6 is larger – and it comes in two variants, the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus. They both launch in selected countries on September 19. But in Asia-Pacific, only Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore get the two new devices during the first wave of launches, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) confirmed this morning.

In all those eligible countries, iPhone 6 and 6 Plus pre-orders commence on September 12.

Surprisingly, mainland China is out of luck this time. Last year the nation’s shoppers were included in the first round of launches. China’s omission from the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus debut looks to be good news for gadget importers who can charge a premium for smuggling the devices in from Hong Kong, thereby avoiding tax at the border.

Here are the official, unlocked prices for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore:

• Australia – iPhone 6 starts from A$869 while the iPhone 6 Plus begins at A$999.

• Hong Kong – iPhone 6 starts from HK$5,588 while the iPhone 6 Plus begins at HK$6,388.

• Japan – iPhone 6 starts from JPY 67,800 while the iPhone 6 Plus begins at JPY 79,800.

• Singapore – iPhone 6 starts from S$988 while the iPhone 6 Plus begins at S$1,148.

See: Apple Watch looks awesome. But it’s too expensive for Asia.