Apple's new red iPhones won't be (RED) in China; here's a few possible reasons why

Apple on Tuesday announced the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus PRODUCT(RED) models. The two special-edition devices are identical to the regular iPhone 7 and 7 Plus in terms of hardware, but feature unique red backplates and, what's more important, a chunk of all proceeds from each device sale goes to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS.

The two special-edition iPhone 7 models are going on sale in China as well, where registrations for their launch have surpassed the number of available units, but they won't be carrying the (RED) branding in the region. The phones will otherwise look the same, sporting the same red backplates, but they will be sold as merely a color option to the current iPhone 7 and 7 Plus and not carry the charitable nature of PRODUCT(RED) devices sold in other regions.

Apple's China retail page currently lists the new iPhones without the PRODUCT(RED) branding, which strongly suggests that handsets sold in the region will not be a part of the charity initiative. There is currently no official information from Apple as to why the branding was dropped, but there are various factors at play that could have affected the decision.