Apple on Wednesday announced that the latest version of its hot-selling iPhones will be released in China and 21 other countries on January 13.

"Customer response for our products in China has been off the charts," Apple chief executive Tim Cook said in a release.

"With the launch in China next week, iPhone 4S will be available in over 90 countries making this our fastest iPhone rollout ever," he continued.

The new generational iPhone made its international debut in October of last year, shortly after the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

While not officially available in mainland China, 4S models popped up in shops there only to be bought quickly despite high premiums being tacked onto prices.

Apple prices for iPhone 4S handsets ranged from $199 to $399 depending on memory capacity.

Popular iPhone 4S features include high-definition video cameras and a quick-witted artificial intelligence "personal assistant" named Siri.

California-based Apple sold more than four million new iPhone 4S models in their first three days on the market.