BEIJING - Apple Inc Friday officially released iPhone 5, the latest version of its iconic smartphone, in its second-largest market China.

Customers can buy the new iPhone at Apple's online store and seven retail stores, resellers and stores of mobile operators China Unicom and China Telecom.

Unlike the release of iPhone 4s, no long lines of customers were seen queuing outside Apple's retail stores in Beijing as the stores only offer iPhone 5 on contract of China Telecom, the country's smallest mobile carrier.

When iPhone 4s hit China on Jan 13, big crowds of customers and scalpers queued for hours or even overnight for the official release at Apple's retails stores in Shanghai and Beijing. A store in Sanlitun in downtown Beijing even did not open that day after scuffles broke out among the crowds.

Hours after its release, Apple Inc halts iPhone 4S sales at its retail stores due to "supply problems and chaotic crowds".