Apple iPhone 5 coming to South Korea, China, 52 other countries

The iPhone 5 will be making its way to 54 countries this month, including South Korea, China, Brazil and Russia.

That number is notable because the iPhone 5 is already available in 47 countries, so by Dec. 21, Apple will have its flagship product in more than 100 countries.

QUIZ: What set the Internet on fire in 2012?

The iPhone 5 launched in the U.S. and other countries on Sept. 21, and already the device has helped Apple reclaim the top spot in the U.S. smartphone market. In the U.S., the phone is available from Verizon, AT&T; or Sprint. Apple has also begun selling an unlocked version that can be used with AT&T; and T-Mobile without signing a two-year service contract.

The phone will arrive in South Korea this Friday. That’ll be followed by another wave of launches on Dec. 14 that includes more than 30 countries, among them China, Russia and Brazil.

The following Friday, Apple will begin to sell its phone in 20 more countries, many of which are in Africa.

ALSO:

Large-tablet roundup: iPad vs. Nexus 10 vs. Surface

Digital store comparison: iTunes vs. Google Play vs. Amazon

Yahoo: iPhone 5 top searched gadget, second overall to ‘election’