iPhone 5 to Hit Stores in 50 Countries on December 15

To take the total number of countries the iPhone 5 will be available in to nearly 100

Apple on Monday announced that the iPhone 5 will debut in more than 50 countries this month, including South Korea on Friday, Dec. 7, with Russia, Brazil and Taiwan to follow a week later.

Those additional countries that will gain access to Apple's latest smartphone include China, which Apple announced last week will have the iPhone 5 launch on Dec. 14. The dozens of new countries will join 47 countries where the iPhone 5 is already available for sale.