Apple is set to introduce its ultra-thin iPhone Air in China following a brief pause to allow local carriers to gear up for the eSIM-exclusive device, a key market where the company has faced hurdles in eSIM adoption.Preorders for the iPhone Air will kick off on October 17th, as announced by CEO Tim Cook in a post on Weibo.
The device will hit store shelves on October 22nd as reported by Chinese outlet Jiemian.
The lightweight iPhone Air dispenses with physical SIM cards entirely, relying solely on embedded eSIM technology for mobile connectivity. During its unveiling event last month, Apple highlighted how removing the SIM tray enabled a larger battery in the thinner design. The phone initially launched in the U.S. and other countries on September 19th.
China’s slower rollout of eSIM support prompted the staggered release there. On Monday, China Mobile Ltd. announced it had received regulatory approval to offer eSIM services nationwide, paving the way for the iPhone Air’s debut.
MacDailyNews Note: Apple’s iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max models continue to support physical SIM cards in certain countries like China. The eSIM-only versions of iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max feature larger batteries in those markets where older physical SIMs have been eschewed.
Please help support MacDailyNews — and enjoy subscriber-only articles, comments, chat, and more — by subscribing to our Substack: macdailynews.substack.com. Thank you!
Support MacDailyNews at no extra cost to you by using this link to shop at Amazon.
The post Apple to start taking iPhone Air preorders in China on October 17th appeared first on MacDailyNews.
