Apple postpones iPhone Air release in China as Beijing keeps a tight grip on eSIM approval
Apple says all three state-owned telecoms network operators would provide eSIM support ‘subject to regulatory approval’
Apple is likely to delay Chinese shipments of its new iPhone Air, the thinnest model ever, as the company works with mainland authorities to resolve regulatory issues related to the use of an embedded SIM.
As of Friday morning, Apple had revised iPhone Air ordering details for the mainland, replacing the original launch schedule with “release information to be updated later”. Previously, the company stated that pre-orders would start at 8pm Friday local time, while deliveries would begin on September 19.
At 5.6mm thick, the iPhone Air requires an eSIM. The other new models introduced earlier this week – the basic iPhone 17, the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max – are still set for release from September 19, as pre-orders begin Friday evening, according to Apple’s website.
Apple representatives told Chinese media that it was “working closely with regulatory authorities to bring it to China as soon as possible”.
Apple said all three state-owned telecommunications network operators – China Unicom, China Mobile and China Telecom – would “provide eSIM support [with] specific timing subject to regulatory approval”. It previously only tapped China Unicom for the function.
China Mobile posted on microblogging site Weibo on Wednesday that the company had “enabled eSIM services for mobile phones”, but that details regarding the launch date “would be announced separately”.