Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL, ETR:APC) has delayed the launch of its new iPhone Air in mainland China, diverging from its original plan to release the device in tandem with the United States and other key markets.
When pre-orders for Apple’s latest models opened on Friday, the company’s China website did not allow customers to purchase the iPhone Air.
Instead, the site displayed a message stating, “Release information will be updated later. All models will be released after approval.”
Apple had initially said the device would be available for pre-order in China on September 12, with general availability on September 19.
The iPhone Air is Apple’s thinnest model yet and differs from the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max in one key respect: it eliminates the physical SIM card slot entirely, relying instead on embedded SIM (eSIM) technology. By contrast, Apple’s other new models continue to support physical SIM cards.
China remains a market where physical SIM cards dominate and eSIM adoption is limited. It is speculated that regulatory approval related to eSIM support may be behind the delay, though Apple has not given an official reason.
Apple has been working with China’s three major state-owned carriers—China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom—to support eSIM functionality, which in China currently requires initial activation in physical retail stores.
The company has not provided a revised timeline for when the iPhone Air will become available in the market.