Apple Delays IPhone Air Pre-Order In China Due To ESIM Regulation Issues

IPhone Air pre-orders are postponed in China (photo: dock. Apple)

JAKARTA Apple was supposed to open the pre-order iPhone Air period in China on September 12. However, this initial sales period was postponed and most likely due to eSIM problems.

Only the time of ordering the iPhone Air has been delayed. Apple's other new phones, such as the standard iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max, can still be purchased in the country.

The iPhone Air store page in China now only displays the message that 'release information will be updated later'. This shows that Apple cannot confirm when their iPhone Air is available and can be purchased offline or online.

Apparently, this happened because Apple's decision to include eSIM in the iPhone Air. They did not add physical card slots, even though the use of eSIM in mainland China is still very limited and not widely supported.

The majority of locally produced mobile phones usually still use physical SIMs. To date, there is no iPhone model that supports eSIM in China and the iPhone Air is the first.

However, this breakthrough actually made it difficult for Apple. They have to wait for regulations from the local government. It is not certain how long Apple will need to have a cell phone launch permit with only the eSIM.

To overcome this, Apple has updated its support page on eSIM in China. They stated that the three main operators of the country, namely China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom, would offer eSIM.

Launching from the South China Morning Post, Apple is working with China's regulatory authorities regarding this launch. The company seeks to comply with the required requirements to bring the iPhone Air as soon as possible to the Chinese market.