Apple likely to delay iPhone Air release in China due to regulatory hurdles

US tech giant Apple will likely postpone shipments of its iPhone Air to China, as the firm seeks to resolve regulatory concerns around the usage of embedded SIM (eSIM) in collaboration with Chinese authorities, the South China Morning Post reported Friday.

Apple modified the mainland iPhone Air ordering instructions as of Friday morning, substituting "release information to be updated later" for the initial launch timetable. The firm previously said that delivery would start on Sept. 19 with pre-orders opening Friday.

The iPhone Air needs an eSIM since it is 5.6 millimeters thick – Apple's thinnest model yet. According to Apple's website, pre-orders for the other new models that were unveiled earlier this week – the iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Max, and the standard iPhone 17 – start on Friday night and are still scheduled for availability on Sept. 19.

Apple officials informed Chinese media that the company is "working closely with regulatory authorities to bring it to China as soon as possible," according to the report.

China Unicom, China Mobile, and China Telecom, the three state-owned telecom network providers, would "provide eSIM support (with) specific timing subject to regulatory approval," according to Apple. For the role, it had previously solely used China Unicom.

The telecom firms said on social media that they were waiting for Industry and Information Technology Ministry approval for the launch of eSIM services.

Customers worldwide are eager for slimmer smartphones, according to a survey released Thursday by market research firm IDC. For instance, the Samsung S25 Edge, which debuted in May and has a thickness of 5.8 mm, sold over a million copies in its first month of release, making it the sixth-best-selling smartphone worldwide in the high-end, $1,000–1,600 price range.

According to IDC, the iPhone Air would account for "well over" 5%-7% of Apple's Plus model shipments worldwide.