Apple Delays Launch of iPhone Air in China Due to Regulatory Hurdles

Apple has reportedly delayed the launch of its new, thinner smartphone, iPhone Air, in China due to a need for regulatory approval.

The iPhone Air uses an electronic SIM card, or eSIM, which requires regulatory approval in China, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported Friday (Sept. 12).

An Apple spokesperson said, per the report, that the company is working with regulators in China to make the model available there.

The company has previously introduced iPad and Apple Watch devices with eSIM technology in China, according to the report.

Apple’s other new-generation iPhone models, including the iPhone 17, 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max, are available for presale in China, per the report.

The company unveiled the iPhone 17 Tuesday (Sept. 9), with a focus on hardware and performance and with Apple CEO Tim Cook calling it “the biggest leap ever” for iPhone.

Apple said in a press release that the iPhone Air is the thinnest iPhone ever made, at 5.6 mm, and has a titanium frame that makes it more durable than any previous iPhone.

“The all-new iPhone Air is so powerful, yet impossibly light and thin, that you really have to hold it to believe it’s real,” John Ternus, senior vice president of hardware engineering at Apple, said in the release.

Counterpoint Research reported Tuesday (Sept. 9) that Apple’s smartphone shipments in China grew 1% year-over-year in the second quarter due to price discounts for the iPhone 16 models.

The company made those gains during a quarter in which China’s total smartphone shipments fell 2% year over year because many manufacturers had launched their new models earlier to take advantage of a national subsidy program.

That marked a turnaround from earlier in the year, when it was reported in January that Apple’s iPhone sales in China had been falling due to stronger competition and a lack of artificial intelligence features on its phones sold in the country.

IDC reported in August that it expects smartphone shipments in China to decline 1% year over year in 2025 while worldwide shipments grow 1%.

“China’s forecast was reduced from the previous 3% YoY growth, as the government subsidies phase out and are no longer expected to significantly stimulate demand amidst ongoing economic challenges,” IDC said in an Aug. 27 press release.