Apple Delays iPhone Air Launch in China Over eSIM Approval Issues

Apple has postponed the merchandise of its caller iPhone Air successful China portion it works with mainland authorities to resoluteness regulatory issues related to the device's eSIM requirement, according to the South China Morning Post.


Apple connected Friday greeting reportedly updated its Chinese website, replacing the archetypal September 12 pre-order and September 19 motorboat docket for the iPhone Air with the words "release accusation to beryllium updated later." Meanwhile, pre-orders for the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max volition unfastened astatine 8.00 p.m. section clip arsenic primitively scheduled.

At 5.6mm thick, the iPhone Air does not person a carnal SIM slot, and is constricted to eSIM-only operation. That's a occupation successful China, since carriers person not traditionally supported eSIM for the iPhone adjacent though it's wide utilized astir the world.

The hold appears to person upturned Apple's earlier plans. Previously, the institution had worked exclusively with China Unicom to supply eSIM enactment for the device, requiring customers to sojourn retail stores for individuality verification and activation. Now Apple has said that each 3 state-owned telecommunications web operators – China Unicom, China Mobile and China Telecom – volition "provide eSIM enactment [with] circumstantial timing taxable to regulatory approval."

Meanwhile, China Mobile posted connected Weibo that it had "enabled eSIM services for mobile phones," but said details regarding the motorboat day "would beryllium announced separately." The expanded bearer enactment suggests Apple is moving to broaden the device's imaginable marketplace scope erstwhile regulatory hurdles clear.

Over successful the U.S., pre-orders for the iPhone 17 lineup and iPhone Air are acceptable to unfastened aboriginal connected Friday astatine 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time.
This article, "Apple Delays iPhone Air Launch successful China Over eSIM Approval Issues" archetypal appeared connected MacRumors.com

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