eSIM Phones Arrive: Apple’s iPhone Air to Launch October 22 with Full Carrier Support

On October 13, Apple confirmed that customers in mainland China will be able to pre-order the iPhone Air starting at 9:00 a.m. on October 17, with official sales beginning October 22. The device is priced from RMB 7,999.

The iPhone Air features an eSIM-only design. eSIM, short for Embedded Subscriber Identity Module, is a next-generation SIM standard developed by the GSMA. Unlike traditional physical SIM cards, eSIM integrates carrier information directly into the device’s chipset, enabling remote provisioning without a physical slot. This design offers advantages in flexibility, security, and space efficiency.

Earlier in the day, China Unicom announced that it had received formal approval to begin commercial trials of eSIM phone services. This milestone reflects a decade of technical development and practical exploration in the eSIM field, and is expected to contribute to the growth of the digital economy and innovation in device connectivity.

China Unicom began accepting eSIM reservations at the end of September. Users can access the reservation portal via the top banner on the homepage of the China Unicom app and complete registration by submitting the required information.

Later that evening, China Mobile also confirmed it had received approval to launch commercial eSIM phone services. Customers can visit China Mobile service centers to activate eSIM functionality and enjoy a more flexible and convenient communication experience. Details on service locations are available through the China Mobile app.

On the same day, China Telecom announced that it had received approval from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology to begin commercial trials of eSIM phone services. The service is now available across 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities. China Telecom stated that during the trial phase, online activation will not be supported. Customers must visit offline service centers to activate eSIM functionality.

Apple first introduced the iPhone Air on September 10 during its autumn product launch event. The device was designed with eSIM as its sole connectivity option. Apple’s official China website emphasized that the model supports only eSIM and listed China Unicom as a compatible carrier. However, at the time, none of the three major carriers had officially launched eSIM services, which delayed the domestic release of the iPhone Air.

On September 12, during the pre-sale of the iPhone 17 series, the iPhone Air was notably absent. Apple issued a statement explaining, “We are working closely with regulatory authorities to bring the product to China as soon as possible.”