Apple Reportedly Hits Pause On iPhone Air Launch In China

Apple Inc. (AAPL) has reportedly held back the debut of its new iPhone Air in mainland China, as regulatory hurdles delayed the rollout of its thin model in one of its most important markets.

According to a Bloomberg report, customers in China were unable to pre-order the new model when it went live globally on Friday. Instead, Apple’s China website displayed a notice stating that availability would be announced pending approval. 

Apple stock inched 0.3% lower in Friday’s premarket. On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around the stock remained in ‘extremely bullish’ territory amid ‘high’ message volume levels.

The report suggested that iPhone Air’s exclusive use of eSIM technology has made its launch difficult in China. While the U.S. and many other markets have adopted the virtual SIM format, most Chinese consumers continue to rely on traditional physical SIM cards. 

Apple had initially planned to launch pre-orders on September 12, with devices reaching shelves on September 19. The company explained that the device will initially only work with one Chinese mobile provider, China Unicom, according to the report.

However, the report also noted that the tech giant has confirmed that major providers, such as China Mobile and China Telecom Corp., are expected to support the eSIM-based device in the future.

Apple’s product launch event, held on Tuesday, revealed the new iPhone 17, iPhone Air with the A19 Pro chip, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. On Thursday, DA Davidson downgraded Apple stock, citing it was ‘uninspired’ by Apple’s recent product releases and said it failed to generate excitement or signal a shift toward AI integration. 

Apple stock has lost over 8% in 2025 but has gained more than 3% in the last 12 months. 

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