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The new iPhone Air is set to go on sale in mainland China next week, following the launch of pre-registration for eSIM services by the country’s three major telecom operators—China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom.
The Chinese version of the iPhone Air will be available starting October 22, as announced by the CEO during a live stream on Douyin, the Chinese social media platform similar to TikTok. This marks his first appearance on the platform since Apple opened its flagship store in Douyin Mall back in August.
Pricing for the iPhone Air in China begins at 7,999 yuan (approximately $1,120). It will be the only model in the region to feature an embedded digital SIM card, making it Apple’s first phone to support eSIM technology.
China Unicom introduced a nationwide pre-registration channel specifically for eSIM services after obtaining approval from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. Meanwhile, China Mobile and China Telecom announced that customers can visit their respective branches to activate eSIM features.
On the same day, the CEO attended the tenth anniversary celebration of Pop Mart International Group’s famous line, The Monsters, in Shanghai. There, he received a custom Labubu figure holding an iPhone from Hong Kong toy designer Kasing Lung, who created the popular plush toy. He also received a Zimomo figure, known as the “Great Leader” of Labubu, from the company’s founder and CEO, Wang Ning.
Wang and Kasing also showed him original manuscripts from their Labubu series along with other products, and the artist even drew a Labubu character on an iPad Pro.
Since launching in 2007, Apple has shipped over 3 billion iPhones worldwide. China remains a vital market for the company, with executives consistently reaffirming that it continues to be a crucial manufacturing and supply chain hub.
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