Apple iPhone Air Preorders To Soon Begin In China As eSIM Gets Green Light From Major Telecom Operators

On Monday, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is preparing to open preorders for its new iPhone Air in China later this week, following regulatory approval for eSIM services by the country's three largest telecom operators.

China Approves eSIM Services Ahead Of iPhone Air Launch

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology confirmed that China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom have all received regulatory clearance to provide trial eSIM services, reported Reuters.

The decision paves the way for the iPhone Air to become Apple's first eSIM-supported model in China, priced from 7,999 yuan (approximately $1,121).

According to an announcement on a ministry-affiliated website, all three telecom operators can now offer eSIM connectivity on approved devices.

Tim Cook Announces Preorders On Weibo

Apple CEO Tim Cook, currently visiting Shanghai, shared the news directly with Chinese consumers on Weibo.

"Excited to announce iPhone Air will be available next week and preorders start this Friday, October 17!" Cook wrote.

Apple Pushes Back Against Huawei And Xiaomi

The announcement comes amid intensifying competition in China's smartphone market.

Analysts expect Huawei Technologies to outpace Apple in sales in the second quarter of 2025, driven by strong loyalty among domestic users.

Meanwhile, Xiaomi's (OTC:XIACF) (OTC:XIACY) budget-friendly 15S Pro has gained traction, offering strong performance and benefiting from government subsidies.

Apple, in response, has boosted trade-in values and plans to integrate Alibaba Group's (NYSE:BABA) Qwen3 AI into future devices to enhance localized AI capabilities.

Price Action: Apple's shares rose 0.97% on Monday and are up 1.56% year-to-date, according to Benzinga Pro.

Benzinga's Edge Stock Rankings place Apple in the 73rd percentile for stock quality, highlighting its solid performance and resilience against peers and competitors.