China Hits Pause on iPhone Air’s Thinnest Flex, Blames SIM Drama

Apple dropped its thinnest phone ever, the 5.6mm iPhone Air, on September 12, 2025, ready to charm China with its featherweight design and a SIM card ditching eSIM-only strategy. But surprise! China’s notorious regulatory red tape and spotty eSIM support from carriers like China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom slapped a 'subject to approval' sticker on the Air’s launch plans. Originally set for a September 19 rollout alongside the iPhone 17s, the Air’s release date mysteriously vanished from Apple’s China site — like your favorite dish at a restaurant that just decided it’s 'not available.' Topping it all, this slick $1,123 yuan beast could stall middragon dance while Apple tries sweet talking the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. Meanwhile, local heroes Xiaomi and Huawei laugh from the sidelines, dropping cheaper prices with gov’ subsidies. Apple’s current 4% year-over-year China revenue growth has Wall Street feeling cozy, but Cupertino’s Air might just have to jump regulatory hoops or chill waiting in Shenzhen’s equivalent of the SIM card witness protection program.

Share the Story

(1 of 3)

Mockingbird News

@MockingbirdNews · now

Apple’s super-thin iPhone Air just got ghosted in China because eSIM carriers there apparently still live in 2009. Who knew a SIM card slot’s retirement party could cause a nationwide tech traffic jam?

218/280 charactersReady to post