Apple postpones launch of iPhone Air in Beijing

Apple has postponed the launch of its new iPhone Air in Beijing due to regulatory approval issues. The initiative came as customers in China could not access the new device’s pre-orders on Friday.

Apple’s China website failed to let customers order the iPhone Air. Instead, it left a message saying the release information would be updated later. The iPhone maker also acknowledged that all new models will be released after approval.

iPhone Air limits China’s traditional SIM card use

The tech company had confirmed that the new devices would become available in Beijing on Friday for pre-order. It also confirmed the new product will be available on September 19, similar to the U.S. and other major markets.

iPhone Air faces more hurdles in China than elsewhere due to the country’s use of physical SIM cards. Beijing hasn’t widely adopted eSIM technology, which the new Apple device uses because of its thinner frame.

Apple’s support page for eSIM in China announced that the iPhone Air would initially only be available through a single Chinese carrier, China Unicorn. Support also revealed the new product would require users to visit a physical carrier store to activate their eSIM before using the device. Later, Apple updated the page, mentioning that other carriers like China Mobile and China Telecom would eventually support the iPhone Air and eSIM.

China Mobile revealed on Wednesday that it had enabled eSIM service for mobile devices, but said it would announce details regarding the launch date later.

Tim Cook and his team acknowledged that eSIM offers greater flexibility, better security, and seamless connectivity compared to physical SIM cards. The team argued that eSIMs make staying connected while travelling more convenient. 

The eSIM feature allows continued connectivity through affordable international roaming plans from users’ home carriers or local prepaid options. Apple also revealed that iPhone Air will debut in space black, cloud white, light gold, and sky blue colors. The device will begin retailing in the U.S. at $999 or $41 monthly.

“iPhone Air is a brand-new member of the iPhone family that delivers advanced features our users will love, like pro performance, a versatile 48MP Fusion camera system, our innovative Center Stage front camera, and great all-day battery life.”

–John Ternus, Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering at Apple.

The iPhone Air features Apple’s new A19 Pro chip. The chip allows improved AI acceleration through neural accelerators built into each of the chip’s 5 GPU cores. The device also comes with the new N1 Pro chip that supports wireless and Bluetooth, and its C1X model, which the company claims uses 30% less power.

iPhone 17 launches with powerful features

Tim Cook and his team successfully launched new devices in the region, including the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max, with physical SIM cards locally. Apple pushed home deliveries for some iPhone 17 Pro Max models in the U.S. from October 6 to October 13, implying a strong initial demand for the new products. 

Apple will also release the 17 Pro Max cosmic orange model later in 256-gigabyte, 515-gigabyte, and 1-terabyte storage capacities. New orders for the phone’s silver version with either 256GB or 512GB of storage have also been pushed to next month. 

Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product Marketing, Kaiann Drance, revealed that iPhone 17 has powerful features, including an all-day battery life. Drance maintained that the device is a fantastic choice for customers looking for the latest features.

The device has a larger 6.3-inch display and Apple’s Pro Motion, which supports a refresh rate of up to 120 hertz that drops to 1 hertz in lock screen mode. The product will also get Apple’s 3nm A19 chip, complete with a six-core CPU and a five-core GPU for graphics. The iPhone maker revealed that the chip makes the new device 20% faster than the iPhone 16.

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