Tim Cook Announces Apple iPhone 17 Air Pre-Orders Start in China on October 17

After an extended wait, Apple is poised to officially launch its much-anticipated iPhone 17 Air in China, with pre-orders scheduled to kick off this Friday, October 17.

Tim Cook Shares Official Launch Details on Weibo

Tim Cook announces iPhone Air availability and pre-orders on Weibo — Image Source

During his visit to China, Apple CEO Tim Cook seems to have successfully navigated the regulatory challenges that delayed the iPhone 17 Air’s release in this critical market.

In a recent Weibo post, Cook announced the exciting news that pre-orders for the iPhone 17 Air will begin on October 17, with expected deliveries starting the following week.

Regulatory Challenges: eSIM Exclusivity Affected Launch

The iPhone 17 Air marks a significant shift for Apple as it utilizes an eSIM-only design, forgoing the traditional physical SIM card tray to maintain its sleek profile.

However, this design choice led to specific regulatory hurdles in China, a country that has traditionally been hesitant to adopt eSIM technology for several reasons:

eSIMs from international carriers provide a means to circumvent the Great Firewall of China (GFC) without the use of dedicated VPN services.
In China, digital payment systems such as WeChat Pay require phone number registration, raising concerns for authorities regarding potential fraud if users could easily acquire new numbers through foreign eSIMs without adequate ID verification.

Fortunately, these regulatory concerns appear to have been addressed, and the Apple iPhone 17 Air is set to be available next week, most likely supporting only eSIMs from authorized local carriers.

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