China's gone crazy for the iPhone Air – Apple's slimmest iPhone ever just sold out
Pre-orders for the ultra-thin iPhone Air sold out within hours in China, helped by a new eSIM approval that finally lets iPhones go SIM-free in the country.
South China Morning Post reports that within hours of pre-orders opening on Friday, the iPhone Air was sold out across online stores. Pre-orders in China opened on Friday, and before the day ended, well, the super-slim iPhone was sold out.
Reportedly, demand for the iPhone Air surged immediately after pre-orders were opened. Within the first two hours of availability, Apple's online store and the official Tmall both listed multiple color options and storage configurations as out of stock.
iPhone Air. | Image Credit - Apple
And yep, that reflects an even higher demand than what the device experienced in Western markets last month.
The iPhone Air is priced starting at 7,999 yuan in China, which is approximately $1,122.
Would you trade battery life for a super-slim iPhone like the iPhone Air?
Absolutely — give me that sleek design
35.71%
Maybe, if battery life is still decent
14.29%
No way — I need endurance over looks
50%
iPhone Air: the slim model in the iPhone 17 lineup
The iPhone Air was introduced in September, alongside the base iPhone 17, and the Pro-branded iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. This year, there's no iPhone 17 Plus, and the "experimental slot" in the lineup was given to the ultra-slim iPhone Air.
The phone looks gorgeous and is indeed quite slim, which makes it stand out. Its exquisite design is understandably alluring. Of course, if you're from the people who don't care too much about battery life (as it has a smaller battery than what I would personally find acceptable).
However, it seems that the iPhone Air wasn't as attractive to Western buyers as it seems to be in China.
Its release in mainland China was due to the fact that the iPhone had to wait for government approval for eSIM. The iPhone Air only comes with eSIM, without a slot for a physical SIM, which enables that super-thin profile in the design.
The launch of the iPhone Air in China coincides with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's decision to authorize eSIM trials for smartphones. Basically, this decision marks the first time that people in China can activate a mobile number without a physical SIM card to correspond to it.
China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom are the carriers in China that have confirmed this week to have received approval to begin commercial operations. That has allowed for the iPhone Air to launch without regulatory restrictions. And apparently, the users in China were quite excited about this iPhone.
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In the U.S., the iPhone Air is available starting at $999, and you can get the phone in one of four colors (Sky Blue, Light Gold, Cloud White, Space Black). You can choose between 256, 512 GB, and 1TB of storage.
iPhone Air is great, but a smaller battery life is a deal breaker for me
I am the type of person who will go for a Pro Max iPhone just because of its huge battery. First off, I'm quite a heavy user of smartphones just because I'm, well, almost always on it (yes, I have no life). And then, I also hate having to plug in my iPhone (or put it on its MagSafe charger) too often, as I find it a hassle.
So, the iPhone Air is not the model for me. But still, I find it gorgeous, and I'm waiting for Apple to start using silicon-carbon tech so I can get a slim phone with a huge battery.
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Izzy, a tech enthusiast and a key part of the PhoneArena team, specializes in delivering the latest mobile tech news and finding the best tech deals. Her interests extend to cybersecurity, phone design innovations, and camera capabilities. Outside her professional life, Izzy, a literature master's degree holder, enjoys reading, painting, and learning languages. She's also a personal growth advocate, believing in the power of experience and gratitude. Whether it's walking her Chihuahua or singing her heart out, Izzy embraces life with passion and curiosity.
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