eSIM-Only iPhone Air Available in China Through China Unicom
The thin and light iPhone Air does not have a physical SIM slot, and is limited to eSIM-only operation. That's something of a problem, because in China, carriers have not traditionally supported eSIM for the iPhone even though it's widely used around the world.
Until now, iPhones sold in China have always had a physical SIM slot, and that's still the case for the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max. There wasn't space for a SIM tray in the iPhone Air, but China won't have to go without. Apple was able to work with China Unicom to bring the iPhone Air with eSIM to the Chinese market.
On its website in China, Apple says that customers will need an eSIM-supported carrier and mobile plan to use the iPhone Air. The company also clarifies that not all carriers support eSIM, and that customers who want to use the iPhone Air will need to sign up for a plan with China Unicom. As of right now, China Unicom is the only carrier that supports eSIM.
China has a requirement that links a user's ID to their cellular phone, something that's harder to do with an eSIM over a physical SIM. China Unicom customers who buy an iPhone Air will be required to visit a China Unicom retail store to verify their IDs with store staff and activate their device.
Apple has a support document on the iPhone Air in China that further says only the model A3518 iPhone Air will be able to be activated via eSIM in China. All other iPhone Air models, including those purchased outside of China, will not be able to install an eSIM profile from a China mainland carrier.
Chinese customers who have an eSIM-capable iPhone Air purchased in China will be able to activate an eSIM from a local carrier when traveling, but eSIMs from non-China mainland carriers cannot be installed while located in China mainland.
Popular Stories
Apple plans to release an iPhone 17e and an iPad Air with an M4 chip "in the coming weeks," according to the latest word from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
"Apple retail employees say that inventory of the iPhone 16e has basically dried out and the iPad Air is seeing shortages as well," said Gurman. "I've been expecting new versions of both (iPhone 17e and M4 iPad Air) in the coming weeks."...
Apple plans to launch a rebranded "Sales Coach" app on the iPhone and iPad later this month, according to a source familiar with the matter.
"Sales Coach" will arrive as an update to Apple's existing "SEED" app, and it will continue to provide sales tips and training resources to Apple Store and Apple Authorized Reseller employees around the world. For example, there are articles and videos...
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models as soon as early March, but if you can, this is one generation you should skip because there's something much better in the works.
We're waiting on 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, with few changes other than the processor upgrade. There won't be any tweaks to the design or the display, but later this...
Wednesday February 11, 2026 10:07 am PST by
Juli CloverApple today released iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3, the latest updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out in September. The new software comes almost two months after Apple released iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2.
The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
According to Apple's release notes, ...
The MacBook Air is Apple's most popular laptop – a thin, fanless machine that wields quiet power thanks to the efficiency of Apple silicon. While the M4 model isn't exactly old, attention is already turning to its successor.
Apple doesn't telegraph new product launches ahead of time, but we can draw a surprisingly clear picture of what to expect by looking at Apple's silicon roadmap,...
