iPhone Air Sells Out in China

Apple's iPhone Air sold out across online stores in China within hours of pre-orders opening on Friday, the South China Morning Post reports.

iPhone Air Text
Demand for the ‌iPhone Air‌ reportedly surged immediately after pre-orders opened. Apple's online store and the official Tmall flagship both listed multiple color and storage configurations as unavailable within the first two hours of availability, reflecting even higher demand than the device saw in western markets last month. Prices begin at 7,999 yuan (approximately $1,122).

The ‌iPhone Air‌ was introduced globally in September but delayed in mainland China pending government approval for eSIM, which replaces physical SIM cards and enables slimmer smartphone designs.

The launch coincides with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's decision to authorize eSIM trials for smartphones, marking the first time Chinese users can activate a mobile number without a physical SIM card. China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom confirmed this week that they had received approval to begin commercial operations, paving the way for the ‌iPhone Air‌ to launch without regulatory restrictions.

Related Roundup: iPhone Air
Buyer's Guide: iPhone Air (Buy Now)

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Thursday November 13, 2025 11:35 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3, the AirPods 4, and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 firmware is 8B21, all up from the prior 8A358 firmware released in October. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 3...
Tim Cook WWDC 2018

Report: Tim Cook to Step Down as Apple CEO 'as Soon as Next Year'

Saturday November 15, 2025 2:40 pm PST by
Apple is preparing for Tim Cook to step down as CEO of the company "as soon as next year," according to the Financial Times. The company's board of directors and senior executives "recently intensified preparations for Cook to hand over the reins," the report said. While the report said that Apple is unlikely to name a new CEO before its next earnings report in late January, it went on to ...
iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket Now Available to Order, But Already Selling Out

Friday November 14, 2025 6:20 am PST by
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. iPhone Pocket is available to order on Apple's online store starting today, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. However, it is already completely sold out in the United...
apple silicon mac lineup 2024 feature purple m5

Apple's 2026 Mac Plans

Friday November 14, 2025 3:23 pm PST by
Most of Apple's Macs are slated to get M5 chips across 2026, and there's a possibility we'll even see the first M6 chips toward the end of the year. Updates are planned for everything from the MacBook Air to the Mac Studio. MacBook Air (Early 2026) The MacBook Air will be one of the first Macs to get a 2026 refresh, with an update planned for the first few months of the year. The MacBook...
best early black friday deals

Best Black Friday Apple Deals Live Now - Save on AirPods, iPads, and Apple Watches

Saturday November 15, 2025 1:45 pm PST by
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...
tvOS 26 Profiles

tvOS 26.2 Adds a Useful New Feature to Your Apple TV

Friday November 14, 2025 10:02 am PST by
Starting with the upcoming tvOS 26.2 update, currently in beta, additional profiles created on the Apple TV no longer require their own Apple Account. In the Settings app on the Apple TV, under Profiles and Accounts, anyone can create a new profile by simply entering a name and indicating whether the profile is for a kid. The profile will be associated with the primary user's Apple Account,...
walmart new ornametns

Walmart Black Friday Deals Begin Today With Low Prices on Headphones, TVs, and More

Friday November 14, 2025 7:55 am PST by
Walmart's Black Friday sale has officially kicked off today, with an online shopping event that's also seeing some matching deals in retail locations. There are quite a few major discounts in this sale, including savings on headphones, TVs, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Walmart. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us...
CarPlay Pinned Messages

iOS 26.2 Adds New CarPlay Setting

Thursday November 13, 2025 6:48 am PST by
iOS 26 extended pinned conversations in the Messages app to CarPlay, for quick access to your most frequent chats. However, some drivers may prefer the classic view with a list of individual conversations only, and Apple now lets users choose. Apple released the second beta of iOS 26.2 this week, and it introduces a new CarPlay setting for turning off pinned conversations in the Messages...
iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.2 Beta 3

Monday November 17, 2025 3:20 pm PST by
Apple provided developers with the third beta of an upcoming iOS 26.2 update, and there are still new features that are being added with each beta that we get. We've rounded up all of the changes that Apple made in beta 3. AirDrop Apple added new AirDrop functionality, providing a way for two people to share files temporarily without having to add one another as contacts. iOS 26.2...

Top Rated Comments

muasachi Avatar
5 weeks ago
Most youtubers judged the iPhone Air so quickly.
But a month has passed, it turns out to be a great device for most regular non-pro/gamer users.
I picked it up on day one with no regrets, and starting to see a few of my acquaintances using the Air more and more.

Hope this sell well in China throughout its lifespan, really wanna see Apple develop more from this design
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Hajj.david Avatar
5 weeks ago

Most youtubers judged the iPhone Air so quickly.
But a month has passed, it turns out to be a great device for most regular non-pro/gamer users.
I picked it up on day one with no regrets, and starting to see a few of my acquaintances using the Air more and more.

Hope this sell well in China throughout its lifespan, really wanna see Apple develop more from this design
I agree best iPhone in awhile and first one to actually wow me and excite me in years.

For battery I get over 24 hours of use (meaning if I charge at 9 am next morning at 9 am Ill still have 20%) and the camera is fantastic for all of my family shots.

The hate is so forced and unbelievably stupid
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MRSugarD Avatar
5 weeks ago
Anyone heard the news Sammy stopped development of its new slim phone and production of its current model due to poor sales performance? I like the Air and would love to see it stick around for many model years to come.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macbookj0e Avatar
5 weeks ago

I agree best iPhone in awhile and first one to actually wow me and excite me in years.

For battery I get over 24 hours of use (meaning if I charge at 9 am next morning at 9 am Ill still have 20%) and the camera is fantastic for all of my family shots.

The hate is so forced and unbelievably stupid
Yeah so much hate from people who’ve never used the phone lol
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ab2c4 Avatar
5 weeks ago
It’s already my favorite iPhone I have ever owned.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
arc of the universe Avatar
5 weeks ago
go AAPL !
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)