Apple Delays iPhone Air Launch in China. What We Know.

A page on Apple’s Chinese site said the iPhone Air “release information will be updated later.” (Courtesy Apple)

Key Points

About This Summary

• Apple delays the launch of its new iPhone Air in mainland China, according to the company’s Chinese website.
• The delay is reportedly due to issues with the phone’s embedded SIM card and pending regulatory approval in China.
• Other new Apple products, like the iPhone 17, are still scheduled for release in China on Sept. 19.

Chinese consumers may have to wait a bit longer for Apple new iPhone Air after a company website indicated the tech giant has delayed the launch of its buzzy new smartphone in mainland China.

Touting the iPhone Air as “the thinnest iPhone yet, with a powerful core,” a promotional page on Apple’s official Chinese site said “release information will be updated later.” Barron’s used Google Translate to read the page.

As recently as Thursday evening, the same webpage had claimed the Air would be available for pre-orders on Friday and would ship on Sept. 19, internet archives show. The pre-order link has been removed.

Apple didn’t immediately respond to Barron’s requests for comment.

Apple’s other new products, including the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro, remain slated for a Sept. 19 release in China, per the company’s site, and pre-order sales are open.

Company representatives told Chinese media that it was “working closely with regulatory authorities to bring it to China as soon as possible,” citing issues related to the phones’ embedded SIM card, the South China Morning Post reported Friday.

An Apple support webpage updated Friday said, “Pending regulatory approval, in China mainland, China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom will provide eSIM support for iPhone Air.”

The iPhone Air was the headline of Apple’s annual product launch event on Tuesday, representing the iPhone’s first major design change in years. Wall Street, however, isn’t certain the slimmer smartphone option will mean a major boost in sales for Apple.

Among the iPhone Air bulls, Evercore ISI analyst Amit Daryanani said the new design “could help reinvigorate Apple’s user base and be the start of a multi-year iPhone roadmap.” The firm increased its price target on Apple to $260 from $250 and maintained an Outperform rating in a research note Tuesday.

China is a different story. Apple has hit roadblocks there due in part to a lack of notable smartphone innovations, argued D.A. Davidson. Chinese consumers have “a handful of just-as-good if not better alternatives,” the firm wrote in a research note, downgrading the stock to Neutral from Buy and maintaining a $250 price target.

Apple was down 0.2% to $229.45 on Friday. Shares have fallen about 3% since the close on Monday, the last session before its launch event.

Write to Nate Wolf at nate.wolf@barrons.com