Apple CEO Tim Cook made a surprise appearance on a Douyin livestream to announce that pre-orders for the new iPhone Air will commence in China on October 17 at 9 am, with sales starting on October 22. This is a significant development as the iPhone Air is the first model in China to rely exclusively on eSIM technology. The launch had been pending regulatory approval for eSIM services from China's major telecom operators. Recently, China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom all received approval to launch commercial eSIM pilot programs, clearing the way for the iPhone Air's debut. The iPhone Air is positioned between the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro series, with pricing set at 7,999 yuan ($1,100) for the 256GB model.