Overview
- China Telecom confirmed a trial-stage rule that limited eSIM sign-ups to users aged 18–60 and said service for customers over 60 will resume on Oct. 24.
- A China Telecom store in Hangzhou turned away an over-60 applicant because the system would not accept the registration, underscoring uneven readiness.
- China Unicom and China Mobile said they set no upper age limit for eSIM, with minimum ages of 16 and 18 respectively for new registrations.
- ZTE and Nubia executive Ni Fei said it is premature to declare eSIM a replacement for physical SIM cards, citing activation gaps, patchy coverage, higher costs, and user know-how.
- Nubia’s Z80 Ultra retains a physical SIM slot by design, even as eSIM-capable phones enter the market following Oct. 13 regulatory approval and Apple’s China iPhone Air launch; China Telecom said Huawei and OPPO will roll out eSIM models soon.