Overview
- Apple’s website showed no in-store availability in cities including Beijing and Shanghai minutes after preorders opened, with shipping windows slipping by about one to two weeks.
- China’s rollout followed the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s authorization of smartphone eSIM trials, which Chinese carriers confirmed this week.
- CEO Tim Cook visited China ahead of the launch, meeting senior officials such as Vice-Premier He Lifeng and Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and promoting Apple’s local ties.
- Mizuho Securities, as reported by industry outlets, said Apple plans to reduce iPhone Air production by roughly one million units and increase output of other iPhone 17 models, a move not confirmed by Apple.
- Coverage points to thinner design trade-offs—smaller battery, single rear camera, and higher price—as factors behind softer Western demand, even as other iPhone 17 models log strong sales and large reservation counts in China.