36氪·2025-10-15 10:44Core Points - The three major telecom operators in China (China Unicom, China Mobile, China Telecom) have received approval to conduct commercial trials for eSIM mobile services [5] - Apple announced that the iPhone Air model A3518, which supports eSIM, will be available for sale in mainland China starting October 22 [5][18] Group 1: eSIM Overview - eSIM is a digital SIM card that allows users to activate a cellular plan without needing a physical nano-SIM card [7] - Users can have their original physical SIM card number embedded into the eSIM, eliminating the need for a physical card [7] Group 2: Activation Process - To activate eSIM on the iPhone Air, users must visit the telecom operator's physical store, as Apple stores do not handle eSIM activation [9] - Once the original physical SIM card number is written into the eSIM, the original SIM card will no longer be usable unless a new number is written in [9] Group 3: Service Availability - Users can activate eSIM services by visiting the stores with their ID and a compatible device, with no prior online appointment needed [13] - China Mobile will start processing eSIM activations on October 22, while China Unicom requires online appointments, with over 180,000 reservations already made [14] Group 4: Pricing Structure - Currently, there is no clear pricing standard for eSIM services, but activation is reported to be free at the moment [16] - China Unicom offers two types of eSIM services: a dual-device plan for 10 yuan per month and an independent virtual number plan for 20 yuan per month, which includes 100 minutes of calls and 2GB of data [16] Group 5: Supported Devices - The iPhone Air model A3518 is the only model confirmed to support eSIM in the Chinese market [18] - Other devices supported by eSIM include smartwatches, tablets, and in-car devices, with China Mobile providing a comprehensive range of eSIM products [19]