Apple(US:AAPL) 第一财经·2025-10-17 08:37Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the launch and pre-sale of Apple's "thinnest iPhone," the iPhone Air, highlighting its popularity and market response in China, particularly regarding eSIM support and sales performance [1][11]. Group 1: Product Launch and Sales Performance - The iPhone Air began pre-orders on October 17, 2025, and sold out within five minutes on Apple's official website [3][10]. - As of noon on the same day, over 332,000 users had reserved the iPhone Air on JD.com, with more than 10,000 units sold [3][10]. - Offline retail stores reported no stock available for the iPhone Air in major cities like Shenzhen, Beijing, and Shanghai [3][10]. Group 2: eSIM Adoption and Market Impact - The iPhone Air is the first smartphone in China to support eSIM, generating significant interest with 195,434 online reservations for eSIM services by China Unicom [5][11]. - The article notes that eSIM activation is currently only available through physical stores, with limitations on cross-province activation [12]. Group 3: Pricing and Market Strategy - The iPhone Air is priced starting at 7,999 yuan, but it has been observed to be available for as low as 6,099 yuan on platforms like Pinduoduo due to promotional discounts [10]. - The resale market for the iPhone Air shows a premium of approximately 1,000 to 2,000 yuan shortly after the pre-sale began, indicating strong demand [10][11]. - Market research firms estimate that the iPhone Air could see first-year shipments of around 10 million units, filling a gap in the mid-range market between the Pro and base models [11].