Apple Inc. is bringing its superthin iPhone Air to China after a pause that allowed local carriers to prepare for the eSIM-only device. Preorders start Oct. 17 after domestic carriers, including China Mobile Ltd. won approval to support that feature.

The device will be available in stores Oct. 22, a company spokesperson said. The launch of sales coincides with Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook’s latest visit to China, where he met with Labubu-creator Kasing Lung and visited an Apple store in Shanghai.

The slim, lightweight iPhone Air doesn’t use physical SIM cards, making it the first smartphone from Apple to only offer eSIM connectivity. With eSIM, all mobile networking technology is embedded directly into the phone. During a launch event last month, Apple explained that eliminating the

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