CEO Tim Cook unexpectedly joins livestream to sell iPhone Air in China

(NLDO) - Apple CEO Tim Cook has arrived in Shanghai to prepare for the iPhone Air launch event in China, showing the importance of this market to Apple.

Apple CEO Tim Cook made a surprise appearance during an Apple livestream on social media platform Douyin, announcing that the iPhone Air will be available for pre-order in China from tomorrow, October 17, and will start shipping on October 22.

This is the first time Mr. Tim Cook has appeared directly on this platform since Apple's Chinese branch officially joined the Douyin Mall e-commerce site in August 2025.

On Chinese social media platforms, the video of Mr. Tim Cook livestreaming to promote the iPhone Air quickly "went viral" and created an online trend.

Chosun Biz reported that Mr. Tim Cook's move came right after the Chinese government approved commercial eSIM services, showing Apple's efforts to quickly adapt to the market.

At around 8:30 p.m. on October 13 (local time), Apple CEO Tim Cook appeared in a livestream on China's Douyin platform. Photo: Baidu

According to China Business News , the iPhone Air is Apple's first eSIM-only smartphone in China.

The iPhone Air's lack of a physical SIM slot will allow for a thinner design and is an important step toward promoting wider eSIM adoption in China.

However, carriers and smartphone manufacturers that want to offer eSIMs or phone models without a physical SIM slot in this market must have a special license from the government.

Recently, on October 13, information posted on the website of the Chinese Ministry of Industry said that 3 major carriers including China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom were licensed by the management agency to provide eSIM testing services. Chinese carriers have completed preparations to bring iPhone Air to users.

In China, the iPhone Air will start at 7,999 yuan (29.6 million VND). Previously, the iPhone 17 series was launched in China, except for the iPhone Air due to eSIM-related barriers.

During his trip to China, CEO Tim Cook also spent time meeting customers at the Apple Store in Shanghai. He had a conversation with Chinese singer Faye Wong about her latest music project, in which the video will be shot entirely on the iPhone 17 Pro.

This is the second time in 2025 alone and the fifth time in the past two years that the head of Apple has visited China. In the context of declining iPhone sales in China, Apple CEO Tim Cook's visit is seen as a major effort to protect market share against the strong rise of domestic competitors.

The challenge for Apple is huge as recently, Xiaomi surpassed the American "giant" to take the number 1 position in smartphone sales in China.

Specifically, in the week from September 29 to October 5, Xiaomi led with a market share of 21.2% (1.45 million units), pushing Apple down to second place with a market share of 16.3% (1.12 million units). Other local brands such as Vivo, OPPO and Huawei are also following closely, creating fierce competitive pressure.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/ceo-tim-cook-bat-ngo-tham-gia-livestream-ban-iphone-air-o-trung-quoc-196251015200222414.htm