People queue at flagship store in Beijing as Apple launches iPhone 17

Crowds of shoppers lined up at a Beijing Apple store on Friday, to get their hands on the company's new iPhone 17, as the smartphone series officially launches in the Chinese capital.The iPhone Air, opens new tab will be the only model in China to have telecom operators' support for an e-SIM - a digital SIM embedded in the device.

However, Apple has not opened pre-sales for the Air in China and says the availability of eSIM services from China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom is subject to regulatory approval.