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Apple's iPhone Air Experiment Fails as Supply Chain Cuts Production by 80%

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The story is the same, the shutdown is progressive much like the Titanic sinking. One deck/compartment at a time.

"Cameras and great photos of their kids is like all normal people care about."

That's why I have a real camera with interchangeable lenses and variable aperture and shutter speeds.
 
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Why do they keep thinking they need more than just the standard and pro models? If they are developing a fold phone, then they have too many options for consumers. Having just a base and pro model is easier to choose from and it's less confusing in the end.
 
ab2c4 said:
Do you really think the 16 Pro battery life is that bad? You realize the Air gets the same battery life as the 16 Pro don't you?
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I had a 16 pro, and the only reason I wanted to upgrade to one of the 17s is so I can stop using battery packs on a daily basis. Its mostly a convenience to not HAVE to have a battery pack around mid-day, but compared to 16 pro, the 17 pro was a notable functional, real-world, update in this regard.
 
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I think the number of compromises at the price point drove people away from it. I looked at one at the Apple Store and while I liked the form factor and screen size I wasn't willing to pay more than the 17 while compromising on the camera, battery life and speaker. With a second camera lens (or a different camera system that could do more with one lens?) and a battery that could match the base iPhone 17 I might've felt different, although by the time you added an extra camera lens and a bigger battery it may not have been far off from just being a Plus phone. Hopefully the development time they put into it at least pays off in foldables (I'm more interested in a clamshell flip iPhone personally, which may be further off).
 
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I've purchased every single flagship iPhone since the first but will skip next year if it means going back to holding a brick.
 
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John Gruber’s comment:

I don’t understand the argument that the iPhone Air “paves the way” for a foldable iPhone next year. Either the iPhone Air is a desirable iPhone that can stand on its own or it isn’t. I firmly believe it is. Apple obviously did too. If they didn’t they wouldn’t have shipped it. There was no reason to ship the iPhone Air “in preparation” for a foldable iPhone next year if they didn’t think the Air would be a success on its own. They could have just started with the foldable next year.

One thing that’s weird about these reports of low sales numbers for the iPhone Air is that it doesn’t seem like Apple is advertising it at all. If I were Joz, I’d be advertising the hell out of it. I’ve been watching a lot of sports on commercial TV since September, and I haven’t seen a single ad for the Air. Tons of commercials for the orange iPhone 17 Pro, but zip for the Air.
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I agree with him about the marketing. I see a lot of iPhone commercials on TV and social media and none of them are for the iPhone Air. I also agree they didn’t need to sell an iPhone Air to pave the way for a foldable phone. But I disagree that there is a market for the Air. The device has too many compromises for the sole purpose of being thin. In the past Apple commentators like Gruber have complained about the company’s obsession with thinness. But what is the point of this phone other than it’s super thin? The screen is just as big if not bigger than the other models. But everything else is either the same or worse than the other models. Unless your only priority is something very thin. But it seems like the market is saying that is not a priority for many people.
 
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Unless the Air was indestructible and needed no case on it, I don't see the appeal. You add the case and lose the thinness that you bought it for. Kudos for coming up with something new and interesting as consumers were complaining the 11-16 iphone all looked the same.
 
RealMonster said:
I think the answer is really simple: it's the cameras, stupid.

I didn't buy an iPhone Mini because I wanted the best cameras. I waited for a 16 Pro. I think the market for the iPhone Mini would've been bigger if it had been a pro phone and had 3 cameras. I would've accepted a thicker phone, because what I liked about the mini was the size, not the weight.

The iPhone 17 is an amazing deal, and it still has great cameras. But only ONE camera for a MORE EXPENSIVE phone? No. Absolutely not.

The iPhone Air is a bad deal in every single way. Fewer cameras, less battery life, more expensive. Everyone is used to the weight of phones now and you'll want a case on your Air anyway, obviating any benefits of the slimmer form factor. Hopelessly bad idea.
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This...so much this. I did the Mini route once (I think 13?) and love love loved it but I really missed the cameras. I went with the 14 Pro the next time and now the cameras are even better with real zoom capability. If they made a Mini with even remotely good zoom, I'd jump all over it. That and 120 hz screen should be mandatory.
 
I'm geniuniely surprised about this. I thought it'd be a hit.

The Pro pulled me away with the orange color, otherwise I would have gotten an Air because so reminiscent of the XS I used to have (and love).
 
Tbh, if they come out with a base MacBook like I keep hearing about, the MacBook Air will prob die too. I only got the MBA because it was the affordable option. I keep hearing of a base MacBook at like $7-800 starting.
 
It's too big for a phone someone is buying as slim. It feels huge in a pocket, and hard to hold. If it was the height of the Mini and thin as Air. It would have taken off.
 
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I can say this, the Pro Max this year is the worst version of this phone that Apple has made yet. It's so thick and heavy and feels terrible to hold. Once you start carrying the Air you wonder why on earth you would ever even consider using the Pro models again. Then you take a photo Lol and remember why.
 
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gomichaelgo said:
Unless the Air was indestructible and needed no case on it, I don't see the appeal. You add the case and lose the thinness that you bought it for. Kudos for coming up with something new and interesting as consumers were complaining the 11-16 iphone all looked the same.
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Haven't touched a case since iPhone 4. Never damaged a phone, but AppleCare+ exists if it were to happen.
 
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The going theory is that people buy the Max iPhone and Galaxy Ultra devices for their huge battery life and superior cameras, not their huge displays.

The iPhone Air is still too big to comfortably use with one hand but doesn’t really have anything else up its sleeve to counter that. I wonder if they will merge it with the regular model by moving the chips to the camera bump to shave off a few mm from the iPhone 18 chassis.
 
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In my opinion, the main issue is the price. The compromises aren’t that significant for most people, but Apple priced the Air too close to the Pro models. They wanted to position it as a thinner version of the Pro ("With the power of pro inside."), which limited how much cheaper they could make it. The problem is that the small price gap means the Pro ends up cannibalizing the Air’s sales. That’s what pushed me toward the Pro, why pay nearly the same price for less? Once you add the MagSafe battery, it basically costs the same as the Pro.
 
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