iPhone Air How well will the Air sell without advertising?

[deuxani]

That's a very fair assessment. That's why the Air needs marketing to sell, because on paper it doesn't make sense to buy it. If it's targeting a fashion or luxury oriented audience, it will do much better. In the past the Pro devices were always the ones to get, also because it had the best design. But the current Pro's have an intentionally utilitarian design, which makes it much easier for the Air to shine.

 

[JPack]

So why is the base iPhone 17 sold out if it also receives no specific marketing attention? The reality is, Apple is the most recognized brand in the world. Any advertising for iPhone 17 Pro/Max will waterfall to base 17 and Air. People visiting www.apple.com aren't going to miss it.

Marketing isn't going to change the fact Air is a niche product with notable compromises. People are hunting for excuses to explain poor sales performance without addressing the elephant in the room.

iPhone Air is targeted at Apple enthusiasts who prioritize design and use iPhone casually. That group knows Air exists. They don't need advertising as encouragement.

 

[Rogifan]

John Gruber asked the same question on his site. I see ads for the 17 Pro everywhere. Especially the orange Pro. I have yet to see an ad for the 17 or 17 Air. I almost feel like Apple wouldn’t need to market the Pros because the consumers who want a Pro or Pro Max know that’s what they want and don’t need to be marketed to.

 

[jntdroid]

So why is the base iPhone 17 sold out if it also receives no specific marketing attention? The reality is, Apple is the most recognized brand in the world. Any advertising for iPhone 17 Pro/Max will waterfall to base 17 and Air. People visiting www.apple.com aren't going to miss it.

Marketing helps with familiarity, and the Air is unfamiliar and relatively expensive.

The sales of the 17 line are still well below the Pro's. But it's familiar, and every review, article, etc. is talking about how it's the best value iPhone ever.

The Air is unfamiliar, and when people go to apple.com, they see this unfamiliar device that's more expensive than the 17 and close to the Pro, and they know nothing about it - so why would they choose it? People don't like change, especially with phones. Marketing could help with that unfamiliarity. I'm not saying it would make the phone a huge success, but throw a few commercials in some primetime TV spots and that will garner some buzz.

Marketing isn't going to change the fact Air is a niche product with notable compromises. People are hunting for excuses to explain poor sales performance without addressing the elephant in the room.

Some might be, but not all. It's an interesting study in sales/logistics/marketing as a whole, regardless of your opinion on the Air.

iPhone Air is targeted at Apple enthusiasts who prioritize design and use iPhone casually. That group knows Air exists. They don't need advertising as encouragement.

Great point, and very true, but I'll revert to my first point above - marketing helps when you have something new.

 

[JPack]

Marketing helps with familiarity, and the Air is unfamiliar and relatively expensive.

The sales of the 17 line are still well below the Pro's. But it's familiar, and every review, article, etc. is talking about how it's the best value iPhone ever.

The Air is unfamiliar, and when people go to apple.com, they see this unfamiliar device that's more expensive than the 17 and close to the Pro, and they know nothing about it - so why would they choose it? People don't like change, especially with phones. Marketing could help with that unfamiliarity. I'm not saying it would make the phone a huge success, but throw a few commercials in some primetime TV spots and that will garner some buzz.



Some might be, but not all. It's an interesting study in sales/logistics/marketing as a whole, regardless of your opinion on the Air.



Great point, and very true, but I'll revert to my first point above - marketing helps when you have something new.

I'll concede there is some value to advertising the Air. But I think there would be real challenges to that. The ads would obviously focus on the design aspect. But how does Apple explain the single camera? Apple could play the same "one camera is all you need" strategy as 16e. But then it contradicts with iPhone 17/Pro/Max messaging.

 

[bbates123]

I think most people aren’t bothered about a thin phone, they want the best phone with the most features.

Right, I agree. But what is "best"? What is best to you might not be best to me. What is best to me is a lighter phone that delivers the least compromises. Right now for me, the Air is best.