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It wouldn’t have been a flop if it didn’t have a single camera and speaker. Plain and simple. The fact that no one at Apple could foresee something so obvious reveals the current state of the company.
 
While I understand that the price and sacrifices are real issues, I honestly thought this would be a big hit with some.

I know of people who look at their iPhone as a fashion or wealth statement so I thought that group would love the sleek new iPhone. 🤷🏻‍♂️
 
I don't want an ultra thin phone. I don't even want a big phone anymore. I originally got the first available "Max" iPhone because I thought I'd be watching loads of Youtube videos on it, but I never watch videos on the phone anymore and it just takes up tons of room in my pocket and strains my hand to use one-handed. Next time round I'm getting the smallest phone they offer. Might even buy a 2nd hand iPhone 13 mini.
 
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Who would’ve though nobody wants to pay nearly $1000 for phone with crap battery, crap speaker, crap camera but “it’s so thin” - no one cares
The battery is fine. All those YouTubers/Rumors sites made click bait videos/articles about the battery and created an issue that was not there even before the phone was released. It's similar to the 16 Pro's battery (and nobody cried back then), and since Apple is switching to 2nm chips, it will be even more efficient. The real problems were the price and the camera. People like to take photos, and for less money you can get two cameras, or you can pay a bit more and get three.
 
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It's the price.

Apple were probably thinking because it looks new and different, people will jump on it no matter the cost and whilst that might apply for a small set of people, it's not something that will ring true for the general public.

Price it around the cost of the base model, might get more people opting for it.
 
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Phones are bricks. They are not too thin they are getting thicker every year. At 799 this would have sold well. People want thin/lighter phones but not at the expense of higher price but less features.
Are they? Many of the phones I see are thin enough. I have been seeing companies going for thinness more in the last 10 years or so, even when they can give us larger batteries instead.
 
While I understand that the price and sacrifices are real issues, I honestly thought this would be a big hit with some.

I know of people who look at their iPhone as a fashion or wealth statement so I thought that group would love the sleek new iPhone. 🤷🏻‍♂️
Well, it worked in a way, because many of the people who have it seem to love it. Those who didn’t like it returned it.
 
The Air is a really niche market. It is slower than the base 17 iPhone CPU wise. Single camera lens and smaller battery life. This does not make it a bad phone just not one the masses are going to want because I think few actually need or care about it just being thinner. It is literally the only reason to get the air as you go down in spec on everything else.
 
The problem isn't being thin, it's offering poor value.

If Apple (and others) don't find it feasible to offer more (besides thinness) at that price point then dropping it is the best choice.
 
I remember when they started that thinning trend with Macbook Pro. It was nice to see they dropped it and went back to "form follows function" in the M series - it just feels better.
 
It’s the Mac Cube all over again. If they’d priced it as an SE model it would have flown off the shelves despite its basic specs. Sadly that price means it won’t be flying anywhere. Also, have Apple forgotten that many of us will have bought similarly thin iPhones from them several years ago (before they all chonked up), but paid half the current price?
 
Apple believed that people would pay for thinnest only and mediocre specs, but if the report is true, then is obvious why lower sales.
I bet they could have sold it for less but they were too arrogant and thought its new and people will buy it because we conditioned them to buy the next shining toy we make even though it has less features.
 
The problem is there are enough weaknesses that any potential buyer will find ONE of them to be a dealbreaker. So no purchase.

Either they need another camera, or
They need another speaker, or
They need a bigger battery.

Only takes one to kill the purchase.

In my case it was camera.
 
Companies went from selling $100 phones to $1000 to (next step) $2000 phones while making no changes in the last 6 years and then they tried to take features away and sell it at the price of last years flagship devices. Then they cry why people "hoarding" devices and don’t upgrade every year.

 
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I knew the iPhone Air was going to flop from the moment I read the (actual) specs. On a side note, all I can say is bring the Mini back! Oh wait, this article has nothing to do with the Mini. Oh well, if I want to insert my petty gripes regarding the Mini over and over and over and over again into every MR article, I will do so. I'm not crazy though, I promise! I kid, I kid! You all know I like to throw jibes at the Mini Clan from time to time. It's all in good fun! :)
 
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it never seizes to astound me how most tech companies don't have any vision of their own, they just chase whatever is popular, which is why we're in the incremental wars of today where everyone is competing on specs.

Vision, of course, cannot be come to by using management consultants, which is why it's so rare
 
Companies went from selling $100 phones to $1000 to (next step) $2000 phones while making no changes in the last 6 years and then they tried to take features away and sell it at the price of last years flagship devices. Then they cry why people "hoarding" devices and don’t upgrade every year.


This is actually FANTASTIC NEWS for the environment
 
Give us a phone with 7 days of battery life. That’s it. That’s all we want.
 
Companies went from selling $100 phones to $1000 to (next step) $2000 phones while making no changes in the last 6 years and then they tried to take features away and sell it at the price of last years flagship devices. Then they cry why people "hoarding" devices and don’t upgrade every year.

Companies are already selling phones for over $2,000 and have been for years. They're called foldables. I buy them all the time, although I've never paid MSRP.
 
I remember when they started that thinning trend with Macbook Pro. It was nice to see they dropped it and went back to "form follows function" in the M series - it just feels better.
It was certainly a good thing that Apple moved to thicker MacBook Pros with ports again. I just bought my mom an M4 MacBook Air and that is the same size now as the MacBook Pros at the end of the intel era. I have a 2017 MacBook Pro with a dead HD so compared the size with the new Air and was surprised that the air was as thick as that. I do believe the Air's were even thinner before with intel if memory serves me.
 
Give us a phone with 7 days of battery life. That’s it. That’s all we want.
Right!? There are still functioning RTGs on Voyager and it was launched back in 1977 (and it's been in freaking space since then, millions of miles away)! You're telling me I can't get 48-72 hours (at least) out of a cell phone in 2025, with moderate usage?
 
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