Remember when Apple was genuinely cool, like a decade ago? When owning their tech actually felt special? Now I’m trying to downplay that I even have their stuff. Wild how that flipped. LMAO!
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iPhone Air Sales Are So Bad That Apple's Delaying the Next-Generation Version
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This is seriously one of my favorite iPhones ever. This phone is not as bad as people are saying it is. People have been conditioned to think they need a "Pro" iPhone, but they rarely use any of its professional features. Air is the ideal balance between the features you like and the features you don't need. I love it. Don't believe everything you hear.
It was all about Apple’s obsession with thin! They have sacrificed a lot for thin.
Spoken like a true non-user of the actual phone. If you think everyone needs stereo sound, pro-level cameras, and days of battery life on a phone, you do not live in the real world of most people.
But stocks have never been doing better, sorry for you 🤷🏻♂️
You may be surprised what "thin" does for this type of device. I don't know anyone who doesn't want a less bulky phone to carry around.
No, it is not. The Air form factor is special, not an iPhone 17 form at all. However costing +$200 for only one camera and one speaker meant lower sales volume. Not a bad product, just low sales due to high price. Marketing 101.
I loved the look of it, the screen size is perfect and obviously the thin/light design but there are too many dealbreaker trade-offs for me for the still-premium $999 price tag...
- Battery life. It simply has to be as good as the smaller Pro for me to consider it. It's not terrible, it's still far from being acceptable.
- The camera. It doesn't need three lenses like the Pro, but the quality needed to be better and not as big a difference.
- The single speaker. I feel this one was just Apple doing it on the cheap. The sound quality is not acceptable.
Why would you buy one when for $100 more you get none of these problems?
If they fix those things and keep the same form factor, while still keeping it cheaper than the Pro then I'd buy one for sure.
- Battery life. It simply has to be as good as the smaller Pro for me to consider it. It's not terrible, it's still far from being acceptable.
- The camera. It doesn't need three lenses like the Pro, but the quality needed to be better and not as big a difference.
- The single speaker. I feel this one was just Apple doing it on the cheap. The sound quality is not acceptable.
Why would you buy one when for $100 more you get none of these problems?
If they fix those things and keep the same form factor, while still keeping it cheaper than the Pro then I'd buy one for sure.
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I'm "kind of" surprised the device hasn't been more popular.
Handhelds have, in general (not just iPhone), matured to a point of stagnation. iPhone Air feels anything but stagnant. When I was in-store picking up my launch day silver 17 PM (my fav iPhone I have owned to date - which includes every iteration save the 5, 8, mini and now Air), I was able to spend some time with an Air. In-person, and in-hand, I was blown away. Not since the debut '07 device, and maybe the X, have I felt like I was holding the future. It's shockingly thin and laughably light - neither of which compromised quality: the device feels solid.
Clearly... The functional compromises, combined with that price point (and likely other economic uncertainties), played a role in its reception. It would be fun if we could magically go back to the Sept. keynote, and pretend its opening price point was the same as or (gasp) $100 less than iPhone 17. Would we be seeing the same slower sales? I kind of doubt it. For most users - and yes, I am very much broad stoking here, and with zero data in support - iPhone Air covers their needs (txt, social, calls, web, calendar, the occasional photo, etc.) in a ridiculously fresh form factor. Thus, I'm inclined to believe price was the aspect most adversely affected sales. Especially with iPhone 17 being such a strong offering and value - there wasn't much room for a less capable/more expensive device.
Handhelds have, in general (not just iPhone), matured to a point of stagnation. iPhone Air feels anything but stagnant. When I was in-store picking up my launch day silver 17 PM (my fav iPhone I have owned to date - which includes every iteration save the 5, 8, mini and now Air), I was able to spend some time with an Air. In-person, and in-hand, I was blown away. Not since the debut '07 device, and maybe the X, have I felt like I was holding the future. It's shockingly thin and laughably light - neither of which compromised quality: the device feels solid.
Clearly... The functional compromises, combined with that price point (and likely other economic uncertainties), played a role in its reception. It would be fun if we could magically go back to the Sept. keynote, and pretend its opening price point was the same as or (gasp) $100 less than iPhone 17. Would we be seeing the same slower sales? I kind of doubt it. For most users - and yes, I am very much broad stoking here, and with zero data in support - iPhone Air covers their needs (txt, social, calls, web, calendar, the occasional photo, etc.) in a ridiculously fresh form factor. Thus, I'm inclined to believe price was the aspect most adversely affected sales. Especially with iPhone 17 being such a strong offering and value - there wasn't much room for a less capable/more expensive device.
Small Battery, single speaker and single camera. $/£999.
It was never going to be a success for that price.
People want the best iPhone available, or the best value for money iPhone. iPhone air is neither.
It was never going to be a success for that price.
People want the best iPhone available, or the best value for money iPhone. iPhone air is neither.
Isnt the 4th model the 16e?
But arguably that in itself has missed the mark.
It's all a matter of positioning. Apple has offerings at $800, $1100 (formerly $1000) and and $1200.
Trying to shoehorn another model between those price points is a struggle since those 2 models are well established and it's unlikely the one being shoehorned is better enough or worse enough to justify being a little more expensive than the base, and a little cheaper than the pro.
Which is why they need to target either well below, at say $500; which the 16e fails at. Or well above, at say $1800-2000. Which the highly anticipated folding iphone will likely debut at.
Personally, I don't think it was clear at all who the Air was intended for. The 17 and 17 Pro ticked all the boxes - the days of 'thinner is better' are over, they died with the iPod.
By all reports the samsung galaxy edge which debut 6 months ago has failed miserably and will be axed.
Unsure why apple thought they could avoid the same fate. Probably hubris.
Target audience would be the form over function group that do care about being seen with the latest
Same people who usually gravitate towards model exclusive colours so they can show off to strangers on the train that they have the new one.
Buy it now, leave it in the box, sell it 20 years later for $$$$$
The thin, light iPhone Air sold so poorly that Apple has decided to delay the launch of the next-generation iPhone Air that was scheduled to come out alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, reports The Information.
Apple initially planned to release a new iPhone Air in fall 2026, but now that's not going to happen.
Since the iPhone Air launched in September, there have been reports of poor sales and manufacturing cuts. Apple's supply chain has scaled back shipments and production. Apple supplier Foxconn has reportedly dismantled all but one and a half of its production lines for the iPhone Air, and all production is expected to be stopped at the end of the month. Luxshare, another supplier, stopped production at the end of October.
Apple was counting on the novel look of the device to spark interest, because it features the first substantial design update that we've seen to the iPhone lineup since the iPhone X added Face ID and an all-display design in 2017. Creating a super thin 5.6mm iPhone required compromises, so the iPhone Air has a smaller battery and a single-lens rear camera, but it still has a high price tag. Apple priced it starting at $999, and that appears to be more than customers are willing to pay for style without substance. The iPhone Air is only $100 cheaper than the $1,099 iPhone 17 Pro, which has a triple-lens rear camera and much better battery life.
Apple has not been able to land on a fourth iPhone that will sell well alongside the standard iPhone and Pro iPhone models. Apple experimented with a smaller 5.4-inch iPhone mini that suffered from disappointing sales, then moved on to the larger "Plus" iPhone that served as a more affordable version of the Pro Max. Plus models also failed, leading to the iPhone Air.
Apple has already been planning for a split launch for the iPhone starting with the iPhone 18 models. The iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and foldable iPhone are planned for fall 2026, while the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e will be held until early 2027. It's possible that the next-generation iPhone Air will come out alongside the iPhone 18 in the spring.
Apple has been working on a second-generation version of the iPhone Air with a lighter weight, vapor chamber cooling, and a larger battery capacity, but Apple could rethink the design.
Article Link: iPhone Air Sales Are So Bad That Apple's Delaying the Next-Generation Version
Great in concept - except for the battery. I'd much rather have an upgraded version of my iPhone 13 Mini (make it thicker with a bigger battery. I gave on the latter as a primary phone due to the battery life. I've upgraded to a 17 Pro, and do like it. But I miss always checking my pockets for the diminutive Mini - oh, yep, got it, as usual - so small/light I really did not notice it otherwise.
MacBook Air had reason for its existence - laptops of the time were bulky and inconvenient. iPhone Air is trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist.
That is not an equal comparison.
The Air costs what it does, presumably, because of the engineering and advanced materials required to accomplish the goal of making it so thin. The Air also has a larger screen, a faster processor, and a titanium frame.
So, we can go back and forth comparing parts but the entire point of the Air is that it's not the same exact phone from last year, or anything like any previous iPhone, with parts-bin parts thrown in a familiar case.
You may not care about thinness, you may only care about speakers and cameras, but some people don't have the need or desire for such extraneous features on a cell phone.
Some people will pay more for less, some people want more for less. I'm not suggesting people are wrong to want one or the other but I think, and I think Apple thought, there's a substantial number of people who still want something other than boring regurgitated utilitarianism.
Personally, I think the Pro iPhones are the ugliest devices Apple has ever made. If for some reason (which I'm wholly unable to imagine), I wanted three cameras and a five day battery life for a cell phone, I'd still have a hard time paying even $500 to own such a monstrous device.
To be honest, the only other phone I'd purchase within their current line-up is the iPhone 16e. I was close to trading in my 16 just to have less cameras but my desire for wireless charging was a bit stronger.
I mean, the argument for more speakers and cameras for less money isn't as strong as you think, from my perspective.
Don't need stereo, don't need pro-level camera, or any camera for that matter. DO need days of battery life.
My motto is not "I charge, therefore I am."
PS, my on the go music is handled by a fourth generation iPod nano. That's small enough to slip into a shirt pocket.
You can like the Air as much as you desire, but it's a lousy option compared to the vanilla 17. Consumers understand this and are voting with their wallets.
I wonder if this will affect their confidence for the iPhone Fold - I’m also worried for that because the rumours are there’s no faceID. And that’s a total dealbreaker. Touch ID is so lame going back to it.
I also wanted an iPhone air - but the battery life was the dealbreaker on that one.
I also wanted an iPhone air - but the battery life was the dealbreaker on that one.