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iPhone Air Sales Are So Bad That Apple's Delaying the Next-Generation Version

There will be no second generation iPhone Air.

However, much of what was learned from the iPhone Air will go into the iPhone 18 models arriving in March 2027. This means:

The back looks like iPhone 17 Pro but with only two camera sensors
Larger camera plateau will mean most of the electronics will be inside the camera plateau
Will use stainless steel chassis but will be a bit thinner than iPhone 16/16 Plus models from 2024
Wraparound antenna will be stainless steel
Will come in 6.1" and 6.6" screen sizes with just about no bezels, so the 6.1" model will be slightly smaller than even the iPhone 16 and the 6.6" model feels like a thicker iPhone Air
Full MagSafe support including Qi2.2 support for 25 watt wireless charging
Apple A20 SoC with 12 GB of RAM
New silicon-carbon battery with 3,900 mAh on the 6.1" model and 4,500 mAh on the 6.6" model
C2 radio modem, including mmWave support for US models
N1 (or its successor) I/O chip
Return of better-quality speakers
USB Type C port with up to 40 watts initial charging speed and possible USB 3.2 1x1 5 gigabit/second data transfer speed

In short, it looks like the current iPhone Pro but with only two camera sensors in back, stainless steel chassis and thinner chassis (but not as thin as iPhone Air). It will be available in multiple colors, including the colors supposed claimed for the iPhone 18 Pro models.
 
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It is missing TWO things - and that is the wide angle (Apple calls it the ultra-wide) lens, and the price is too expensive. Those who have it absolutely LOVE how light it is.

I think what a lot of people miss is the original size of the iPhone. If they can make it thin, and small as the original with a wide and regular lens (Apple calls them ultra-wide and wide) I think they will have a seller.

The only roadblock is now that AI is becoming a huge deal - it has to be in every product that Apple sells and that may require some real estate for cooling and battery strong enough to endure for the day.
 
GDF said:
That is too bad. I own one and amazed every-time I pick it up how much better it compares to my old 16 Pro or the 17 Pro I tried. When I had both the Air and the 17 Pro, I reached for the Air every-time, as it felt so much better and the screen seemed so much better being larger. Definitely more upsides to it than downsides for me.

Battery life is just as good as my 16 Pro was and I never use speaker, as have Airpods, so could care less about that.
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Those that actually tried it, absolutely love it and willing to give up their 3-camera pro. I certainly want one, but the price is too high for me. I need the ultra-wide lens but could give it up if the air was $400 or so cheaper.
 
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Either they are so smart and they saw it coming because they placed that iPhone Air as a decoy in their line up to make the 17 look more attractive ooooooooor...

they are now really really surprised. In that case they should have consulted me about in the first place or anyone on macrumors. 😇 Did anyone check out the Galaxy Fold or Googles fold something whatever that name is....

Pageing Phil Schiller please.
 
It’s kind of an overall trend: Recent “new” Apple releases feel like beta products more than finished, fully realized things. You can see the initial idea and where it may be heading, but also that it’s not there yet and that the current price tag does not seem worth it. Examples: Vision Pro, iPhone Air, iPad Pro line (with this one, the hardware doesn’t at all match the software).

More than anything, I think the market senses the unfinished nature of these products and votes with their wallets. They are buying the alternatives that have less compromises. Apple needs to truly offer something BETTER than the old standbys to really have a new product take off. So, an Air with two cameras, two speakers, and improved battery will become the new default answer, eventually replacing the standard iPhone. But not yet.
 
MacRumors said:


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.

iphone-air-thinness.jpg

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
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I don’t buy it. More likely, Apple never had plans for a second version of the Air, and based on its success - its sole purpose being to test the durability of the thin frame with real users, the criterion being based on AppleCare+ accidental damage claims - they’re likely tooling up for the folding model.
 
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IJBrekke said:
It’s kind of an overall trend: Recent “new” Apple releases feel like beta products more than finished, fully realized things. You can see the initial idea and where it may be heading, but also that it’s not there yet and that the current price tag does not seem worth it. Examples: Vision Pro, iPhone Air, iPad Pro line (with this one, the hardware doesn’t at all match the software).

More than anything, I think the market senses the unfinished nature of these products and votes with their wallets. They are buying the alternatives that have less compromises. Apple needs to truly offer something BETTER than the old standbys to really have a new product take off. So, an Air with two cameras, two speakers, and improved battery will become the new default answer, eventually replacing the standard iPhone. But not yet.
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It’s far better to practice iterative design, although I don’t think you can count this Air out yet either, no matter what the rumor mill says.
While techies and industry insiders love to tear at things that have “compromises” that result in them not wanting to buy them, the fact is that some products, like the Air and wildly profitable but critically panned movies, don’t need to be “better than the old standbys”. Or even as good as them. Sometimes, they just need to be different and have an appeal to the target market-in this case, one that doesn’t care about how many cameras it has. Doesn’t need two speakers to hear the phone ring and pick up and answer it. Loves the clean thin looks with the one camera. Isn’t a price conscious consumer - buys fashion clothing and Apple products *because* they’re expensive.
 
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aberdeenmeadows said:
Those that actually tried it, absolutely love it and willing to give up their 3-camera pro. I certainly want one, but the price is too high for me. I need the ultra-wide lens but could give it up if the air was $400 or so cheaper.
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It would sell like hot cakes at £699. Base £799 and Pro’s so on. Apple’s greed means they’ll let it flop instead. Surely it’s better to make 20% margin than zero.
 
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Many posters act like AVP and the iPhone Air are total failures because they did not sell a zillion, which is wrong-headed thinking. Clearly Apple planned on more Air sales, but we do not know what the break-even sales number was. Most of the R&D was amortized by the previous titanium phones and by the coming foldable, so the b/e number may be fairly low by Apple standards. I would wager that they exceeded b/e sales.

The AVP was a clear success IMO. A beautiful, well done example of new technology. Those who call the AVP a fail are flat wrong. Gross consumer sales are not the success criteria for the AVP, and even if sales were important, >100k sales of a $3,500 tech device is something any tech company in the world - including Apple - should be proud of.
 
Student of Life said:
Hate might be to strong of a word here. Influencers and reviewers are a part of the world and every new phone has to deal with them. It is also important to realize that for many, playing with the phone for a few mins at the Apple Store is enough for them to say nope and select a different phone. Nothing wrong with that. Everyone has different likes, tastes and things they are willing to accept for a certain price.
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I agree that some people may play with a phone at an Apple Store and reject it for their use. That is their decision and their decision alone to make of course.

What I am mainly commenting on is that I would suspect that is not the case for many people who rely on influencers and reviewers who give their own very personal perspective and have their own bias on what is important and what is not on a product, and people adopting those perspectives as their own. There are many times when a product that does not appear to have a use case that have been very successful (the obvious ones included the portable cassette player, even the iPod, but they include things like the printing press, computers in the home, etc. The list is endless). We cannot use what I believe are very personal views based on insufficient data to make decisions on or judge a product or service.

My use of the 'hate' description is simply a reaction to the reactions which seem so extreme that you feel that the world would end if you used this product or Apple are out of their mind etc.. Or something like that. A simple, I did not like this or that and that is the reason I would not choose to use this product would suffice. I completely understand choice but the visceral reaction demonstrated in this thread but some seems over the top to me.
 
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turbineseaplane said:
Not sure who "TechOdyssey" is..
Could you please share with us the high points?
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Absolutely.

1 - We don't know if it has been delayed/canceled because we don't know if they even had plans for a second one.
2 - If it was a one-off, that is okay as it is niche (for now) and may well be the predecessor for a folder or what the "standard" iPhone will be in a year or two.
3 - Variety is nice and important. While a Mazda Miata type vehicle may fit one persons wants/needs perfectly, a Honda Odyssey type fills the same role for others.
 
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fonzy91 said:
So sad, they finally innovated and people want the same old. I wish they weren’t as scared to keep pushing. If they added a telephoto lens, I’d switch immediately from Pro to Air.
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The
Rygaard said:
  • Thin for no reason → Nobody asked for a thinner phone; we wanted longer battery life.
  • Camera bump insanity → It’s like balancing a table on one leg — make it flush already.
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Umm, buyers around the world like thin. Where have you been? The Air's limited sales revolve around inordinately high price lowering the comparative value, not folks not wanting thin.
 
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Krabba said:
Absolutely.

1 - We don't know if it has been delayed/canceled because we don't know if they even had plans for a second one.
2 - If it was a one-off, that is okay as it is niche (for now) and may well be the predecessor for a folder or what the "standard" iPhone will be in a year or two.
3 - Variety is nice and important. While a Mazda Miata type vehicle may fit one persons wants/needs perfectly, a Honda Odyssey type fills the same role for others.
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1. True, however The Information is traditionally well sourced and a clear cut above the Kuo/Gurman type of stuff.
2. I agree. I'd say the same about continuing to make smaller iPhones as well.
3. Same as #2
 
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I admit I am kind of surprised. I thought the sales would be much better than the Plus for sure because judging by what I see here on MacRumors the Air has actual fans, more like the mini, not the Plus. The Air has a new form factor and thinness and lightness that are unique and there are people who seem to love it and are actually excited to have it. I didn’t see that for the Plus.

The Plus was a compromise between the pro max and the base model and didn’t have any other extra selling point going for it. Even though I think a 17 Plus would have been a great phone and personally I would have chosen it over the Air, it would be for pure pragmatic reasons, and nothing to be excited about.

But then that’s what today’s mature phone market is. A balance between function and price. People may be willing to pay more for over the top specs for eventualities and future proof but not for form which is subjective anyway.

It really just reminds us once again echo chambers like this forum does not represent the average user. And not just for iPhone, for everything these days.
 
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Makayla said:
It really just reminds us once again echo chambers like this forum does not represent the average user. And not just for iPhone, for everything these days.
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Completely!

And for all the protestations from those of us who love our Minis or our Airs, the broader sales numbers flat out do not lie.

We may like what we like and argue Apple should cater to our niches, and I think they should, but that doesn't mean our preferences have any kind of critical mass of mainstream appeal.

It's cracking me up to see people think that "more marketing!" is what's needed.
No guys ... folks are shopping, comparing and choosing other options besides the Air for "reasons".
 
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they should knock a bit of money off and re-position it as the cheaper phone. it must be cheaper to manufacture than the others now that they've done all the development for it. if the specs are worse then it should be the cheaper phone.
 
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