iPhone Air's Resale Value Has Dropped Dramatically, Data Shows

[code-m]

Good point. The Air might be more interesting to me if it wasn't running iOS 26.

iPhone Air was designed with iOS 26 Liquid Glass in mind, it was said in one of the interviews I viewed and maybe others but I am unable to confirm.

 

[paradox00]

I'm not sympathizing with them, as much as I am saying it makes sense why they discontinue products with smaller profit margins. Businesses that do not do this, go out of business. You don't invest capital into products that don't sell as well as very similar products.

Businesses don’t go out of business when they sell profitable (but not the most profitable) products. Plenty of companies serve their customers, not their shareholders. There’s no need to justify endless corporate greed. Producing a mini periodically wouldn’t violate Apple’s fiduciary duty to shareholders or put a dent in their endless cash pile. This is a straw man.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Producing a mini periodically wouldn’t violate Apple’s fiduciary duty to shareholders or put a dent in their endless cash pile. This is a straw man.

Agreed ... in fact, I'd argue it could be violating the fiduciary duty as it's putting at risk my remaining a customer at all (which includes iPhones, iPads, AirPods, Macs, Services, etc).

Their whole strategy now hinges on keeping folks in the ecosystem.

That should not be getting put in jeopardy by trying to jam everyone into one of only a few iPhone options.

The iPhone is THE thing. It should have the most lineup diversity of anything they make.

 

[Mactech20]

Businesses don’t go out of business when they sell profitable (but not the most profitable) products. Plenty of companies serve their customers, not their shareholders. There’s no need to justify endless corporate greed. Producing a mini periodically wouldn’t violate Apple’s fiduciary duty to shareholders or put a dent in their endless cash pile. This is a straw man.

Produce iPhone mini - profit $150. Produce different iPhone - profit $300. *purely hypothetical here, but you get the point, more about sales margin not actual profit per phone*

Yeah... I'm sure shareholders, executives will understand coming out with a phone that sold poorly every few years to appease the minority...

 

[turbineseaplane]

Yeah... I'm sure shareholders, executives will understand coming out with a phone that sold poorly every few years to appease the minority...

If it sells, and makes money, it's worth it to keep folks in the ecosystem.

 

[EugW]

If it sells, and makes money, it's worth it to keep folks in the ecosystem.

Not really. At a certain point the profit is low enough that it just isn't worth the aggravation and risk.

Also, remember, Apple did actually try with the mini, and the problem isn't that Apple just arbitrarily cancelled it. They cancelled it because it was a lousy seller. A few loud MacRumors users isn't enough to sustain such a product.

 

[TonnyM]

As Air is very fresh device this is coming mostly from a perspective of the market, not any solid data. Perspective that is driven by media headlines.

 

[paradox00]

Respectfully, that’s not what I got out of the post from @Mactech20

Companies have to build products that appeal to the most people possible.
Doing so is in complete consideration for the users.

Apparently Apple making a mini means they can’t make other phones at the same time. They are trying to produce the fewest models that reach the broadest base. Most revenue at the lowest cost. That’s not a user centric approach. It’s the complete opposite.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Apparently Apple making a mini means they can’t make other phones at the same time. They are trying to produce the fewest models that reach the broadest base. Most revenue at the lowest cost. That’s not a user centric approach. It’s the complete opposite.

There's only one tiny team that has to make all the iPhones.
It's like the elves in Santa's workshop.

We can't expect a multi trillion dollar company to make multiple sizes.

It's just too much for such a small operation to handle.

😉

 

[cateye]

That’s not a user centric approach. It’s the complete opposite.

What I don't get is why you would be surprised by this (or anyone... not singling you out, your post was just a handy hook for the point I'm about to make).

A company Apple's size doesn't really serve or work for its customers. It serves the massive institutional investors and retirement funds that hold great quantities of its stock and expect stable growth and sustained revenue. Blue chip. To the extent that it needs to create, sell, and (most importantly) market products to audiences that serve that need is its primary focus.

They've tried now three times to expand the iPhone moat. Mini, Plus, now Air. None have worked. They really wanted that additional beach head presumably to ensure the ability to market an iPhone lineup as uniquely new. But what they're finding is they don't need it. The iPhone continues to out-perform. The more people on the fringes complain, the more the top of the bell curve buys. The resounding success of the iPhone 17 lineup (minus the Air) should end up being the final nail in the coffin to the idea that Apple needs to produce anything beyond Value ('E'), Baseline (iPhone) and Aspirational (Pro/Pro Max).

It's not unlike the Mac: They don't produce a sub-note anymore, they don't produce upgradable towers, and they're likely to abandon their high-end tower eventually as well. Why? Because they don't need to make them in order to sustain revenue goals.

It's not about what you or I want as individuals, or what Apple is "capable" of producing in order to be different or identify underserved audiences. They're not that kind of company anymore, and never will be again.

 

[JGIGS]

"It seems most consumers don't care much about"

Same could be said for the mini's form factor.... People don't want to consume all of their content on such a tiny screen.....Also you cannot have a pro model mini with good battery life, it's impossible to fit a battery big enough to handle pro features.... That's the thing mini fans don't seem to get... You're going to be severely compromised one way or another if you want that small form factor..... And that's why it will never sell enough for Apple to bother

Not sure the battery being big enough is still an issue or at least won't be forever as battery tech gets better. I think space for pro camera modules is probably a bigger issue for a pro phone.

I don't understand what you mean can by same can be said about the mini's form factor? It being much smaller is a much more discernible difference in form factor vs a phone that is nearly the same height and width but a bit thinner and lighter. The Air still fits in your hand and pocket nearly the same as a non max model iphone. There are plenty of people interested in a smaller iPhone even if it means a smaller screen, you see it in this forums comments. But not at the expense of certain features or settling for a non pro model which I think we both agree on.

I did say they could or couldn't build a pro model mini, I don't think either of us can confirm or deny that unless you work in that specific department at Apple then I guess you can, but you're probably right that it's not really feasible, at least right now. I stated in my first message we'll likely never see another mini phone. I still think there would be more demand for a good iPhone mini vs the already proven low demand for the Air. I think that was really the point I was trying to make.

I personally wouldn't buy an Air over any other iPhone 17 but I would definitely by a mini (with sufficient or similar battery life as the Air) over an iphone Air and regular iphone 17, but likely not over the regular iphone pro unless there was a mini pro, which I agree with you likely isn't feasible or would have to be nerfed vs a regular pro model, based on internal space, making it a less attractive buy.

I think the ideal iphone line up should be iphone mini as an entry phone, iphone pro and iphone pro max. Maybe an iphone SE with a similar size screen to the reg iphone pro because your right more people want a bigger screen and it probably easier to make a cheap midsized phone. I think the niche small screen market is still a viable one if your forecast your sales and projections appropriately. Especially if your one of the few companies producing them.

 

[krakenrelease]

I call this the anti-Ive effect. They didn't learn from the Macbook Pro. Making things thinner for the sake of thinner. The users didn't ask for this. The only thing that makes sense with the Air is if Apple used it as a quasi-experiment for the upcoming Fold.

 

[B-Mc-C]

26.1–47.7% depreciation after 10 weeks? That, folks, is why I haven’t bought a new iPhone since the 6S. I’m very happy trailing a few years behind and saving thousands over those who upgrade every year.

You are doing it wrong. You could have brand new latest gen phone, for literally zero cost with carrier trade-in promotions. 🤦🏻‍♂️

 

[Corefile]

Why would you sell it after 10 weeks? That's absurd or you've more money than sense so send some $$$ my way.

 

[krakenrelease]

With Apple's hardware margins and other costs, the estimated break-even point for Apple for the iPhone Air is likely close to $800. That's considering factory costs (components, labor, assembly, shipping, import duties, warranties) + operating expenses (R&D, marketing, logistics, etc.).

That means it's not possible for Apple to sell the Air for $200 less than the iPhone 17 without losing significant money.

That's crap. Widely reported how much iPhones cost to produce. It's how much volume they push them out. But when the volume of the initial supply is not met, price goes down to get rid of product.

 

[Ctrlos]

That doesn't sound like an informed opinion (see what I did there?). An earpiece speaker will never be a decent main speaker and the base 17 not only sounds better, but can hit higher volumes. It also performs better because it throttles less. It's a much less compromised phone for less money.

The 17 sounds better but its still comparitively crap to even a cheap $20 set of earbuds. The fact is all phones sound awful. Heck, with one speaker the Air only sounds half as crap!

 

[fatTribble]

Apparently Apple making a mini means they can’t make other phones at the same time. They are trying to produce the fewest models that reach the broadest base. Most revenue at the lowest cost. That’s not a user centric approach. It’s the complete opposite.

A company being entirely profit-focused or entirely user-focused wouldn’t last long.
There’s no reason Apple can’t make a mini or any other variant alongside their current lineup.
They just choose not to.
If they replaced the Air with a new Mini would they then be user focused?
But then the Air folks would be left out.
I just don’t know how many variants are necessary.
My iPhone isn’t exactly the way I like but it’s not an issue for me.

 

[JackNL]

Coming from a 14 Pro Max I truly love my Air an I hope there will come a second iteration. We'll see.

 

[Spinarelo]

I don't understand what you mean can by same can be said about the mini's form factor?

What I mean is nobody is interested in the much smaller screen size and battery deficiency of a mini. As evidenced by weak sales, we don't know the numbers obviously, but you can venture to say it was as bad, if not worst than the air

 

[Tagbert]

What's worse than a phone with one speaker, one camera, poor battery life, and still too large for the mini fans? A used one ba-dum-tss!

What is poor about the same battery life as iPhone 16 Pro? Was that bad battery life and we just didn't know it?

 

[Tagbert]

26.1–47.7% depreciation after 10 weeks? That, folks, is why I haven’t bought a new iPhone since the 6S. I’m very happy trailing a few years behind and saving thousands over those who upgrade every year.

Are there still a lot of people who still upgrade every year? Why bother?

 

[code-m]

I never said that would be new, just massively improved over the thick, heavy, flat sided with sharp edges like we have had since the 12. The iphone 6 series through the Xs was a much much much better design. Light weight with rounded sides is the premium phone design. Apple did that in the past and should do it again.

The thinner curved edged was introduced with iPhone 6, one could say it was there from the OG iPhone but that phone also had a larger curvature to the back. iPhone 4 introduced the flat sides and it has been renounced as classic and beautiful industrial design where form, function and beauty.

The audience was split with iPhone X curved sides as some people found it hard to hold for a given period of time while some found it comfortable.

Apple has curved the flat sides on recent iPhones but it seems some are not happy.

Technically speaking rounded sides takes more space and offer very little if any engineering value being empty space.

If curved edges is your thing then a suitable case with curved edges may be a solution but if cases are not your thing you maybe out of luck.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

You are doing it wrong. You could have brand new latest gen phone, for literally zero cost with carrier trade-in promotions. 🤦🏻‍♂️

There are a dozen reasons to not buy through your carrier.

 

[code-m]

This. People scream about how apple needs to bring the mini back, the Air, maybe even the plus. THEY DON'T SELL WELL. I am sure there's "plenty" of people who want one of these phones, but if they think they can make more money by axing them, making a different phone, etc, its worth it. They don't make decisions to create a phone lightly nor discontinue one lightly. If the mini or plus sold well, they would still be here. That's all that matters.

The issue is Apple has been relatively conservative in iPhone innovation, no fold, no flip, etc. People buy it due to familiarity, resale, status or whatever it maybe.

When Apple introduces the same slab function phone for almost 20 years, shaving or increasing mm here and there people jump on it and some make themselves believe it’s new and innovative. Like iPad the iPhone and even laptops are classic designs but stagnate nonetheless.

 

[ikramerica]

It should be $200 less than the regular iPhone, not $200 more. It has less capabilities. People will not pay more for literally less of a phone in material and specs. If it was $200 less it would be selling well.

Actually, same price is fine if they make clear you are trading some features for other features.

Trading: second camera, better camera system, second speaker
For: larger screen, lighter weight, Pro chip

Even then, people weren’t willing to pay $100 more for the Plus series despite the larger screen and in some years, better camera and or more memory. I loved the Plusses when it meant larger screen and additional camera. I owned a few.