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

[ikramerica]

I don't want to turn this into another one of those threads but in exchange for video-out and the 0.5x lens (which Apple still haven't fixed the barrel distortion on, even on Pro models) you're getting a larger display without the traditional gain in mass, a faster processor, 50% more RAM, a tougher build quality and better 5G reception.

Both phones sound crap so the speaker isn't an issue and whilst the 17 has a little more battery endurance the Air is still very good and these are both overnight chargers anyway.

In no way is it an inferior phone.

The camera system also lacks certain capture quality features on the standard phone, and can’t do depth processing correctly with only 1 lens. It’s not just lacking a fisheye lens. It lacks more qualitative abilities. It’s like a 16e with a larger sensor.

 

[mazz0]

WOO! Bring on the iPhone Thick, with no bump, and four day battery life

 

[JGIGS]

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

But you can't compare battery life of a mini iphone released two years prior, which by the way was a huge improvement over the 12 mini, to the iPhone air. You legit have no idea how much better it could be if a new model was made with current battery tech, processor energy efficiencies, more energy efficient screen tech etc. Remember it can be considerably thicker than an iPhone Air and powering a much smaller screen.

Nobody interested in a smaller smart phone even if it means a smaller screen phone is just plain false. Is it a smaller/niche market? Yes, but it 100% exists.

 

[neuropsychguy]

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.

Okay, provide that data and your analysis here. Saying I’m wrong only works if you can provide evidence that counters what I wrote. I will gladly revise my estimates if you can provide comprehensive data that goes beyond just estimated bill of materials costs.

The commenter I replied to stated that the iPhone Air should sell for $600 ($200 less than the iPhone 17 — unless the commenter was suggesting Apple raise the iPhone 17 price to $1000 and sell the Air for $800, which I doubt is the case).

This means you need to provide data that Apple can sell the iPhone for less than $800 and make a profit. If Apple doesn’t get to make of profit, why? Does Apple get to keep their margins or not? If not, you need to explain why Apple should specifically have low or negative margins (lose money) on the iPhone Air.

Here's a little more of where my estimate came from. If we assume the average hardware margins of about 36%, the cost to Apple (ignoring operating expenses, which include R&D -- and the iPhone Air had R&D costs) is about $640. Already, what the commenter asked for (selling it for $200 less than the iPhone 17) is not realistic. Then if we add in about 15% for operating expenses, we are at about $800 as Apple's iPhone Air cost. We could be super generous with estimates and say Apple's break-even point is $700 (again, that's saying Apple should have no profit), but that still means Apple cannot sell the iPhone Air for $600 like the commenter suggested.

However, I'll gladly change my answer if you can provide data that counters these estimates.

 

[NVDA]

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

How's it absurd? Sunk cost fallacy. If you give it a shot and don't like it after 10 weeks, move on and sell it before it tanks even more in value. Unless you want to hold the bag.

 

[ab2c4]

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.

Believe me I have looked for cases to try to re create the rounded sides and have only found one brand that makes one, Spigen. If you know of any other please let me know as I can pass that on to the many others on other sites that are desperately seeking a rounded sides phone experience again.

As for previous gens and design styles there are many people that look at the 4 and 5's with disgust because their design and I can understand why. Any phone that causes physical pain while holding them won't be remembered fondly. That's why so many people are complaining about the iphones since the 12. Most phone users seem to feel (based on what people are saying online) either the 6 to 8 or the X and Xs where the best and most premium designs.

 

[clive27]

The kind of people who likes the iPhone Air form factor already bought them (including me) and enjoys them. They're probably not the kind of people who buy used phones. Apparently, there aren't that many people who wanted a thin, less-capable phones. I don't see why this is a basis for bashing the Air. I love it and intend to keep using it until they make updates to the Air (that doesn't seem likely at this point sadly). Most Air owners seem to love the device and non-owners laugh at it. I wouldn't "upgrade" to the Pro Max even if they offer money.

 

[Spinarelo]

But you can't compare battery life of a mini iphone released two years prior, which by the way was a huge improvement over the 12 mini, to the iPhone air. You legit have no idea how much better it could be if a new model was made with current battery tech, processor energy efficiencies, more energy efficient screen tech etc. Remember it can be considerably thicker than an iPhone Air and powering a much smaller screen.

Nobody interested in a smaller smart phone even if it means a smaller screen phone is just plain false. Is it a smaller/niche market? Yes, but it 100% exists.

Yes of course there is a small niche group of people interested in it, saying "nobody" was a bit of hyperbole on my part. Problem is that for a company the size of Apple, manufacturing high volume product such as a phone for only a few people, just doesn't make sense financially or logistically. Sadly that's why the chances of a return are very very slim.

 

[Johnny907]

Time for my regular comment: Will someone try to justify bringing back the mini in this thread?

Mini was a good phone with trash battery life. This thing is a trash phone with trash battery life.
Apples to oranges, dude.

 

[Ctrlos]

The camera system also lacks certain capture quality features on the standard phone, and can’t do depth processing correctly with only 1 lens. It’s not just lacking a fisheye lens. It lacks more qualitative abilities. It’s like a 16e with a larger sensor.

All very good points, but not anything I have missed to be sure.

 

[paradox00]

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.

There’d be no harm in Apple releasing a new SE in a mini form factor every few years. It wouldn't push Apple over a threshold of too many phone options.

The Air will almost certainly merge with the base model iPhone once Apple adopts silicon batteries. That will allow for thinner phones without the sacrifices the first Air made.

You’re right that a company must find a happy medium between consumer and profit focus, but Apple’s swung way too far to the profit side. Even they recognize that (to an extent) as the next CEO will likely be a product guy.

 

[minik]

That's great news as I'm looking for one.

 

[code-m]

Believe me I have looked for cases to try to re create the rounded sides and have only found one brand that makes one, Spigen. If you know of any other please let me know as I can pass that on to the many others on other sites that are desperately seeking a rounded sides phone experience again.

As for previous gens and design styles there are many people that look at the 4 and 5's with disgust because their design and I can understand why. Any phone that causes physical pain while holding them won't be remembered fondly. That's why so many people are complaining about the iphones since the 12. Most phone users seem to feel (based on what people are saying online) either the 6 to 8 or the X and Xs where the best and most premium designs.

I completely understand and will post if I come across some phone cases.

My personal experience holding the iPhone X felt like holding a bar of soap, it felt uncomfortable to hold for a give timeframe and even putting a case on it would not resolve it unless it was a hard sided phone case.

It’s one of those 50/50 issues where one side will never be happy, hopefully a compromise is reached in design.

 

[maxfromdenmark]

The chances of this phone succeeding were SLIM from the start.

 

[blairh]

iPhone Air threads bring out the WORSE users on this forum, and you can tell straight away they're all Pro/Pro max owners.

They feel the need to come into every single Air thread to slate it with crap jokes and arrogance, they actually equate their iPhone to their wealth like a status symbol and most likely American as well.

very sad, I understand why they're bitter and jealous though having bought a fat, ugly, cheap metal phone while the Air looks like the future with titanium and has the pro chip and display.

Anyway, this data is a load of boll%^ks and as mentioned you can't buy an Air for 44% off ffs.

Macrumours isn't beating those anti Air propaganda labels are they, another "content creator" that is scared to not use the pro.

This is nonsense. This forum is filled with Air fanboys who will excuse any clear Air flaw.

I like the Air. Even with its faults. But this forum is not a great place to discuss it sadly with fanboys raging constantly.

 

[Phone Junky]

I don’t care what the resale value is. I’m not looking to sell mine.

 

[klasma]

I don't really see a problem here. I have yet to see one iPhone Air owner who decided to keep their device and doesn't think its the best model in years.

I wish you were right that there isn’t a problem, because then we’d also still have the mini.

 

[ab2c4]

I completely understand and will post if I come across some phone cases.

My personal experience holding the iPhone X felt like holding a bar of soap, it felt uncomfortable to hold for a give timeframe and even putting a case on it would not resolve it unless it was a hard sided phone case.

It’s one of those 50/50 issues where one side will never be happy, hopefully a compromise is reached in design.

I don't think a compromise can ever be reached that either side would be happy with. I think the solution is that they either offer both styles, or alternate between styles every 2 years. That's the only way.

 

[londonhogfan]

I've purchased the Pro Max version of the iPhone every year until this year, and I prefer the iPhone Air over any of them. I don't need or want a premium camera and the bulk that comes with it. The battery does perfectly fine for my use. Right now, the high cost is likely due to how thin and premium it is, but if I had to guess, it would make the most sense to release the next version alongside the 18e and price it as a premium version of the iPhone "e" line.

 

[rufwork]

That must be why the cheapest unlocked Air on Swappa right now is $800.

🤔

 

[turbineseaplane]

That must be why the cheapest unlocked Air on Swappa right now is $800.

🤔

Of which they'll only net $727

 

[surferfb]

Don't tell Air owners, they get very defensive about their phone. It reminds me a lot of how mini customers behaved.

Its just a bad value phone. You pay $100 less than a Pro for a lot less feature wise. All you gain is it being thinner and lighter.

Too much of MacRumors loses sight that what makes sense for you, or in general, what makes sense for the types of users who post on technology enthusiast forums like MacRumors doesn't necessarily make sense for everyone else. For example, I would imagine being thin and light is certainly worth paying extra for if you have something like MS.

I buy a new phone every year, and until this year it's always been a Pro Max. I was always super happy with the Pro Max. But something about the Air captivated me, so I took the jump; I figured worst case scenario I could always go back to a Pro next year. What I discovered with the Air is that it turns out being thinner and lighter is way more important to me than extra cameras, a speaker I'll never use, or a battery that lasts day and half. I pick up the phone every time I use it. For some people, there is significant value in being thin and light, and some might even want to pay MORE for that. I mean, look at the MacBook Air when it was first released. People paid a HUGE premium for a "worse" laptop.

I don't need a phone that can run a local LLM or play graphically intensive games. I'm almost never outside arms reach of a charger. I use AirPods when listening to stuff on my phone. So a lot of the "value" the Pro/Pro Max has is actually wasted on me. I was paying extra all these years for stuff I didn't really need. Does that mean the Pro Max is a "bad value"? No. It means it's a bad value to me.

I understand I am not a typical consumer, and clearly the Air isn't selling well. But I don't think it's fair to say "it's a bad value phone." I think it's fair to say "the trade offs to make it so thin and light aren't worth it for most consumers." or "it's a bad value for users like me."

But remember, the MacBook Air being so extremely thin is what push Apple forward to be able to make all of their laptops as thin as they are. Maybe even as an "unsuccessful" product, the technology that enables a iPhone Air is what unlocks a "not-as-thin as the Air but still way thinner than it is now" Pro in three or four years.

 

[JoshuaBru]

So we got the Vision Pro that literally 15 people own and now the cutting edge iPhone slim that 25 people own. When are they firing Tim?

 

[mlayer]

What I discovered with the Air is that it turns out being thinner and lighter is way more important to me than extra cameras, a speaker I'll never use, or a battery that lasts day and half. I pick up the phone every time I use it. For some people, there is significant value in being thin and light, and some might even want to pay MORE for that. I mean, look at the MacBook Air when it was first released. People paid a HUGE premium for a "worse" laptop.

I bought the 15 Pro because it had the titanium build, which signaled to me that Apple was going to move in a greater weight savings direction after the bloated 14 Pro. Alas, the 16 Pro was a good deal heavier than the 15 Pro. Thankfully for me Air is basically a fork for weight-conscious buyers. That should firm up their tiny increments of iPhone buyers. Maybe there is a mini down the road that will benefit from all of this R&D. For now the Air will do just fine, at least for me.

 

[pdaholic]

I have the Air, and I honestly couldn’t care less. I have a 15 plus and a regular 13, and I will grab the Air over the other two every time. Only thing I miss is a wide angle camera; would have been my perfect device otherwise.