New iPhones See 'Stronger Than Expected' Demand With One Exception

[Ct applefan]

I think the iPhone Air is not selling as well as Apple hoped because all the commercials I've been seeing are about the Pro. They are simply not marketing the Air well, which is why the mini failed.

Also, the haters on the internet who are not appreciating the Air for what it is influences people as well.

Or maybe only a few want the air. Looks like a nice phone just not for me, and apparently many others. If you love it, use and enjoy it.

 

[CEmajr]

The Air is easily the best looking of the new phones. However, the compromises in performance and features but still costing $1000 makes it a hard sell. The regular 17 is a far superior value.

 

[MaxVerstappen]

Don’t be mad, Air lovers. But understand regular non-geeks see it as half an iPhone.

It lacks cameras. It lacks battery life. It’s missing a speaker. All for $999.

The Air got some traction the first few weeks because of early adopters. The regular mainstream folks buying in October and later don’t want to take risks with battery life, cameras, or speakers.

Not really that big of a risk mate. After all it’s only a phone at the end of the day. We are already into October, that means in about 11 months time the new iPhones arrive… even if the Air isn’t perfect and it most definitely is not, it’s not the end of the world if you are stuck with the subpar mono speaker. There are more important things in life to worry about.

 

[mikhaelj]

The iPhone Air will not do well in its first year. It's simply too compromised with a single camera and earpiece speaker. I expect stronger sales once Apple can add a second camera and speaker.

those were the exact reasons I returned it and went for the 17 in Sage

 

[ipsedixit]

The raison d'être for the Air is to make the 17 base (even) more attractive.

 

[Plutonius]

Is the Air considered a failure if it had thinner demand ?

 

[JPack]

Not really that big of a risk mate. After all it’s only a phone at the end of the day. We are already into October, that means in about 11 months time the new iPhones arrive… even if the Air isn’t perfect and it most definitely is not, it’s not the end of the world if you are stuck with the subpar mono speaker. There are more important things in life to worry about.

The average smartphone replacement cycle is 3-4 years.

 

[WWP99]

iPhone Air is struggling? Surprised people aren't rushing out to get a phone with LESS battery life than their last one—total brilliance from Apple.

 

[1096bimu]

Looks like the reality is people either want the cheapest iphone, or they want the flashiest that's best at showing off.
no one wants an iPhone that's neither cheap nor flashy.

 

[Gadgetzz]

Not surprising. Thinness is not as big of a priority for most consumers when compared to battery life or cameras. Most people want either 1) the basic phone with most of the features, 2) the flagship with all of the features. It's hard to justify a phone that is more expensive than the base model but is missing some of what the base phone offers (more cameras, better battery life). Its thinner, appealing design was supposed to compensate for the missing features and the higher price, but it doesn't appear to be doing so.

Apple hasn't been able to come up with a viable "fourth option". The Mini and the Plus were both the least popular of the models when they were available. They tried smaller, they tried bigger, now they've tried thinner. Not sure what else they can do to make something as successful as the base model and the Pros.

I’ve given up on fat heavy pro maxes and bought the air. I’ve been buying iPhones from day one. With the exception of the rare iPhone users that actually make use of the pro features, the rest are addicted to their phones and apple knows this and markets to them almost exclusively. So stop wasting your time bad mouthing the others who don’t share your opinion.

 

[klasma]

Bring back the mini !

It would be nice for Apple to realize that they can’t make four (five with the “e”) distinct iPhone models that all sell well, and rather make a different niche-interest model each year — including a compact iPhone model every now and then.

 

[ipsedixit]

Looks like the reality is people either want the cheapest iphone, or they want the flashiest that's best at showing off.
no one wants an iPhone that's neither cheap nor flashy.

Have you seen the Air?

It's pretty flashy.

It's the epitome of form over substance.

 

[MaxVerstappen]

The average smartphone replacement cycle is 3-4 years.

The Air isn’t meant for your typical iPhone user… it’s more of a niche product the same way that the 12 inch MacBook was back in the day. Only the tech nerds(like us here in the forums) would appreciate the design etc. It was never meant for your regular John, as the price is just way too high for them….

 

[klasma]

the iphone air is a skinny legend (like mariah carey) but lets be real the general public needs more than 1 camera, especially at $999 like how tf am i gonna zoom in during a concert and flex how close i am sitting to the performer on instagram stories

I‘d be fine with Mariah Carey with 1 camera.

 

[turbineseaplane]

It's humorous to watch all this bickering about which one is better/best "value"..

Has it dawned on y'all that maybe Apple doesn't care one lick?

Everyone arguing about "which one!?" is still buying a new iPhone anyways.

 

[klasma]

The new pros look hideous with the glass cutout on the back. And aluminum is a step backward, any drop will leave a dent. I love my air and its the most durable iphone ever made. Get mad everyone

It doesn’t matter that it’s durable if the size or features are not what you want.

 

[JPack]

The Air isn’t meant for your typical iPhone user… it’s more of a niche product the same way that the 12 inch MacBook was back in the day. Only the tech nerds(like us here in the forums) would appreciate the design etc. It was never meant for your regular John, as the price is just way too high for them….

So like I said, the mainstream buyer won’t take a risk on Air.

 

[klasma]

The mini did its job. It increased the price of regular and plus models by $100, even after it was discontinued.

Apple maybe hopes to do the same with the Air. Once it reaches roughly feature parity to the regular iPhone, they can make two sizes, for $899 and $999, and drop the regular.

 

[anthony131]

The Air has always been a curiosity for me. I’m not sure who this is for. If you want a thin device, you’ll likely not put a case on it. And most people don't put cases so they can show off that they have the newer and better model. However, you still don’t have the better (and more expensive) option out there, which is the Pro. I’d completely understand if they went all-in with a very premium Air with a much higher price tag that not many can afford. Then it would be in this unique position of luxury, so the compromises wouldn’t be obvious to them. It’s a very strange strategy.

Well, for starters, not everyone is about showing off what phone they have. I mean, do people really care about what phone others have? The only time I've been interested in someone's phone is when it was a foldable because of the novelty of it. Speaking of novelty...

I bought the Air only as a replacement for using both an iPhone 16 and an iPad. The thinness helps a lot to minimize mass but I still think it's too big. I'd still prefer the iPhone Mini as my main phone but it's too small to do more complex iPad-apt tasks like filling out forms and working on spreadsheets. And I still at my desk on my computer all day and don't want to be near it after 5pm.

So, that's to say, I probably could have been a candidate for a Plus sized phone before but it was just too cumbersome. It's the thinness off the Air that compelled me to ditch my iPad and reduce my device list.

You're right, I don't use cases on my phones.

 

[citysnaps]

Well, for starters, not everyone is about showing off what phone they have. I mean, do people really care about what phone others have? The only time I've been interested in someone's phone is when it was a foldable because of the novelty of it. Speaking of novelty...

People still in high school, perhaps. Perhaps that's a significant segment on tech forums?

 

[platinumaqua]

Not a surprise, the mini failed, the Plus failed, the Air failed. Does anyone else think the iPhone doesn’t need a secondary base model?

I feel like the mini should've taken the e/SE slot on the lineup so it doesn't need frequent updates (if relative low sales compared to the rest of the lineup was the problem) and can have a more reasonable price tag relative to the lineup

 

[klasma]

I get really sad when I see things like this. I bought the Air, and I have never been happier with a phone in my life. I'd been waiting for Apple to replicate the delicate features of a really nice high-end phone like Samsung used to do back in the day, and they have finally done it. Yes, it doesn't have three cameras, but the one it does have is impressive. Sure, it only has one speaker, but to be honest, I'm not that guy on the subway blaring my Socials as if nobody else is in the room. I use my headphones... so it's not really an issue. I'm just upset that all reviewers have focused SO HEAVILY on what it DOESN'T have that it has turned people off. This phone is truly marvelous, and it's a shame that people think they need a $ 1,500 device. And I've said this before... generally speaking, it is the people who already have really high-end secondary cameras/video cameras that are trashing this device. It's kind of silly. It's a communication device, and it feels better in-hand than any iPhone ever has. I lament that this may be the only version ever sold of this phone... but it shouldn't be.

Now you know how mini aficionados feel.

 

[klasma]

The raison d'être for the Air is to make the 17 base (even) more attractive.

That doesn’t make sense, because I’m sure the margins are higher for the Air. Also, not making the Air at all would have made the regular 17 even more attractive.

 

[klasma]

Is the Air considered a failure if it had thinner demand ?

We’ll see once the sales plateau.

 

[MaxVerstappen]

So like I said, the mainstream buyer won’t take a risk on Air.

That’s true.