Report: 'Virtually No Demand' for iPhone Air

[bmark]

I expect the air to completely replace the standard iPhone by the end of the decade.
It only seems logical, the standard iPhone is rocking the exact same design as last year, and is rumor to be completely skipped next fall.
They are already showing signs that the standard iPhone is becoming a “legacy” product and will likely either combined with the air or combined with the E.
Once the Air gets dual cameras in a stereo speaker, which it is very likely to get, there will literally be no benefit of the standard iPhone.
It’s exactly what they did with the MacBook Air, it started out as a weird premium option between the regular MacBook and the MacBook Pro, before it just *became* the standard.

The Air won't replace anything except be another discontinued product like the Plus!

 

[nepalisherpa]

All well and good, but you realize you're staking out a defense of a product that is seeing underwhelming interest and having supply chain orders cut after only being available for under 2 months.

It might be prudent to analyze what about the Air is causing this situation so quickly.

Yes, but, it is not going to stop people who already bought one from enjoying the phone for the next few years. Just like people enjoyed the mini series for many years.

 

[Anaxarxes]

View attachment 2571298

Oops. Well only joking but this is yet another Tim product which is misguided, and that on top of the ongoing AI debacle.

I just hope he stands aside soon

If you only hit any button that a daily trade.

 

[jmpage2]

If they had included USB3 I might have gone for it. But without that and no telephoto is too big a downgrade from 16 Pro.

I bet less than 1% of iPhone users ever transfer data over USB.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Yes, but, it is not going to stop people who already bought one from enjoying the phone for the next few years. Just like people enjoyed the mini series for many years.

With that, I totally agree!
I'd have been interested in an Air if a smaller variant had been offered.

 

[jmpage2]

I don't see how the size and weight difference can matter to any human being that isn't a small child.

Again, the difference between the iPhone Air and the iPhone 17 in:

Thickness: 2.4mm (with the camera bump factored in, I believe the Air is actually thicker)
Weight: 12 grams

In real world usage, this is nothing. And don't get me started on how probably 90% of Air owners are going to put their Air in a case, which will negate the thinness and weight.

I'm a completely average height/weight American man and the difference in the pocket between the Air and my previous 14 pro is very noticeable.

Air has a slightly larger screen than the iPhone 17, has 50% more RAM and is thinner, it also has a premium build and a higher tech battery that will handle more discharge cycles before it degrades. If those things don't matter to someone then yes get the iPhone 17, it is a very good phone for the money.

 

[Anaxarxes]

Who is this "best designer" you are referring to?



"Most people" aren't buying it ... so I guess the "best designers & product engineers" were off base here.

The design team - not only styling but the design team that takes care a product from scratch to market.

 

[Legend of Ive]

If you want a thin phone use the normal one without case, it’s already thin enough.

 

[nepalisherpa]

If you want a thin phone use the normal one without case, it’s already thin enough.

17 Pro/PM are very slippery. I had 17 Pro for two weeks and tried to use it without a case. Plus, with the build being aluminum, I couldn't risk using it without a case. Air, on the other hand (no pun intended), is grippier without a case.

 

[iMac The Knife]

I'm a completely average height/weight American man and the difference in the pocket between the Air and my previous 14 pro is very noticeable.

Air has a slightly larger screen than the iPhone 17, has 50% more RAM and is thinner, it also has a premium build and a higher tech battery that will handle more discharge cycles before it degrades. If those things don't matter to someone then yes get the iPhone 17, it is a very good phone for the money.

I'm not comparing the iPhone Air and the iPhone 14 Pro. However, of course you are going to notice a difference in weight between the 14 pro and the Air, at 41 grams. 41 grams is a weight difference people will notice in day to day usage, 12 grams not so much.

 

[MacRazySwe]

The Pro Max is the best selling phone. The phablet size isn't a small niche. And many people are looking at the Air (really the ONLY reason to look at the Air over the regular 17) because they want a large screen without the weight of the Pro Max.

Apple gimped the battery life of the last plus model to make the Pros look better. If they had just let the Plus model be good like it was with the 14 plus when they introduced it, I don't think sales would have tanked so much. A 17 plus (with a 6.9" display, small bezels, 120hz display and better colors than the Pro offers) would have been very compelling for a lot of people. But Apple knows this would have cut into the margins of their Pro Max cash cow, so that's probably why we aren't seeing that.

I stand corrected. Must be a regional thing, I never really see anyone with Pro Max or Plus phones here.

Either way, like you said, margins would probably be yet another reason why they only offer the Max.

 

[iPhoneFan5349]

When I first saw the iPhone Air in a store, it looked and felt amazing, and I almost swapped my iPhone 15 PM for it! But after a little thought, I realized I’m not ready to give up the awesome triple camera and stereo speakers. If they could add at least a double camera setup and stereo speakers, I would’ve bought one right away!

I was going to buy the air, then I realized I was going to use a case anyway so the purpose of the product was nulled lol

 

[tennisproha]

It’s an objectively terrible phone. The thinness of a phone is measured at its thickest part. There’s nothing thin about iPhone Air

 

[kalafalas]

the 6.5 is size is a perfect sweet spot. I hope the next pro comes in 6.5

 

[chmania]

I knew it was dead phone, even before it was released!
Some people became experiments, as usual.
I believe the up-coming folding phone will be a problematic one, meaning less sales. 5 years, too late!

 

[nepalisherpa]

It’s an objectively terrible phone. The thinness of a phone is measured at its thickest part. There’s nothing thin about iPhone Air

No one holds the phone at the bump. You don't hold a hammer by its head.

 

[mystery hill]

I believe the regular iPhone 17 is claimed to have the same but when I connected it to a portable monitor via USB-C it displayed video and mirrored just like the Pro model, maybe it’s just the charging speed and data transfer speed.

The regular iPhone 17 does support display output according to the the specs.

 

[pamon]

guessing the iphone 18 air won't be released

 

[d5aqoëp]

It’s an objectively terrible phone. The thinness of a phone is measured at its thickest part. There’s nothing thin about iPhone Air

So those overweight people should also call themselves thin by measuring their heads instead of waist.

 

[jarman92]

If there'd been a main + telephoto camera on it I probably would have gotten it. Heck, at this point I'd almost pay extra to get rid of that ultra wide camera, it just annoys me more often than I actually need or want it.

I'd just want a MagSafe battery for it that also has MagSafe on the other side of it. Not the most efficient, but useful.

Edit: Instead I got the PM, as usual.

I returned mine because of Apple's shameful capitulation re: ICEblock but otherwise would have kept it, but I was also hoping for at least 2 cameras. I had no issues with battery life or anything else while I had it, and I actually liked the modularity of having the MagSafe battery pack when I needed the extra juice.

 

[jarman92]

It’s an objectively terrible phone. The thinness of a phone is measured at its thickest part. There’s nothing thin about iPhone Air

I don't think you know what the word "objectively" means. And literally nobody in the industry agrees with you here (though, notably, even if they did the Air would still be significantly thinner than any other phone).

 

[eatrains]

Just make a new mini. Give people something worth buying.

 

[poi ran]

I'm surprised. The other models are just slightly updated versions of iPhone 16 lineup, but Air is something different. It shouldn't cost $200 more though. People I know who HAVE the Air (after having other Iphones before) are happy.

But this isn't just Apple; as mentioned, Samsung 25 Edge is also perhaps a failure commercially, and that phone is NOT worse than the standard S25 or S25+ (but S25 Ultra is better than Edge).

 

[Innovati0n]

Just make a new mini. Give people something worth buying.

Just like the Air, it didn't sell well. It only had a very very very loud and vocal minority

 

[ab2c4]

If the Air ends up being a one and done it will save me a lot of money in the next several years. I don't ever want to go back to a thick heavy phone so I will use my Air until it dies. Looking at the other article today on this site with the upcoming phones (flip, fold, and anniversary) Apple has no upcoming phones I will want. Once again I will shift my focus to the Android world for my next phone when the time comes.

The release of the Air is the reason I still have an iphone today and not a Samsung S25 to be very honest.