Samsung Reportedly Gives Up on Super Thin Smartphones Amid Low Sales

[Steakface McToenailtongue]

If true, the news may not bode well for Apple's iPhone Air, which could be facing similar challenges in the market. Last month, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo noted that the iPhone Air was the only model of the four new iPhones that was readily available at launch, suggesting lower than expected demand.

It’s a bit of a red herring since any iPhone n Pro Max, on launch (any launch) will be the investment vehicle of choice for all resellers and parts harvesters and scammers since it has the largest sticker price and hence will help launder larger amounts of mafia cash. Once the flurry dies down and actual human users see the actual phones, they see how nice the Air is. I think the Air will be the sleeper hit of this holiday season and availability is exactly desirable during last minute shopping. Pro and Pro Max are absolute bricks this year in comparison (as nice as they are).








Article Link: Samsung Reportedly Gives Up on Super Thin Smartphones Amid Low Sales

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

I bought Air and could not be happier. After 15 Pro Max the weight reduction is very welcome. YMMV

Exactly the same as you.
I went from 12 Mini>15 PM>Air.
The Air combines the best of both, it’s easy to hold in the hand for long periods of time like the Mini but still has comparable battery to the Pro.
I think the big difference between Apple and Samsung is that, even demonstrated in this very article, Apple has a roadmap and it’s very clear that by the third generation they expect the Air to become the new regular. I mean the rumor already is that the 18 regular won’t come out next year, and will be released alongside the budget 18e, while a new Air is expected.
Even by naming it the iPhone Air, it’s clear they expected to have a similar trajectory to both the MacBook Air and iPad Air before it, start premium before gradually becoming the mainstream version.

 

[mjkidk]

I went to the Apple store to check it out. Although in mm it is much thinner than base or Pro, it just didn't "feel" thin enough to make a real-world difference to me. Also would feel weird paying $1K for a phone with only one camera.

 

[one more]

I wonder why they decided to abandon it altogether, considering it had a dual camera setup and stereo speakers, unlike iPhone Air. Probably the combination of a smaller battery and higher price than “chunkier” models then?

 

[macbookj0e]

If the Air was the size of the 12/13 mini, I would have bought it.

That would basically be my ideal phone providing the battery lasted long enough.

 

[I7guy]

[…] But did anyone ask for a super thin phone?

Yes. I think more people than you know asked for a thin phone. I’m not talking on Macrumors, but maybe Apple feedback.

 

[one more]

Even by naming it the iPhone Air, it’s clear they expected to have a similar trajectory to both the MacBook Air and iPad Air before it, start premium before gradually becoming the mainstream version.

I would like Air to succeed, but the only premium element the first generation has is its looks, everything else is lacking. I will be looking forward to seeing how it evolves over time.

 

[NVDA]

I hope people who are thinking about the Air give it a chance. It's easy to have FOMO during the purchasing process, but I haven't regretted buying the Air for a moment. Having used it since launch day, I can now say without reservation that it is my favorite iPhone ever. I truly love it.

Give it a chance? It's a phone...the worst selling one in the lineup at that. Every color and storage option has been available since day one. Meanwhile it's still hard to find the base and Pro Max. The market dictates whether a product is worthy or not.

 

[bluespark]

Except by having the thin phones exist as part of an entirely separate product line, Apple can and should absolutely be given a break for making them. By having a single, flagship line of thin phones, back in the iPhone 6/6S/7/8 days they were imposing those on their customers, whereas now they’re providing them with choice. If there’s a market for those thin phones, I’m guessing Apple shareholders shouldn’t be complaining and users who don’t like it and now even have more choice than before, in the form of regular and pro models, even less so.

And to answer your question, yes, maybe some users really did want a thin phone, and the Air isn’t really comparable to Apple’s older entries in that market, in that it’s way sturdier, it has much, much larger screen-to-body and battery-to-total-volume ratios, etc. But even considering those percursors, the iPhone SE 2 was a stupidly popular phone even in an era of somewhat thicker offerings. Sure, the customers who bought those were more price-conscious, but they survived for years and still do with thin phones just fine. As for the iPhone X and the iPhone Xs… they had their fans, for sure, and were the quirky flagships of the day. And the iPhone Air, as others have pointed out, is now filling their role.

Perfect post. I was among the customers asking for a thinner iPhone. But I also do not expect everyone else to share my needs. Choice is good.

 

[bluespark]

Give it a chance? It's a phone...the worst selling one in the lineup at that. Every color and storage option has been available since day one. Meanwhile it's still hard to find the base and Pro Max. The market dictates whether a product is worthy or not.

My post was explicitly directed to those who are considering the Air -- i.e., those who want a thin/light phone, who like it's simplicity, or who like it's materials/build/aesthetics. Among those buyers, it's still easy at the time of purchase to feel FOMO; for example, with having fewer camera lenses. My point is that users in this situation probably would benefit by giving the Air a chance. When I bought mine, I was also wondering if I would miss these things. The answer has been most definitely not, especially given the pleasure I experience every time I use this phone. I'm not suggesting that would be the answer for everyone.

And of course the market ultimately will control what Apple does next. That's both obvious and irrelevant to my post.

 

[smiddlehurst]

I bought Air and could not be happier. After 15 Pro Max the weight reduction is very welcome. YMMV

Just done the same switch and really wasn't sure about it. The Air felt... alright in store but didn't immediately blow me away. Ended up taking a punt on it and it wasn't until I was finishing the setup that it clicked.

They've hit the sweet spot here and iOS26 is a key component of that. It's not so thin or so light it'll just vanish, you're still aware you're holding a phone. But with the added depth effects in software coupled with the high quality display it ends up fooling your brain and it almost feels like the hand holding the phone should be 'inside' whatever it's displaying. Very odd feeling when you notice it but definitely sits in that lovely sweet spot between design and functionality that Apple offerings so frequently inhabit. Think having the security puck or even just the smaller mount and cable in store really gets in the way of that particular magic trick.

While it's still early doors battery life is a non-issue. Been off charge for 7 hours, it's a normal day with a few inbound calls, some light app use and about half an hour of headphone use thrown in over lunch and only gone through 15% battery charge. If you live on your phone I could see it being a concern but for most people? Nah, it's fine.

Oh and as for Samsung I really don't think you can link their decisions to a general trend in the industry. A quick look on their UK website for Galaxy A, S and Z models comes back with 34 results (limited to models available to order) and that's before you get into memory and colour combos. That's a very different marketing strategy than Apple. Probably doesn't help that the 25 Edge is also more expensive than the Air and, as someone said upthread, there's a lot of competition at or around that price point in the Android space even from Samsung itself including foldables. Pressures and demand on Apple tend to be considerably different, far too early to be drawing broad conclusions right now.

 

[carrrrrlos]

Please make us an ultra thin phone with low battery life. -Nobody

 

[WWP99]

Thin = Less Battery Life -- who in their right mind is asking for LESS battery life these days?

 

[randomgeeza]

Well colour me pink... Who would have thought it. The iP-Air will be the same. No one wants it. No one asked for it. All we want are devices that are durable, with long battery life and a near perfect OS. And not the garbage current tech companies keep releasing! With or without a charger... go figure!?

 

[SRQrws]

The 17 Pro size is the sweet spot for me. Over the years, I've had the base phones, Pros, Minis, Maxes and the size and feel of the 17 Pro is my favorite. I also like the "grippiness" (word???) of the new TechWoven case. The only change I'd welcome at this point would be a reduction in weight, but not with the sacrifice of battery life.

 

[rappr]

Thin = Less Battery Life -- who in their right mind is asking for LESS battery life these days?

You’ll find if you look up from your phone every now and again, any modern phone, including the Air, makes it through the day just fine.

 

[Naraxus]

1. It's still Samsung

2. It still runs spyware, I mean Android

Hard pass.

 

[iPay]

If the Air was the size of the 12/13 mini, I would have bought it.

battery life would be even worse, no?

 

[Naraxus]

Yes. I think more people than you know asked for a thin phone. I’m not talking on Macrumors, but maybe Apple feedback.

Did anyone ask for 1000 songs in their pocket? Did anyone ask for an Apple phone? Did anyone ask for a larger iPhone (aka the iPad) and so on as old as time.

That "Did anyone ask for..." line is a poor meme at this time....

 

[Sheepish-Lord]

We're just going to have the same boring ass phones forever aren't we?

 

[pdaholic]

Thankfully Samsung did really well with the Z Fold 7 this year.

 

[B-Mc-C]

I've not held an Air, but your report makes me fairly convinced I won't be "wowed" either.

A huge (tall & wide) but super thin patio paver does nothing for me as a smaller phone user.

My hands have not changed size and, to this day, nothing feels as great in hand to me as the iPhone 4 up through SE1. (I consider all the options in that range of sizes to be great).

I deal with my 13 Mini, but don't love it like I did those older models.

If you use a Pro Max for a year, your phone hand should grow to adapt to the phone. 😉

 

[anthony13]

Surprised to say that so far, I have actually found the iPhone Air to be the best iPhone in years for my use. When I looked at all the models, the low weight to large screen ratio is what got me to purchase. The battery will be a concern (I travel for work), but honestly so far I havent come close to depleting it in a day yet. I dont watch a lot of video in my daily use so maybe that is my saving grace.

 

[kalafalas]

My main phone is an iPhone, but I keep an android around mostly for dev purposes but also for fun. I recently upgraded my 2023 raze to a used S25 edge and I actually love this phone. It’s the first android I’ve had where I could see myself using it daily if I wanted. The form factor is fantastic, nice big screen, dual speakers and camera, super thin and light. The battery isn’t great but it’s not terrible either. I really like it, I’m sad it won’t continue.

 

[Plinga]

If the Air was the size of the 12/13 mini, I would have bought it.

Same here. Heck I’d have bought it if it were the size of the iPhone 17 or 17 Pro. It’s so weird to me that the Air is a slimmed down Plus phone; imagine if Steven Jobs pulled the first MacBook Air out of that envelope and it was a slimmed down MBP 17”.

I checked out the Air, after seeing some reviewers rave about the weight, but the 13 mini is lighter. I haven’t seen anyone with a mini (albeit there aren’t that many left) who is impressed with the Air