The MacRumors Show: iPhone Air Is in Trouble

[MacRumors]

On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we discuss the latest rumors about the iPhone Air not selling as well as Apple hoped.

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There have been many recent reports suggesting the iPhone Air has failed to catch on with consumers, with Apple moving to cut production due to lower-than-expected sales. The first warning sign was the ready availability of the iPhone Air at launch, suggesting lower than expected demand.

Last week, Japan's Mizuho Securities said that Apple would reduce iPhone Air production by at least one million units because of underwhelming sales performance. Nikkei then reported that Apple planned to cut production significantly almost to "end-of-production levels."

KeyBanc Capital Markets said that there is "virtually no demand" for the iPhone Air and that Apple would "drastically" cut production as a result. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo then clarified that suppliers have been asked to reduce capacity by more than 80% between now and the first quarter of 2026, and some components with longer lead times will be discontinued by the end of 2025.

Samsung is apparently seeing a similar response to its super thin iPhone Air rival, the Galaxy S25 Edge. Reports indicate that Samsung canceled a next-generation model after disappointing sales.

According to Kuo, the iPhone Air's poor performance suggests that the iPhone 17 and 17 Pro models already "cover the majority of high-end user demand," so there is little room for new market segments. All of the other new iPhones are all believed to be selling better than expected, with Apple increasing production of these models.

Apple apparently planned three more iPhone Air generations, but that could now change in light of real-world sales data. We could get yet another new iPhone form factor as soon as 2026, with rumors suggesting that Apple will debut a foldable model alongside the iPhone 18 lineup. The MacRumors Show has its own YouTube channel, so make sure you're subscribed to keep up with new episodes and clips.

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If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up to hear our discussion about Apple's all-new M5 chip and the three updated devices it announced containing it last week.

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Article Link: The MacRumors Show: iPhone Air Is in Trouble

 

[DBZmusicboy01]

The price is the problem.
If the Air becomes the new budget iPhone. It will sell insanely amazing.

 

[Astuces iOS]

Of course it's a failure... Paying more for less 💀

 

[Apple-achian]

"...is in trouble" is harsh, overreactionary and sends the wrong message to consumers

 

[Grimace]

I bought it and it's great. However, I realized that I pretty quickly adapted to the weight and don't continuously think of it as lighter than my last 16 Pro Max.

It's like eating the third slice of pizza; it's never as good as the first piece. I'll probably go back to the 18 Pro Max next year -- the weight takes a day to get used to, and then you don't think about it

 

[blairh]

It’s not in trouble. It won’t sell well this year. If they can add stereo speakers and dual cameras next year, it will do much better. It’s entirely dependent on what Apple can add to the form factor.

 

[kk200]

iPhone Air is not sold well, that is not a surprise. The real surprise is, how could Apple think it will be sold well with that unreasonable price point.

 

[CodeSpyder]

I saw that it's selling well in China.

 

[joshwithachance]

Would've sold like hotcakes if it was priced at $899 and the base 17 didn't get ProMotion.

 

[thebarrkbyte]

Huh, nobody wants lesser battery, fewer cameras, one speaker, and god awful colors? It’s like the 13 all over again

 

[ab2c4]

I think we will see more Air versions. In the meantime I am loving my Air, the luxury sports car of iphones.

 

[diego.caraballo]

Apple made people to pay for the R&D of the iPhone Fold. Not a failure for Apple at all.

 

[MagicWok]

Hardly surprising the sales are rubbish, if the rumours are to be believed. The normal iPhone is great this time around, costs less and NO ONE goes out with a buying priority for a thinner phone than the iPhone is currently.

Add on top it's crippled with less cameras (partially their fault also for making their humps huge and the cameras the obvious differentiator) no stereo speaker and less battery. It's a phone many generations old selling for prices now. It's just a bad product all around.

 

[JPack]

I saw that it's selling well in China.

Nope, it remains in-stock at all stores across China in all colors and storage configs. It’s been a full 48 hours since initial availability.

 

[triptolemus]

"...is in trouble" is harsh, overreactionary and sends the wrong message to consumers

What is the correct message to consumers?

 

[63W]

I dont care! Next!

 

[victorvictoria]

It's the battery, stupid! If you need a bulky magsafe battery to keep it running, you lose the benefit of its thin, light design. And for the same price (the magsafe battery is $99), you can get an iPhone 17 Pro. Apple underestimated the intelligence of their customers!

 

[bollman]

Where Apple failed is pricing, and I don't mean it is too expensive, I mean that it is way too cheap.
I bet, if it had cost more than double an iPhone Pro and been clearly visually distinguishable from the Pro, it would've sold better. For some, it is just "required" to buy what is most expensive.
Found out at work that 2 persons had bought MBP 16" M4 Max with 128GB memory and 8TB disk. Looking up the computers in Jamf Pro, none of them were used for more than an hour a day, surfing the web. None of them had used over 1% of available storage.
I bet the same people bought iPhone 17 Pro Max with 2TB.
For some, "most expensive" is the only option.

 

[fenderbass146]

This launch really puzzled me. I think it's a testing bed for the future folding phone and thin and light more then anything else.

I also think they killed it by making the 17 to good. If it wasn't for my desire for the zoom, this is the first year in a long time the base model iphone really tempted me since they added promotion.

If they would have kept the regular model at 60hz and managed to fit two cameras into the air with promotion, it have sold better.

 

[bluespark]

It's obvious from some of the above comments that I'm not in the mainstream, but I think the Air is an amazing phone that is priced appropriately. To me, it is the "executive" iPhone model. It looks and feels premium, has incredible quality, and fits brilliantly in dress pants or a suit pocket. Maybe that's how it should have been marketed.

 

[crawfish963]

"...is in trouble" is harsh, overreactionary and sends the wrong message to consumers

How is it the wrong message? Demand is incredibly low and production has all but stopped.

 

[JPack]

What is the correct message to consumers?

"Pay no attention to the 90% cut in parts production. We're just trying to keep it exclusive, like the iPhone 5C."

 

[fenderbass146]

It's the battery, stupid! If you need a bulky magsafe battery to keep it running, you lose the benefit of its thin, light design. And for the same price (the magsafe battery is $99), you can get an iPhone 17 Pro. Apple underestimated the intelligence of their customers!

battery isn't that bad, from what I've heard it's the same as the regular phones from a year or two ago which was just fine for most poeople.

 

[JPack]

battery isn't that bad, from what I've heard it's the same as the regular phones from a year or two ago which was just fine for most poeople.

Most normal people don't rationalize it that way.

You wouldn't accept a chip from a year or two ago, which was just fine. Why should buyers blindfold themselves and ignore the fact the base 17 and Pro models offer more battery life?

 

[jayducharme]

It's funny how, as with the iPhone mini, selling millions of units is considered a failure. It simply didn't sell in huge enough numbers to meet Apple's expectations. I'd be more interested in the satisfaction ratings. People who bought the iPhone mini loved it. I'm curious to know if that will be the case with the Air.