Sales data and preorder data don’t lie. People voted with their wallet already. The iPhone Air IS in trouble. If you want to say the wrong message was sent to customers, then you should blame all the “reviewers” and whatnot.
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The MacRumors Show: iPhone Air Is in Trouble
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iPhone mini and iPhone Air are one of those niche products that only a small number of people willing to dive in and buy. Yes, from Apple’s perspective, 1 million sale is a small number. Satisfaction rating doesn’t earn Apple any cash. Sales do. This is the clear departure of perspective between Apple and customers.
No, I disagree, the more people try the Air they switch that day. It is a try it before you buy it item, and many have no time for a return. So pre-orders are by those that are upgrading their model they already have cases for, or batteries, or other items and they have no desire to change formats.
I see the iPhone Air picking up steady growth through the holidays and more people will see it in the wild.
I went into the Apple Store hoping the Air would seduce me and I'd be rid of my iPhone 12, its bulk and sharp edges that I've not liked since I bought it — and that was an upgrade from the 6 and its curved edges. The other 17 models have a smoother edge but I'm wary of the protruding camera lenses and their overall bulkiness. Yes, they are a bit ugly.
I was in a very crowded Apple Store on launch day. Many people were picking up the Air to see what it was like. Despite being in stock I didn’t see anyone purchasing this thin iPhone within the two hours I spent browsing and placing a pre-order for a 17 Pro.
My original intention was to purchase an Air for myself but the poor sounding speaker along with concern about battery life caused me to skip it.
5 days later after watching some YouTube reviews I decided to overlook the poor quality speaker and buy the air anyway. Now that I’ve had it awhile I do like the form factor but the battery life and sound quality do disappoint.
It’s a beautiful phone. But the compromises over a Pro are too large given that it’s quite expensive. I love my 17 Pro Max, but I think the star of the iPhone series is the 17 non-Pro. Amazing device for the money and is about as feature rich as one needs.
Yeah hopefully this makes Apple realize that enough people still want a small phone. I don't even care if it's thick. Just make it small. If the device is all screen, it shouldn't be more than 4.75" tall.
I bought my Air after getting into m43 photography and not wanting or needing the extra cameras. I love how easy it is to handle and hold with the bumper case, and the camera plateau doubles as a nice handle when watching videos in landscape.
I think there’s a huge consumer segment Apple forgot.
Not everyone wants smaller and thinner and Faster.
I want a great camera, big screen, and 4+ days of battery life — not games or “neural engine” photo editing. Honestly, I’m close to buying a real camera again. I just need a phone for messages, maps, mail, calls, and a fantastic camera — not a toy.
Not everyone wants smaller and thinner and Faster.
I want a great camera, big screen, and 4+ days of battery life — not games or “neural engine” photo editing. Honestly, I’m close to buying a real camera again. I just need a phone for messages, maps, mail, calls, and a fantastic camera — not a toy.
I still believe iPhone Air and iPhone mini are niche products with limited sales potential. iPhone Air still compromises a lot for its form factor, and those compromises can turn off a lot of people. Coupled with non-competitive price, it will be a hard sell. Even if the holiday season people picking them up before buying it, I still don’t think this iPhone will sell many. With that being said, Apple gave iPhone mini two tries before axing the entire product line. Maybe they will do the same for iPhone Air.
the problem is they focused on the wrong dimension: thickness
What do the people really want? Smaller width & height…bring back the mini!
Also, Apple pricing is insane.
A couple of months ago I picked up a new, sealed unlocked iPhone 16 pro on eBay for $625. This is the way.
What do the people really want? Smaller width & height…bring back the mini!
Also, Apple pricing is insane.
A couple of months ago I picked up a new, sealed unlocked iPhone 16 pro on eBay for $625. This is the way.
I still think THE biggest issues for the iPhone Air are the too-small internal battery, along with the poor-sounding internal speaker. Fix both of these with the new iPhone Air model and watch sales climb dramatically.
I'm more surprised that the 17 pro max is selling as well as it is, being a gargantuan brick, especially once you get a case on it - its staggering.
Neither of those issues are easy fix due to space constraints, especially the battery. There just isn’t enough physical space for all the magical chemicals to squeeze in and provide equivalent amount of power.
Sometimes Apple completely ignores their customers.
Their burning desire for extreme profits blinds their willingness to accommodate the broader market.
Failing to offer a small iPhone is proof of their arrogance and elitism.
Its rather interesting that until iPhone Air appeared no one, but no one criticized Pro Max models as a “brick or tank” or any other put down.
When in reality the Pro Max models are excellent examples of world class design and engineering. Perfect? No, but certainly excellent.
I know, I have years of experience with them as well as my new iPhone Air.
It’s called “choices”.
The pricepoint is the problem. It lacks features in order to offer a thin and lightweight form factor, but should be the budget tier and cheaper than the standard iPhone 17. I think its place in the lineup has really puzzled people.
LOL the Pro design this year is very meh. It’s not terrible but neither is it particularly eye catching unlike the Air.
I'd almost agree but with new battery chemistry starting to come online we could see a 3,900 to 4,000 milliamp-hour battery on the next iPhone Air. That could given the iPhone Air the type of battery life per charge more akin to the iPhone 16 Plus.
I agree with your point, however what’s interesting is the Pro’s overall form factor, size etc hasn’t changed much for the last few years, and only now since the introduction of the Air are people bashing the Pro.
As a Smartphone (not just iPhone) enthusiast it’s functionality that means most to me.
As an owner of both Pro Max and Air models currently active each on their respective lines, it’s enjoyable to experience the differences.
The Pro Max models have always been ungainly bricks to me. I never felt the desire to constantly two-hand a phone, that's poor design in my book regardless of perceived increases in utility. The Pro Max clearly has its audience. I am not in that crowd. What I especially don't want to do is to start carrying different phones for different occasions. I have better things to do than plan around a phone.
It doesn’t sound like the Air is going anywhere what with rumours of a model in 2027.
I had a conversation today with similar conclusions. If you are really into photography, then buy a mirrorless camera.
I also checked in with a friend about his new 17 ProMax. He was unimpressed by the upgrade from his previous ProMax after having lived with it for several weeks. I upgraded to the Air and am very pleased with my experience.
I absolutely love the iPhone Air—it's my favorite since the very first one in 2007! Not everyone needs all those advanced camera features, and this phone fits perfectly in my hand and pocket. While there were some initial complaints about the battery and cameras, I find them both to be perfectly fine and reliable. It's clearly a hit, too, selling like crazy in China and Japan.