It’s widely believed that sales of the iPhone Air have been disappointing and that Apple has either massively reduced or even suspended manufacturing altogether.
A new report says that several Chinese brands have responded by canceling their own plans for similar ultra-slim phones …
Low demand for the iPhone Air
Almost immediately after launch, it was noted that the iPhone Air remained available for immediate delivery long after the iPhone 17 Pro was backordered.
A series of follow-up reports all suggested limited interest in the model. One said that Apple’s manufacturing orders had been slashed to almost end of production levels, while a subsequent one said that production of the device had ceased altogether.
Samsung is said to have experienced exactly the same problem with its Galaxy S25 Edge, and has reportedly cancelled next year’s model.
Chinese smartphone brands canceling plans
A new supply chain report suggests that Chinese smartphone brands have been paying attention and have decided to cancel their own plans for similar ultra-slim Android phones. DigiTimes aggregated a couple of reports.
Following disappointing sales of Apple’s iPhone Air and tightening supply chains, major Chinese smartphone manufacturers have reportedly frozen or canceled their own “Air” ultra-thin phone projects. Industry sources cited by Sina Finance and Jiemian.com reveal that Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, and others have either scrapped or adjusted development plans for Air models.
Top comment by Matthew Ryan
I really don't understand this "flop/failure" stuff. I replaced my iPhone 16 Pro Max with the iPhone Air and I have not regretted it for one moment.
It's a better looking phone than the Pro Max. It's a lighter phone than the Pro Max. My battery lasts all day every day for my use case. I miss the telephoto camera now and then, but the photos I do take are still lovely. And the one speaker rarely presents an issue when my AirPods are in my ears almost all day long.
Is the iMac a failure because more people buy MacBooks? Is it surprising that some people choose the cheapest iPhone, some choose the most "Pro" iPhone, and the one in the middle (while amazing) is a smaller niche overall? No...not at all.
I "downgraded" from the iPad Pro to the iPad Air after years of always getting the Pro models, and you know what? Other than missing FaceID, I have no regrets. For my use case, I prefer the MacBook Air over Pro. I prefer the Mac mini to the Mac Studio. And I prefer the iPhone Air over the Pro Max now without hesitation.
Most people who chose the Air love it, and those who chose the Pro don't get it. That's fine. But I hope Apple moves forward with the Air, because I'd absolutely miss it when it's gone.
Xiaomi, which has built an entire business out of cloning Apple products, was previously reported to have been planning a very close copy of the iPhone Air, but is now said to have cancelled the project.
9to5Mac’s Take
While Apple never directly reveals sales data for individual products, there does now seem a persuasive amount of evidence that demand for the iPhone Air has proved disappointing.
Couple this to similar reports for Samsung’s ultra-thin phone, and it does appear that there simply isn’t enough of a market for this type of product, at least at the prices charged.
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