The iPhone Air is not promoting properly to this point

In a approach, the iPhone Air is essentially the most radical departure for Apple since 2017’s iPhone X. Not a lot as a result of it has a novel type issue; quite, it is as a result of it is the primary time because the X that Apple has offered a non-budget iPhone that is not only a minor variation of one other one. The iPhone XR I owned was a scaled-back model of the iPhone XS — likewise, the iPhone 13 might have shipped in Mini, Professional, and Professional Max variations, however the principle issues separating them had been cameras, efficiency, display measurement, and refresh charges. On the surface, you most likely would not be capable to inform the distinction between a 13 and 13 Professional besides for his or her lenses.

The phrase from Morgan Stanley analyst Erik Woodring (by way of MacRumors), although, is that the Air gambit will not be paying off. Whereas demand for the iPhone 17 lineup is reportedly sturdy, and should even see a manufacturing enhance, the Air has to this point confronted “relative weak point,” as Woodring places it. That is a imprecise declare, and gross sales might at all times flip round — however anyway you slice it, it is most likely not what Apple needed to listen to, not when it spent a lot of its September 9 occasion singing the Air’s praises.

Frankly, I hope Air gross sales proceed on a downward trajectory. You possibly can most likely guess the explanation why, but it surely’s value elaborating on them, and whether or not we’ll see a follow-up Air in 2026.

The iPhone Air is a foul deal

Sending a message to Apple

Lately, I received into bother in a web based feedback part by claiming that individuals “ought to” purchase the iPhone 17 as an alternative of an Air, as a result of the Air is an inherently worse product. As anticipated, some individuals rushed to the Air’s protection, arguing that thinness and lightness might be value as a lot as any characteristic. From there, issues shortly took a flip. A couple of individuals insisted that I had no proper to say what different individuals ought to worth; one individual even argued I used to be “dictating” what individuals can buy, as if I had been placing a gun to somebody’s head on the Apple Retailer.

To make my place clearer, I will say upfront that I am impressed by the Air as a bit of engineering. Regardless of it being so skinny, it is remarkably robust, to the purpose that testers have wanted industrial tools to get it to bend or break. And as Apple was desperate to level out throughout its announcement, a lot of the “guts” of the telephone — equivalent to its processor and storage — are all stuffed into the digital camera bump (AKA plateau). A lot of the body is devoted to its lithium-ion battery, and that is no imply feat.

Let’s get this straight although: excessive thinness and lightness aren’t that significant in 2025. Whereas the Air is perhaps nice to carry, I am unable to bear in mind the final time I heard anybody, wherever significantly complain in regards to the measurement or weight of a smartphone that wasn’t deliberately outsized, just like the iPhone 17 Professional Max or the Samsung Galaxy S25 Extremely. That is as a result of smartphones have been each skinny and lightweight for a really very long time. Even the heaviest iPhones ever, the 13 Professional Max and 14 Professional Max, weighed simply 8.47 ounces (240 grams) every. The Air could also be noticeably lighter at 5.82 ounces (165 grams), however nobody is struggling to carry up a Professional Max until they have larger considerations at work.

Larger fashions could also be tougher to stuff right into a pocket, however that is owing to display measurement greater than thickness — which the Air would not remedy. The product has a 6.5-inch show, larger than the 6.3-inch one on the iPhone 17. Apple would not even depend the Air’s digital camera bump when it measures thickness, both. At that a part of the gadget, it is about 11.32mm — slightly below the 11.4mm of the iPhone 17’s bump. If you cannot get a 17 in your pocket, likelihood is the Air might be simply as unhealthy, if not worse.

All this is able to be irrelevant if it weren’t for the Air’s digital camera tech, battery life, and pricing. Not like the 17, there isn’t any secondary ultra-wide digital camera. You possibly can’t shoot macro images, not to mention tight group portraits or huge vistas. Battery life, in the meantime, is enough, however nonetheless decrease than that of each different iPhone within the fall 2025 catalog. So actually, you are paying $200 greater than a 17 for one thing that might be tougher to reside with. You do get a quicker A19 Professional processor, however even that has one much less GPU core than the identical chip within the iPhone 17 Professional.

Sure, then, the iPhone Air is a foul deal. And if it by some means proves in style in the long term, it is going to ship the unsuitable message to Apple — that you would be able to cost individuals extra for much less and get away with it.

Is there a future for the iPhone Air?

Reply hazy, strive once more

Except the present mannequin is a catastrophic failure, I believe it is secure to count on an iPhone Air 2 in 2026. Apple has clearly invested numerous money and time into the underlying expertise, and it is uncommon for the corporate to place that form of effort right into a one-off product. Keep in mind, we received two generations of iPhone mini regardless of weak gross sales.

The actual query mark is 2027. If the Air 1 continues to get a lukewarm response, and/or the Air 2 would not blow anybody out of the water, I might simply see Apple pulling the plug on an Air 3. Certainly, which may not be within the playing cards anyway — it is apparent that Apple’s final objective is laying the groundwork not only for a foldable iPhone, however for thinner type elements typically as soon as fewer compromises are obligatory. I am betting that the iPhone 19 (or no matter it is referred to as) will look just like the Air, however embody triple cameras, contemplating that Apple’s rivals are already making telephotos customary on their base {hardware}.

For the Air 2 to be a success, Apple has two choices, as I see it. The primary is to present it modest upgrades over the Air 1, however dramatically decrease the worth, making it a minimum of $100 cheaper than the iPhone 18. The opposite is to carry onto the present price ticket, however convey digital camera and battery specs as much as snuff. In reality, if Apple had been to modify to silicon-carbon (Si-C) battery tech, the Air 2’s runtime might probably crush that of the 18 with none enhance in thickness. In fact, the 18 would nonetheless reign supreme if it switched to Si-C as properly. I am holding my ear to the bottom for rumors on this one.