Apple announced a quartet of new smartphones at its “Awe Dropping” press event last month, but there was no question which of these was the most exciting. Whereas the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max were all conservative iterations on previous models, the ultra-slim iPhone Air was something completely new.
But as some pundits predicted, the flurry of column inches and livestream eyeballs that greeted the iPhone Air’s launch do not appear to have translated into robust sales. In fact it may be selling very poorly indeed.
According to a new report from Nikkei Asia citing “multiple sources briefed on the matter”, Apple has “drastically” cut production orders of the iPhone Air as a result of weak demand. The reductions are consistent, sources say, with a product at the end of its life, rather than one that’s brand new.
“The total forecast has almost entered end-of-production mode,” said one of the managers who spoke to Nikkei, “dropping significantly compared to earlier projections.”
An investor survey from KeyBanc Capital Markets, meanwhile, paints an even grimmer picture. The research indicates “virtually no consumer demand for the iPhone Air model.”
Perhaps this isn’t the disaster it sounds like. Because the rest of the range appears to be selling just fine. Both reports back this up, with KeyBanc noting “healthy iPhone 17 demand” and, better still, “a continued shift toward higher-priced Pro and Pro Max models.” Nikkei, meanwhile, reports that demand for the iPhone 17 and 17 Pro “has exceeded expectations” and that, in consequence, Apple has increased orders for the non-Air models. Does it matter if the Air sells poorly, provided equivalently or higher-priced iPhone 17 Pro models fill the shortfall?
Well, maybe it does. The problem, Apple knows, is that it can’t rely on the same old iPhone design forever. In that respect, the iPhone Air is a little like the Vision Pro: it’s Apple’s attempt to work out what comes next. Based on these sales numbers, this ain’t it.
And if you think the Air was only ever a placeholder for next year’s first folding iPhone, we’ve got even more bad news. KeyBanc’s survey also asked consumers about that format. And what did it find? “Limited willingness to pay for a foldable iPhone.”
Let’s just hope the standard iPhone still has a few years left in it.
Author: David Price, Editor, Macworld
David has been writing about technology for well over two decades, and got on board the Apple hype train when covering the original iPhone launch in 2007. He is an enthusiastic Apple Watch evangelist and feels that the HomePod is misunderstood.