Der beste iPhone der letzten zehn Jahre hat es schwer, sich seit seiner Einführung auf dem Markt zu verkaufen.

Since the iPhone 12 series, Apple has been launching four new smartphone models on the market every autumn.

However, the fate of the fourth model has never really improved. The Mini and Plus series were discontinued, and the launch of the iPhone Air has also not gone smoothly.

On October 23, the well - known Apple analyst Ming - Chi Kuo stated that due to the disappointing market demand for the iPhone Air, the production capacity will be reduced by over 80% by the first quarter of 2026. Some components with a long production cycle will be taken out of production by the end of 2025.

He emphasized that the Pro series and the standard version of the iPhone 17 already meet the needs of most consumers, so it is difficult for the iPhone Air to find a new market position.

Regarding the discontinuation of production, Apple service employees said that they have not received any corresponding notifications so far.

01

Plan to Reduce Production by 1 Million Devices

Few Inquiries

This is not the first time that such rumors about the iPhone Air have circulated.

On October 18, Japanese Mizuho Securities reported that Apple wants to produce 1 million fewer iPhone Air devices this year and will simultaneously increase the production of the iPhone 17 series by 2 million devices.

On October 22, the digital blogger "Dingjiao Digital" revealed an exclusive news that due to the poor sales of the iPhone Air overseas, its release in the domestic market has been postponed, and production has already been stopped in the initial manufacturing processes.

On this day, the topic reached the top of the Weibo hot lists.

The price of the iPhone Air starts at 7,999 yuan. On second - hand platforms like "Xianyu", the average selling price of the 256 - GB version is about 300 yuan lower than the official price. In contrast to the iPhone 17 series, which was traded slightly above the official price at the start of sales, there are no significant mark - ups for the iPhone Air.

In offline stores, salespeople reported that only a few consumers actively inquired about this model. It is more regarded as an "emergency device" rather than a primary phone.

The latest report from Counterpoint shows that the iPhone Air only accounts for 3% of the total sales of the iPhone 17 series.

02

The Best iPhone in the Last Ten Years

An Unreasonable Price

On October 22, the former president of Meizu, Li Nan, said: "The iPhone Air is truly the best iPhone in the last ten years. Considering the choice of materials, precision, design, feel in the hand, performance, and smoothness of operation. It has sacrificed some functions to offer a better feel and restricted its expressiveness to achieve a higher level of refinement."

The most eye - catching feature of this device is that it is "the thinnest iPhone of all time": With a thickness of only 5.64 millimeters and a weight of 165 grams, it feels like nothing in your pocket, and it also improves the device's design.

Still, the iPhone Air has made some compromises for this lightness and thinness.

It has an 18 - megapixel front - facing camera and only a 48 - megapixel rear - facing camera. The camera module protrudes significantly, and the problem becomes even more obvious when you put on a protective case.

In terms of audio, it only has a single speaker at the bottom of the device. This is sufficient for vertical videos on TikTok, but when watching horizontal videos on Bilibili, the audio quality is poor.

The biggest problem is the battery life. While the latest Android smartphones now have 8,300 mAh batteries, the iPhone Air only has 3,149 mAh. Even Apple's optimizations cannot improve the poor battery life.

Moreover, it only supports eSIM, which is currently still in the pilot phase in China. The activation process is very cumbersome.

You have to take your ID card and the phone to a specific branch of the mobile service provider to carry out the activation. Online activation is not possible, unlike physical SIM cards, which can also be activated remotely. If you change your phone, you cannot transfer the number yourself but have to go to the branch again to re - register.

If the phone breaks, you also have to go to the branch with a replacement phone to change the SIM card.

Finally, the iPhone Air has made compromises in many areas, just not in terms of price. This is the main reason why most consumers are put off.

The price of the standard version of the iPhone 17 starts at 5,999 yuan. It has a 1 - 120 Hz adaptive high - frequency display and supports the "Always - On" display. In comparison, the same storage variant of the iPhone Air costs 2,000 yuan more, while the core specifications are significantly reduced.

The iPhone 17 Pro costs from 8,999 yuan and has a triple - camera array in a horizontal arrangement and a VC cooling plate.

The iPhone Air does not have these features. With just 1,000 yuan more, consumers can buy a smartphone with higher specifications, so those who can afford it are more likely to choose the iPhone 17 Pro.

Now, many smart internet users are already giving tips for the next generation.

03

Lightness and Thinness are the Future

Poor Cost - Performance Ratio is an Obstacle

The situation of the iPhone Air is similar to that of the former iPhone Mini and Plus series.

In 2020, the iPhone 12 Mini was launched with the slogan "The premium smartphone in your pocket". Due to the small screen, it could not meet the needs of most consumers for video viewing. The series was discontinued after only 2 generations.

The iPhone 14 Plus, released in 2022, offered a large screen but lacked important features such as the Dynamic Island and the adaptive refresh rate. The depreciation rate was about 38.6%, making it the least value - retaining product of the iPhone 14 series. This model is no longer available this year.

The same goes for the iPhone Air. Although it has made a big step towards lightness and thinness, the sales volume is mediocre.

What these three attempts have in common is that Apple was too focused on a single selling point and neglected the actual needs of consumers. Most consumers want a smartphone with a balanced configuration and as few weaknesses as possible. Only a few are willing to pay for individual selling points.

The extremely light and thin design of the iPhone Air actually corresponds to our ideas about the future form of smartphones, but it is simply not cost - effective.

If Tim Cook were to significantly reduce the iPhone Air production, maybe we could still be friends.

This article is from the WeChat account "Technology Daily Push" (ID: apptoday), Author: Technology Daily Push. 36Kr published it with permission.