The best iPhone in a decade has failed to sell well right after its launch.

Since the iPhone 12 series, Apple has launched four new models every autumn.

However, the fate of this fourth new model has never been smooth. Both the mini series and the Plus series have been discontinued, and now the iPhone Air is also off to a bad start.

On October 23, well - known Apple analyst Ming - Chi Kuo said that since the market demand for the iPhone Air has not met expectations, by the first quarter of 2026, its production capacity will be significantly reduced by more than 80%. Some components with a longer production cycle will even stop production ahead of schedule by the end of 2025.

He pointed out that the Pro series and the standard version of the iPhone 17 have covered the needs of most people, and it is difficult for the iPhone Air to find a new market position.

As for whether it will be discontinued, Apple customer service staff responded that they have not received relevant notifications yet.

01

Plan to cut production by 1 million units

Few inquiries

This is not the first time that such news has spread about the iPhone Air.

On October 18, Mizuho Securities in Japan said that Apple plans to produce 1 million fewer iPhone Air units this year and arrange an additional 2 million units of the iPhone 17 series.

On October 22, the digital blogger "Fixed - Focus Digital" released exclusive news, saying that because the iPhone Air is not selling well overseas and its domestic release has been postponed, the production side has now entered a pre - processing process shutdown state.

On the same day, this topic rushed to the top of the Weibo hot search list.

The starting price of the iPhone Air is 7,999 yuan. On second - hand platforms like "Xianyu", the resale price of the 256GB version is generally about 300 yuan lower than the official price. It doesn't have the same premium of over a thousand yuan as the iPhone 17 series did when it was first launched.

In offline stores, some salespeople said that there aren't many consumers who actively inquire about this phone. It is more like a "backup phone" and is difficult to be used as a primary phone.

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

02

The best iPhone in a decade

But the pricing is awkward

On October 22, Li Nan, the former president of Meizu Blue Charm, said: "To be fair, the iPhone Air is really the best iPhone in the past 10 years. Whether it's the materials, precision, design, feel, performance, or smoothness. It sacrifices some functions but gains a better user experience. It restrains some features but gains a sense of high - end."

The biggest highlight of this phone is that it is "the thinnest iPhone ever": the body thickness is only 5.64 millimeters, and it weighs 165 grams. It feels as light as having nothing in your pocket, which also enhances the phone's appearance.

However, the iPhone Air has made many sacrifices for its thinness and lightness.

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

In terms of audio, it only has a single bottom speaker. It's okay for watching vertical - screen videos like on Douyin, but when watching horizontal - screen videos on Bilibili, you'll have a rather poor audio experience.

The biggest problem is still the battery life. While new Android phones next to it are equipped with 8300mAh batteries, the iPhone Air only has 3149mAh. Even with Apple's excellent optimization, it can't save its battery life.

Additionally, it only supports eSIM, and currently, China is still in the exploratory stage of commercial trials. The activation process is very troublesome.

You have to take your ID card and phone to a designated business hall to handle it. You can't do it online at all. Unlike physical SIM cards that can be handled remotely, you can't transfer your number by yourself when changing phones. You have to go to the business hall to register again;

If your phone breaks down, even if you have a backup phone, you still have to go to the business hall to change the SIM card.

Finally, the iPhone Air has made concessions in many aspects, but not in price. This is the main reason that discourages most people.

The starting price of the standard version of the iPhone 17 is 5,999 yuan. It not only has a 1 - 120Hz adaptive high - refresh - rate screen but also supports all - day display. It offers a lot of features, while the iPhone Air with the same storage capacity is 2,000 yuan more expensive, yet its core configuration is significantly reduced.

Looking at the iPhone 17 Pro, with a starting price of 8,999 yuan, it has flagship configurations such as a horizontal matrix triple - camera and VC heat dissipation.

This is something the iPhone Air doesn't have. For an additional 1,000 yuan, you can enjoy better configurations. Naturally, consumers with the means are more willing to choose the iPhone 17 Pro.

Now, many smart netizens have started to give suggestions for the next - generation model.

03

Thinness and lightness are the future

Poor cost - performance is a major drawback

The current situation of the iPhone Air is very similar to that of the iPhone mini and Plus series back then.

In 2020, the iPhone 12 mini was launched with the slogan of being a "pocket flagship", but its small screen couldn't meet the video - watching needs of most people. Its sales never picked up, and it was discontinued after only two generations.

The iPhone 14 Plus launched in 2022 featured a large screen but lacked key configurations such as the Dynamic Island and adaptive refresh rate. Its depreciation rate reached about 38.6%, making it the least value - retaining product in the iPhone 14 series. We haven't seen this model this year.

The same goes for the iPhone Air this time. Although it has made great progress in terms of thinness and lightness, its sales are just average.

These three attempts have one thing in common: Apple is too obsessed with a single selling point and ignores the actual needs of consumers. Most users want products with comprehensive configurations and no obvious weaknesses. Only a few people are willing to pay for unique selling points.

However, the extremely thin and light design of the iPhone Air actually meets our expectations for the future form of mobile phones. It's just a pity that it's not cost - effective.

If Cook offers it at a huge discount, it might still gain some popularity.

This article is from the WeChat public account "Technology Daily Push" (ID: apptoday). Author: Technology Daily Push. Republished by 36Kr with authorization.