I never liked the iPhone Air, but I don’t think Apple should cancel it… yet

Who’d have thunk it? Oh, that’s right, I anticipated the modest success of this far-too-modest handset (in terms of battery size, at least) nearly six months ago, and so did many other tech journalists, bloggers, pundits, and analysts with functional brains, eyes, and no apple-shaped cloud in their judgment.

Now, I don’t want to toot my own horn too much, so I’ll admit I did initially expect the ultra-thin phone to be at least a moderate hit (almost a year ago), and as recently as last month, I didn’t refute the possibility that the iPhone Air could sell (relatively) well for its first few weeks on the market. But that clearly hasn’t happened, and something tells me Apple has already enabled “crisis mode” for dealing with the device going forward.

Desperate times call for desperate measures

Maybe you wouldn’t buy it in a heartbeat, but you’d definitely consider the iPhone Air at $899 instead of $999. | Image Credit — PhoneArena

I’m talking about something that’s obviously not been patented by Samsung (or any other Android device maker), even though it’s common practice for years now. Yes, the iPhone Air could get an official discount (or two) to try to improve its mainstream appeal.

Unfortunately, that’s never happened with an iPhone before the launch of a new generation, and Apple isn’t exactly known for breaking tradition very often. Besides, reducing the price of a product bombastically advertised as “innovative” and “groundbreaking” (especially so soon after its commercial debut) would be like indirectly acknowledging that marketing messaging was exaggerated (if not completely misleading), possibly creating a very dangerous precedent for future iPhone editions.

In short, I don’t expect this to happen, but I strongly believe it should, as the potential benefits of such an unprecedented move seem well worth the risks. I’m not a professional market researcher or analyst, but at a starting price of $899 instead of the current $999, I think Apple could improve the iPhone Air‘s mid to long-term haul by millions of units, thus laying the groundwork for a 2026 sequel to build on an unlikely success story (at $899 right off the bat) rather than aimlessly try to change a negative narrative (like the iPhone 15 Plus and 16 Plus).

Things aren’t as bad as they sound… for the time being, at least

Because the iPhone 16 Plus inevitably came up, it must be stressed that the iPhone Air is not selling that poorly. Apple clearly doesn’t have a Galaxy S25 Edge-level flop on its hands here, as the first (reliable) estimates put the A19 Pro-powered slim beast at 14 percent higher numbers than last year’s confusing A18-powered 6.7-incher in China and the US.

What’s perhaps even more important to note is that the 16 Plus actually got off to a pretty strong start at the global box-office back in September 2024 (at least by the mediocre standards of its forerunners), so as long as you remember that the iPhone Air is basically an experimental device at its core, its reception is really not that bad.

Comparison of early iPhone 17 and 16 series sales

Let’s stop comparing the iPhone Air with the iPhone 17 and pit it against the iPhone 16 Plus instead, shall we?

I think the number one problem is that Apple set completely unrealistic expectations (both for its hardcore fans and shareholders) as far as this first-gen product is concerned. The number two problem is that the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Max are simply too good to leave a big enough audience for the… not-as-good iPhone Air to come close to those expectations.

Long story short, Apple needs to perform a factory reset (in more ways than one), reconsider the realistic potential of the iPhone Air, and… hope sales don’t fall off a cliff once the initial wave of enthusiasm curiosity dies down. Otherwise, I’m not so sure that we’ll ever see a second edition of this (underwhelming) beaut.

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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian’s passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for ‘adequate’ over ‘overpriced’.

Read the latest from Adrian Diaconescu

#iPhone #Air #dont #Apple #cancel #it..

I never liked the iPhone Air, but I don’t think Apple should cancel it… yet

Desperate times call for desperate measures

Things aren’t as bad as they sound… for the time being, at least

“Iconic Phones” is coming this Fall!

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