Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has weighed in on reports that Apple is cutting back on the production of its ultra-slim iPhone Air, saying the company’s supply chain is expected to cut production by 80%.
Kuo says suppliers are expected to cut production capacity by over 80% between now and the first quarter of 2026. He adds that some components with longer lead times will be discontinued by the end of 2025.
iPhone Air demand has fallen short of expectations, leading the supply chain to begin scaling back both shipments and production capacity. Most suppliers are expected to reduce capacity by more than 80% by 1Q26, while some components with longer lead times are expected to be…
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) October 22, 2025
Kuo believes the iPhone Air’s poor performance in the smartphone marketplace is likely due to the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro models already covering “the majority of high-end user demand,” leaving little room for a device like the iPhone Air.
Earlier today, we reported that Apple has slashed orders from iPhone Air suppliers to levels usually only seen as a device nears end of production, according to a new Nikkei Asia report. The report claims Apple has slashed orders for the iPhone Air to nearly end-of-life levels, even though it is just now going on sale in China.
Last week, Japan’s Mizuho Securities said Apple is planning to slow production of the ultra-slim iPhone Air, due to lower-than-expected sales.
The Japanese investment banking and securities firm claims that while the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are seeing higher sales than their predecessors during the same period last year, and standard iPhone 17 is performing significantly better than the iPhone 16, the Air is not performing as well.
Apple plans to reduce iPhone Air production by one million units this year, claims Mizuho, while planning to increase production of all other models by two million units. The overall production forecast of the iPhone 17 series this year has also been increased from 88 million units to 94 million units for the start of 2026.
Apple isn’t the only smartphone maker seeing its slim smartphone offering bomb, as Samsung is seeing the same lack of demand for its super-thin Galaxy S25 Edge. Samsung reportedly canceled development of a next-generation model following disappointing sales.
