Apple had initially planned to release a new model of its ultra-thin iPhone Air in fall 2026, but now it has changed its corporate mind due to poor sales, reports The Information.
Soon after the September launch of the iPhone Air, we began seeing reports of poor sales and cut in manufacturing. Apple’s supply chain has reportedly scaled back both shipments and production of the slim iPhone, with Apple supplier Foxconn dismantling all but one and a half of its production lines for the Air, with all production expected to be halted at the end of the month. Apple’s other supplier, Luxshare, halted production at the end of October.
In mid-October, we reported that Japan’s Mizuho Securities had said Apple was planning to slow production of the ultra-slim iPhone Air, due to lower-than-expected sales.
The Japanese investment banking and securities firm claimed that while the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max were seeing higher sales than their predecessors during the same period last year, and the standard iPhone 17 was selling significantly better than the iPhone 16, the Air was not performing as well.
Then, in late October, we told you about a Nikkei Asia report that said Apple had slashed orders from iPhone Air suppliers to levels usually only seen as a device nears end of production. The Nikkei Asia report claimed Apple had slashed orders for the iPhone Air to nearly end-of-life levels, even though it was just going on sale in China.
Apple had been counting on the iPhone Air’s novel ultra-slim design to drive sales, as it was the first substantial redesign of the handset since the release of the iPhone X’s Face ID and all-display design in 2017. While Apple had expected the 5.6mm thin iPhone Air to sell well, its high price tag may have contributed to the device’s slow sales. The Air’s starting price of $999 may have outweighed the device’s attractiveness to consumers. With a starting price that is only $100 below that of the $1,099 iPhone Pro, buyers may have opted for the Pro, which boasts a much better triple-lens camera and longer battery life.
Apple has reportedly been working on a second-generation iPhone Air that will be lighter, with a larger battery, and vapor chamber cooling, although that could all be put on indefinite hold due to the first-gen iPhone Air’s poor sales.