The iPhone Air Paradox

Despite creating a good marketing effect, iPhone Air sales after more than a month on shelves seem to not meet expectations.

The thinness of the iPhone Air. Photo: Bloomberg .

Having worked at Apple as a senior product manager, Jason Purdy loved admiring the company's innovative devices, including the iPhone Air.

Purdy was one of the first to receive the device on the first day it was released, but he decided to return it after only a month. According to WSJ , issues with the image quality and speaker made him feel that the iPhone Air could not meet his needs.

“The performance of the device is not really good. Overall, Apple has sacrificed almost all of those elements,” Purdy said. While it is easy to hold and impressive, the iPhone Air is not the right device.

Marketing success

The iPhone Air is Apple's thinnest smartphone. However, according to a survey cited by the WSJ , only 1 in 10 buyers of the 2025 iPhone models chose the Air in the first weeks of its release.

On the internet, many people complained about the camera, sound quality, battery and price of the iPhone Air. According to Apple's website, the iPhone Air is always available when ordered, while other models in the iPhone 17 series have a maximum wait of 3 weeks.

Apple is finding a new strategy to sustain long-term growth for the iPhone. According to market research firm IDC , global smartphone sales will be almost flat from 2021 to 2024. Meanwhile, the iPhone Air is the company's most innovative smartphone since the iPhone X in 2017.

Front of iPhone Air. Photo: The Verge .

“Every time Apple has made a phone for a niche market, it has failed,” said analyst Michael Levin of Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP), referring to previous iPhone 4 models such as the iPhone Plus and iPhone mini.

CIRP surveys show that 29% of US iPhone buyers in the third quarter chose models from the iPhone 17 series, a significant increase from the iPhone 16 series in the same period last year (20%). The company said the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max attracted a lot of interest, in contrast to the Air.

On the positive side, some analysts say the iPhone Air is a huge marketing success for Apple. It also serves as an important platform for developing a foldable iPhone that can open like a book.

“The iPhone Air is more of a marketing buzz than a sales one. The level of attention surrounding the launch of the device is the biggest in years,” said IDC analyst Nabila Popal.

Too much trade-off

An Apple spokesperson declined to comment on iPhone Air sales. During the company's earnings call in early November, CEO Tim Cook said the company was "very happy with how people are receiving the iPhone."

In fact, the iPhone Air is a testament to Apple's engineering prowess and hardware optimization. At just 5.6mm thick, the product boasts more computing power than the Intel chips in Macs from a few years ago.

To achieve thinness, Apple had to compromise on some features. The iPhone Air only has one speaker (the speaker position), and the sound does not have stereo quality when watching movies/listening to music.

The device also only has a single rear camera, lacking an ultra-wide-angle or telephoto lens. For comparison, the iPhone 17 is $200 cheaper but still has two rear cameras, a larger battery capacity, and two external speakers.

CEO Tim Cook holds the iPhone 17 Pro (left) and iPhone Air. Photo: Reuters .

The iPhone Air is also $100 more expensive than the iPhone 16 Plus, which could help boost margins and offset tariff costs. Still, the $1,000 price tag remains a major barrier for many.

In China, the iPhone Air is about $280 more expensive than the iPhone 17, which is more than the standard price to qualify for government subsidies, encouraging consumers to spend. Meanwhile, qualifying for subsidies helped the iPhone 17 sell well in China from the start.

TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also confirmed that demand for the iPhone Air is not as expected. He predicted that Apple could cut 80% of the device's production early next year.

Source: https://znews.vn/nghich-ly-voi-iphone-air-post1601540.html