Design experiment fails. Apple cuts production of ultra-thin iPhone Air due to weak demand despite wild success in China
Apple has reduced its production forecast for its new ultra-thin iPhone Air smartphone by 1 million units by the end of 2025.
Apple has reduced its production forecast for its new ultra-thin iPhone Air smartphone by 1 million units by the end of 2025.
As The Elec reports, citing analysts at Mizuho Securities, sales of the model were lower than expected — despite the fact that the device became a real hit in China.
This is the first serious signal that Apple’s experiments with design and «lightweight» models do not always find a mass buyer. Demand for the iPhone Air turned out to be weak in most countries, so the company revised its overall iPhone shipment forecast for 2025 — from 246 million to 229 million units.
All other models in the iPhone 17 series are selling much better:
- iPhone 17 (base) — production increased by 2 million units.
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iPhone 17 Pro — +1 million
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iPhone 17 Pro Max — +4 million.
Total iPhone production for 2025 was raised from 88 to 94 million units, but it was the Air that became the «weak link.»
In China, on the contrary, the iPhone Air is completely sold out — both online and in offline stores.
Samsung recently had similar problems with the Galaxy S25 Edge model, which sold so poorly that the company decided to cancel the successor, the Galaxy S26 Edge.
Apple does not yet plan to abandon the Air, but, according to analysts, in the event of a further decline in demand, the company may reallocate production capacity to other models in the series.
