Apple’s iPhone Air is an impressive piece of engineering, yet its sales aren’t huge. A new report from the South Korean site The Elec says Apple plans to cut Air production because demand is lower than expected. One analyst suggests Apple may scale back production by about 1 million units.
This news isn’t a sign that overall iPhone demand is weak. The opposite is true: interest in the standard iPhone 17 and the 17 Pro is very high. These models are proving far more popular than the ultra-thin Air. Apple is reportedly responding by boosting production: 2 million more iPhone 17s, 1 million more 17 Pros, and 4 million more 17 Pro Max units. Total iPhone 17 sales look very strong, matching recent reports.
Apple reducing the Air’s production isn’t a surprise. The device is light and feels great, but the iPhone 17 and Pro models offer better value. Many call this year’s iPhone 17 the best entry-level phone in years. For instance, the iPhone 17 supports up to 30 hours of video playback. That’s a huge step up from the iPhone 16’s 22 hours.
The popularity of the iPhone 17 is clear. Shipping estimates for some versions are still stuck at two or three weeks in major countries like the U.S., U.K., and China. If you want an iPhone 17 fast, the 256GB model is easier to find than the 512GB version.
Chinese preorders for the iPhone 17 set new records this year. Preorder numbers during the first few minutes even beat the iPhone 16’s total preorder volume from its first 24 hours. Apple doesn’t typically share sales data by model, but we should learn more when the company holds its quarterly earnings call later this month.
