The iPhone Air and Galaxy S25 Edge are arguably two of the most controversial devices Apple and Samsung have launched in recent years. A few months after their initial release, some outlets reported that both the iPhone Air and Galaxy S25 Edge are not selling well and that the companies have decided to scale back production due to poor demand. However, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman tells a different story about Apple"s ultra-thin iPhone.
As he mentioned in this week’s Power On newsletter, Apple never planned to launch a second-generation iPhone Air in 2026 in the first place. Therefore, reports suggesting a delay in the iPhone Air 2 launch due to disappointing sales are not accurate. Gurman also notes that Apple didn’t name the device “iPhone 17 Air” because it didn’t want to tie the product to an annual release cycle.
Moreover, Gurman suggests that the iPhone Air 2 will focus on a 2nm chip to improve battery life rather than on structural changes. Recent reports claim that Apple plans to add a second camera to the next iPhone Air, an upgrade that Gurman believes is unlikely to happen due to technical complexity.
“Adding a second rear camera for ultrawide shots is technically possible, but I find that idea strange. The phone’s “plateau” area (where the camera is located) is already crowded. Redoing that entire section just to add the least-used iPhone camera seems like a lot of work for a phone that few people are buying.” He added.
Apple allegedly believed that iPhone Air sales could account for 6% to 8% of new iPhone sales, matching the performance of the iPhone 16 Plus model. However, the phone didn’t seem to offer great value for its price, and most customers opted for the standard or Pro iPhone 17 models due to better battery life or additional camera sensors.
Finally, Gurman adds that Apple is not going to write off the iPhone Air, as it is “essentially a technology exercise and a prototype en route to the foldable iPhone.” Previous reports suggest that Apple’s upcoming foldable iPhone could share much of its design and internal components with the iPhone Air.