In September 2025, Apple unveiled the iPhone Air, a device that stood out for its ultra-slim and lightweight build, measuring a mere 5.6 millimeters in thickness. It boasted cutting-edge specs, including the A19 Pro chip, 12GB of RAM, and a 120Hz high-refresh-rate display. However, its battery capacity was a modest 3,149mAh, a trade-off for its slender design that also led to compromises in its camera setup. Moreover, the phone's reliance on eSIM technology, with China Unicom being the sole carrier in China offering offline activation, complicated the user experience.
The iPhone Air's market reception was lackluster, with first-week sales barely surpassing 50,000 units—a figure well below Apple's projections. In response, Apple has slashed production by one million units, shelved its plans for the iPhone Air 2 indefinitely, and is reallocating resources to other product lines.