Apple built the dream iPhone. Why doesn’t anyone want it?

Summary created by Smart Answers AI

In summary:

Macworld analyzes Apple’s iPhone Air, the thinnest iPhone ever at 5.64mm, which has sold only 700,000 units despite impressive design.
Priced at $999 with limited features like a single camera and poor battery life, consumers find it overpriced compared to the $799 iPhone 17.
Poor sales indicate users prioritize functionality over extreme thinness, suggesting Apple may reconsider its Air strategy for future smartphones.

The ultra-thin iPhone Air definitely caught everyone’s attention when it was unveiled last September. It’s the thinnest iPhone ever made, and it gave us a clear glimpse into the future of smartphones. When the new iPhones hit shelves on September 19, everyone was talking about the iPhone Air.

Months later, the reality is that very few people seem to have chosen the iPhone Air over its siblings. People who own it sing its praises, it’s one of the few iPhones to get a no-strings discount, and its design has been hailed as one of Apple’s best. So why hasn’t it been as successful as the other models?

Perception vs perspective

There’s no denying that the iPhone Air is a truly impressive device. Although my daily driver is an iPhone 17 Pro Max, I’ve had the chance to spend some time with the iPhone Air on a few occasions (most recently at an Apple event), and every time I hold it in my hands, I’m amazed by how thin and light it is.

We’re talking about a phone that’s just 5.64 millimeters thick and weighs only 165 grams. By comparison, the 17 Pro Max is 3 millimeters thicker and weighs 233 grams. It’s impossible not to feel the difference.

The design of the iPhone Air is undeniably impressive.

Foundry

The Air is also stunning. The combination of its ultra-slim design and shiny titanium frame screams luxury. Yet, sales of the iPhone Air are far from being a huge success.

Apple itself doesn’t provide details on sales figures for each…

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