Apple just hit the brakes on its iPhone Air experiment. The company has scrapped plans for a second-generation iPhone Air launch next fall and is already cutting production of the current model, according to The Information. The super-thin device, launched just two months ago, apparently isn't resonating with consumers the way Apple hoped.
Apple is pulling back from its iPhone Air ambitions in a move that signals the ultra-thin device may have been a rare consumer misstep for the tech giant. The company has abandoned plans to launch a second-generation iPhone Air next fall and has already begun cutting production of the current model, The Information reports. The decision comes just two months after Apple launched the super-slim device as part of its September iPhone lineup, positioning it as a premium alternative for users wanting maximum portability. But the market response appears to have fallen short of Apple's expectations, forcing the company to recalibrate its product roadmap. According to sources familiar with the matter, Apple had been developing an improved second-generation model that would have addressed some of the original's limitations. The updated iPhone Air was set to be lighter than the current version while packing more battery capacity - a key complaint about ultra-thin devices. The new model would also have featured a vapor chamber cooling system, similar to what Apple plans for the iPhone 17 Pro lineup. This represents a significant shift in Apple's iPhone strategy. The company rarely abandons product lines so quickly, especially ones it positions as premium offerings. The iPhone Air's struggles suggest consumers may be prioritizing features like battery life and camera capabilities over the ultra-thin form factor that defined the device. The production cuts are already underway, according to The Information's sources. This rapid scaling back indicates Apple recognized early that demand wasn't meeting projections and moved quickly to avoid excess inventory. The decision reshuffles Apple's entire iPhone timeline for the next two years. Fall 2026 will now focus on just two flagship devices: the iPhone 18 Pro and Apple's long-anticipated foldable iPhone. This marks the first time in years that Apple's fall lineup will be so streamlined, concentrating resources on what the company sees as its most promising innovations. The standard iPhone 18 and iPhone 18E - likely the successor to the current iPhone SE - have been pushed to a spring 2027 launch window. This unusual timing suggests Apple is prioritizing the development of its foldable technology over maintaining its traditional annual refresh cycle for all models. Industry analysts have been mixed on the iPhone Air since its September launch. While some praised its engineering achievement in creating such a thin device, others questioned whether consumers were ready to sacrifice battery life and camera features for portability. The weak sales figures seem to validate the skeptics' concerns. But Apple isn't completely writing off the iPhone Air concept. According to one source cited by , the company may still launch an updated iPhone Air as early as spring 2027, potentially alongside the standard iPhone 18 models. This timeline would give Apple's engineers more time to address the current model's limitations while gauging whether consumer interest in ultra-thin devices recovers. The delay also reflects broader challenges in the smartphone industry, where incremental improvements are becoming harder to market as revolutionary features. Apple's focus on the foldable iPhone for fall 2026 suggests the company believes transformative form factors are more likely to drive sales than evolutionary refinements.
