Perhaps the true mark of an iconic gadget is that it influences the future of design across the industry. From the iMac to the iPhone, Apple is responsible for plenty of devices that changed the face of tech. And now it's done it again – for all the wrong reasons.
While I love the iPhone Air, it seems I'm very much in the minority. Sales have apparently been thin (sorry), and now reports suggest its performance has led to an industry-wide retreat from ultra-thin smartphones.
According to Digitimes, several Chinese manufacturers have "frozen or canceled their own "Air" ultra-thin phone projects." Xiaomi has reportedly axed its iPhone Air rival, while Vivo's mid-range S series has been nixed. Meanwhile, Samsung cancelled its Galaxy S26 Edge earlier this year due to poor sales of the S25 Edge, its own ultra-thin phone.
While the design of the iPhone Air is undeniably beautiful, it seems the hardware trade-offs have proven too much for most. With compromised battery life, a single camera and mono speakers, it certainly isn't for Pro users, nor the best iPhone for photography.
Time will tell if Apple can turn things around – an 'Air 2' which addresses the above shortcomings could prove a hit. But with a string of flops (including Vision Pro and Apple Intelligence) to its name over the last few years, the company isn't doing much to help the consensus that its creativity is stagnating.
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