People aren’t buying into Apple’s big bet on a slimmer iPhone, survey suggests
By Lisa Eadicicco, CNN
(CNN) — Apple bet big on a dramatic redesign of its iPhone last year, the biggest shakeup to its flagship smartphone in nearly a decade. But the slimmer iPhone Air hasn’t seemed to resonate with buyers.
New market research data indicates iPhone Air adoption lags far behind the iPhone 17, 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max: Just 6% of US iPhone shoppers surveyed by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners purchased the iPhone Air in the quarter ending in December, the phone’s first full quarter of availability.
By comparison, 22% bought the regular iPhone 17; 25% bought the iPhone 17 Pro; and 27% chose the pricey iPhone 17 Pro Max, according to the report. The numbers were shared with CNN ahead of their release on Wednesday.
Apple (AAPL) is set to report earnings on Thursday afternoon and will announce global iPhone revenue for the quarter. But it doesn’t break out numbers for specific iPhone models.
There have already been reports of weak demand for the iPhone Air. But Apple, the world’s largest smartphone maker by some estimates, might not need a smash hit. The International Data Corporation forecast a record number of shipments this year for Apple driven by its latest iPhone 17 lineup. And some analysts say the iPhone Air was never really intended to be a bestseller. Instead, the phone was meant to add more variety for buyers and set the stage for more advanced iPhones, such as models that fold in half.
Still, the iPhone Air’s frosty reception raises questions about how Apple can evolve beyond the tried-and-true iPhone lineup: the standard, Pro and Pro Max models.
Apple did not respond to a request for comment regarding iPhone Air sales, launch plans for a future version or changes to production plans.
iPhone Air lags far behind other models
The new data from CIRP indicates a sizable gap in interest between the Air and the rest of Apple’s latest iPhones. The report is based on a survey conducted between January 2 and 21 of 500 US consumers who purchased an Apple product between October and December 2025.
It’s not the first indication of sluggish demand for the iPhone Air, which was released in September, at the same time as the iPhone 17 models. The Information reported in November that Apple is delaying the second-generation model after sales failed to meet expectations. Apple reportedly cut production of the iPhone Air last fall and ramped up orders for the other models, according to Nikkei Asian Review.
There may be a simple reason why consumers aren’t interested in the iPhone Air, according to Josh Lowitz, one of the CIRP analysts behind the study: People don’t care about thin phones.
Most respondents who bought the iPhone Air did so because they were replacing an old phone, not because they wanted a thinner phone, Lowitz said.
Carolina Milanesi, president and principal analyst for tech industry analysis firm Creative Strategies, agrees.
Consumers aren’t going into stores saying, “Oh my god, I wish this was lighter,” Milanesi said. “We are used to carrying what we carry. So it wasn’t a problem per se.”
Apple has struggled to find a fourth iPhone model that resonates strongly with consumers. It previously offered smaller and larger versions of the standard iPhone, called the iPhone Mini and iPhone Plus respectively. But Apple scrapped both of those from its lineup after reportedly weak demand.
The iPhone Air doesn’t outshine the rest of the lineup in any area but thinness. The iPhone 17 Pro Max has the largest screen, longest-lasting battery and a camera with three lenses. The iPhone 17 Pro is cheaper and smaller than the Pro Max and shares many of its other features. The iPhone 17 is the least expensive of the bunch but still has an additional camera and longer battery life compared to the Air, although Apple’s thinner phone has a larger screen and more powerful chip.
“The 17 Pro, Pro Max and the base 17 cover a lot of the features,” CIRP analyst Michael Levin said. “And they kind of suck a lot of the oxygen out of the room.”
The iPhone Air’s purpose
Some analysts like Milanesi say the iPhone Air is about much more than short-term sales. The new design and engineering changes could pave the way for a foldable iPhone, which Bloomberg reports could arrive this year.
Unlike other models, the chips that power the iPhone Air are embedded in the camera module near the top of the device, allowing more space in the main body for the battery. That enables Apple to achieve a slimmer design without compromising much on battery life.
Such a change could be important for a future foldable iPhone considering those types of phones tend to be thicker than regular smartphones when closed.
Devices with innovative designs such as the iPhone Air and foldable phones typically appeal to early adopters rather than the average consumer. Even though that audience represents a small slice of the smartphone market, it’s an important market for Apple to capture, said Milanesi.
It’s a key part of how Apple portrays itself as being on the cutting edge of design and technology.
“I might not buy the Air but still think that Apple is the best company because they brought the Air,” said Milanesi. “So there’s that halo that you get from a brand perspective.”
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