Apple's iPhone Air is now an example of what not to do in the market as it flopped in its release and was never able to bounce back or improve its sales. Now, many of Apple's rivals are reportedly opting to cancel their developments in this niche.
Apple's iPhone Air Flop Is Causing Industry Fears
According to a new report by DigiTimes Asia (via MacRumors), Apple's iPhone Air has a significant impact on the industry, and this is because the ultra-thin smartphone's sales flopped in the market.
The industry is now reportedly taking this as an example or a lesson to steer clear of developing their own version of an ultra-thin device, with many fearing suffering the same fate.
The report talks about how multiple Apple rivals across China have now opted to pull back on their ultra-thin smartphone developments that were meant to challenge the iPhone Air in the industry.
Apple significantly suffered from the iPhone Air as, according to MacRumors, reports of poor sales led to manufacturing cuts from the Cupertino tech giant's partners, with supply chains also joining in. Foxconn was reportedly the first to put the hammer down for Apple as it dismantled all iPhone Air production lines and was later followed by Luxshare in October.
It is known that Apple had opted for massive trade-offs for the iPhone Air to be possible as it only received a single rear camera, but it also got a smaller battery. All these came at a cost, which was not that appealing among customers.
Rivals Cancel Ultra-Thin Smartphone Development
As mentioned by DigitTimes Asia, many rival companies, especially major Chinese smartphone brands, have either canceled or shelved their ultra-thin smartphone development due to the iPhone Air's performance.
Companies like Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi are said to be among those who have either scrapped or pulled back on their ultra-thin smartphone plans and focused on other models instead.
Xiaomi was previously planning to bring a "true Air model" to go toe-to-toe against Apple's iPhone Air, with Vivo aiming to deliver a midrange smartphone from its S series that would be noticeably slimmed down.
Both of these reported developments from the two Chinese smartphone brands are no longer going into production, but it is said to only be "halted" for now.
The Chinese companies mentioned above have yet to share any official comments or announcements regarding the cancellation of their ultra-thin smartphone developments.
On the other hand, Samsung was the first to compete with Apple as it released a Galaxy S25 Edge variant as a first in its lineup, but it was reported to be a one-and-done model for now.
According to a Korean publication, Samsung has now moved to cancel the supposed Galaxy S26 Edge release, attributing it to poor sales of this year's Galaxy S25 Edge.
Originally published on Tech Times
