iPhone Air Sales Slump Leads Android Manufacturers to Halt Ultrafast Flagship Plans
A recent report indicates that due to the poor market performance of the first-generation iPhone Air, the iPhone Air 2 is likely to be the only ultrafast flagship phone among mainstream brands in the next generation. The continued sluggish sales of the iPhone Air have led several Android manufacturers who had planned to follow suit to suspend their plans for subsequent ultrafast models.
Digital Chat Station, a popular tipster on Weibo, stated that despite Apple repeatedly lowering the price for promotions, the actual activation volume of the iPhone Air has barely exceeded 700,000 units. He also mentioned that an unnamed domestic ultrafast model has only accumulated approximately 50,000 activations, and the development of its second-generation product is currently “bleak,” with a high probability of being canceled altogether. Against this backdrop, he predicts that the iPhone Air 2 will ultimately be the only ultrafast flagship model on the market in the next generation.
Since its launch in September 2025, the iPhone Air has consistently underperformed commercially. Research from KeyBanc Capital Markets shows “almost no demand” for the model; supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously revealed that Apple has already asked its supply chain to cut iPhone Air production by more than 80% from launch to early 2026, with industry consensus suggesting the device is now essentially discontinued.
The failure of the iPhone Air has already triggered a chain reaction throughout the industry. Reports indicate that Xiaomi had planned to launch an “True Air” ultrafast flagship to compete with Apple, and vivo also intended to continue focusing on lightweight design in its mid-range S series, but both projects have been reportedly halted. Samsung has also become less enthusiastic about ultrafast attempts, canceling the subsequent Galaxy S26 Edge model after poor sales of the Galaxy S25 Edge.
Despite the poor performance of the first-generation model, another tipster indicated last month that Apple has decided to push forward with at least two generations of the iPhone Air product line and will not abandon it due to short-term sales. Multiple reports have now converged on the same timeframe: the new model could be released as early as spring 2027. This delay in the schedule is believed to be related to the lower-than-expected sales of the first generation, and also aligns with Apple’s new “staggered release” strategy for iPhones—moving the standard iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, and iPhone Air 2 to a spring release, while reserving the fall 2026 lineup for high-end products such as the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and foldable iPhone. Multiple reports from Nikkei Asia, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, and The Information all point to a timeframe of early 2027.
To reverse its reputation and sales, Apple is reportedly making more significant adjustments to the iPhone Air 2. The Information reports that Apple is considering adding a second rear camera to the device, expected to be an ultrawide lens, paired with the existing 48 million pixel Fusion main camera, along with an overall price reduction. Rumored changes to balance lightweight design and user experience also include further weight reduction, upgrading to liquid cooling vapor chamber heat dissipation, and increasing battery capacity. To free up internal space for the additional camera, Apple is believed to have requested suppliers develop an “ultrafast Face ID module.”
On the other hand, display technology is also a major highlight of the iPhone Air 2. According to South Korean media The Elec, Apple plans to adopt Samsung’s CoE (Color Filter on Encapsulation) ultrafast high-brightness OLED technology in the iPhone Air 2, which will first debut on the foldable iPhone and then be extended to the Air series. Compared to traditional solutions, CoE technology is expected to achieve a thinner screen while delivering higher brightness, freeing up more internal stacking space for the ultrafast body.
In the foreseeable product cycle, the iPhone Air series may be in a rather awkward position: on the one hand, it is still regarded as Apple’s “extreme lightweight design experimental field”; on the other hand, consumers’ realistic needs for battery life, heat dissipation, and imaging configuration are forcing Apple to make significant compromises and adjustments in the second-generation product. And with Android manufacturers temporarily exiting the field, the future market performance of the iPhone Air 2 will largely determine whether the industry will once again bet on the ultrafast flagship segment.