Apple’s newest iPhone isn’t the hit it was hoping for. The iPhone Air, the ultra-thin model introduced as part of the iPhone 17 lineup in September 2025, is seeing its production slashed dramatically after what multiple analysts describe as a near-total lack of consumer demand.
Here’s the thing: the widely circulated claim of a blanket 15% production cut across all iPhone 17 models doesn’t quite hold up. The reality is more surgical, and arguably more interesting. Apple is cutting production of the Air specifically while actually increasing output for the standard iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max.
The Air is suffocating
According to Mizuho Securities, as reported by MacRumors in mid-October, Apple cut iPhone Air production by approximately 1 million units. But a subsequent Nikkei Asia report on October 22 painted an even bleaker picture: Air production is expected to drop to less than 10% of its September levels.
Ming-Chi Kuo projected that Air-related capacity would be reduced by more than 80% by the first quarter of 2026.
