At its September eve, Apple once again attracted atteion by iroducing the iPhone Air model; It is the thinnest iPhone ever made.
At a time when smartphones in general were getting bulkier, the iPhone Air, with a thickness of only 5.6 mm, offered a differe design from other devices. There were reports that Chinese companies Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo were also planning to iroduce their own ultra-slim flagships to directly compete with this model. However, following the disappoiing sales of the iPhone Air, these companies seem to have put these plans on hold for now.
Why do companies abandon the developme of ultra-thin phones after the release of the iPhone Air?
According to reports published by Sina Finance and DigiTimes, Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo have either stopped developing their ultra-thin phones or changed their plans.
This change of approach by the three meioned companies is a reflection of the wider industry concern about the poor performance of the iPhone Air in the market. By iroducing the thinnest iPhone ever, Apple expected design innovation to attract buyers, but this product failed to match customers’ tastes. Apple’s suppliers, including Foxconn and Luxshare, have already removed or discoinued iPhone Air production lines.
The report also states that after the iPhone Air’s lower-than-expected sales, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo have shifted their R&D resources, including those related to eSIM technology, from ultra-slim projects like the iPhone Air to more conveional devices.
What was Xiaomi and Vivo’s plan supposed to be?
According to the published report, Xiaomi planned to offer an ultra-slim model as a completely similar version of the iPhone Air to directly compete with Apple’s product. On the other hand, Vivo was preparing a new ultra-slim device for its mid-range S series. Both companies are said to have stopped developme of these models now, and neither has released an official stateme about the future of their ultra-slim projects.
This situation occurs while it is reported that Samsung has also canceled the developme of the Galaxy S26 Edge model, as a successor to the ultra-thin Galaxy S25 Edge model.
Apple itself seems to have postponed the iroduction of the second generation iPhone Air. Reports suggest that the company plans to impleme a more extensive redesign for the next generation to compensate for user feedback on battery performance and camera quality.
Why iPhone Air could not achieve Apple’s goals?
The ultra-slim 5.6mm iPhone Air model was one of the most distinctive devices of the year, but that slim design wasn’t necessarily without consequences. Despite the price of around $1,300, this device had limitations in the field of battery and camera. On the other hand, the iPhone 17 Pro model with a bigger battery, triple camera set and stereo speakers was offered with only a small difference and a price of around $1,500. This insignifica difference in price probably made many buyers choose the Pro model.
