Although the iPhone Air model, released by Apple this year, attracted attention with its design and lightness, it did not attract the expected attention in the market. According to a new news published by DigiTimes, the low sales performance of this model of Apple caused China-based smartphone manufacturers such as Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo to shelve their plans to launch models with a similar design approach. This development reveals that the demand for ultra-thin and light phones in the mobile market is lower than expected.
According to information based on DigiTimes’ supply chain sources; Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo canceled their ultra-thin phone projects that they developed as a rival to the iPhone Air. It is stated that the limited user interest in Apple’s device played an important role behind these decisions. Chinese manufacturers have chosen to turn to more traditional and profitable models out of concern that the return on investing in this form factor may be limited.
Galaxy S25 Edge also shared the same fate with iPhone Air
Meanwhile, some production-related changes are taking place on the Apple front. It was reported that Foxconn reduced its iPhone production lines, while Luxshare, another important supplier of Apple, completely stopped iPhone production. The recent departure of the chief engineer responsible for the design of the iPhone Air from Apple has increased the question marks about the future of this model.
On the other hand, Samsung is experiencing a similar situation with Apple. The company’s Galaxy S25 Edge model also did not receive the expected attention in the market. According to Korea-based sources, Samsung canceled its plans to develop the successor of this model. This situation faced by both companies shows that users attach more importance to battery life, camera performance and price-performance balance rather than ultra-thin phones.
These developments reveal that product strategies in the mobile device industry are being reshaped. Although thin and light phone designs have seemed attractive to many users in the past, they seem to be no longer the primary choice for the masses due to hardware limitations and durability issues.
Especially Chinese manufacturers began to prefer thicker bodies in order to accommodate elements such as larger battery capacities, more advanced cooling systems and camera equipment. While this change ensures that devices become more balanced in terms of performance and user experience, it also strengthens the tendency to abandon the ultra-thin form factor.