Apple is reportedly maintaining its overall production target of 85 to 90 million units for the iPhone 17 lineup.
Apple's iPhone Air is 5.6mm thick
Apple launched the iPhone Air at its ‘Awe Dropping' event in September as the company's slimmest phone to date. It has replaced last year's iPhone 16 Plus, and the new slim phone features Apple's A19 Pro chip and a 6.5-inch display. However, Apple is now reportedly slashing production of the iPhone Air while ramping up orders for iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max models. Apple's revised production strategy indicates weaker-than-expected demand for the iPhone Air in markets outside China. Other models are said to be marking an overwhelming sales performance.
A Nikkei Asia report that Apple is dialling back production of the new iPhone Air model, following underwhelming sales performance in markets outside of China. Meanwhile, the vanilla iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are receiving unexpectedly robust demand.
Despite the shift, Apple is reportedly maintaining its overall production target of 85 to 90 million units for the iPhone 17 lineup. Citing multiple unnamed sources, the publication claims that Apple has reportedly cut off iPhone Air production to near “end of production” levels, just days after its launch in China, due to lacklustre demand in other regions.
The iPhone Air was expected to contribute around 10 to 15 percent of total iPhone production this year under the initial production plan. The model was reportedly considered as a stepping stone toward the first foldable iPhone, which is still on track for a 2026 release.
Apple has reportedly asked several suppliers to significantly scale back component and electronics module orders for the iPhone Air. One supply chain manager reportedly said that production orders for November and beyond will drop to less than 10 percent of the volume seen in September. Another supplier executive confirmed receiving a similar notice from Apple.
"The total forecast has almost entered end-of-production mode, dropping significantly compared to earlier projections, to only about 10 percent fewer orders compared with September, starting in November," the report quotes one of the component supplier managers as saying.
In contrast, demand for the rest of the iPhone 17 series is said to have outpaced expectations. Apple has reportedly increased production of the standard iPhone 17 by around 5 million units and also ramped up orders for the premium iPhone 17 Pro.
Apple's official website in the US shows that the wait time for a iPhone 17 with 256GB of built-in storage is around two to three weeks, and one to two weeks for the iPhone 17 Pro, while the iPhone Air is available with no delay. Another supply chain executive reportedly confirmed that the overall production orders for the iPhone 17 series remain “stable and on track", indicating that demand for other iPhone 17 models has compensated for the poor market response for the iPhone Air.
Last week, Morgan Stanley analysts stated that the iPhone Air is the weakest performer in the iPhone 17 lineup, while other models are seeing strong early demand from consumers.
The iPhone Air is currently available in India with a price tag of Rs. 1,19,900 for the base 256GB storage option. It is equipped with an A19 Pro chip and features a 6.5-inch display with ProMotion technology. The handset measures 5.6mm in thickness and boasts a 48-megapixel rear camera. It has an 18-megapixel front-facing camera and a 3,149mAh battery unit.
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