Apple is scaling back production of the iPhone Air amid weaker-than-expected demand, according to renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who said early Wednesday that suppliers have begun cutting shipments and production capacity. By the first quarter of 2026, most suppliers are expected to reduce capacity by more than 80%, and some long-lead components may stop production entirely by the end of 2025.

Kuo noted that the performance of the existing iPhone Pro and standard models already meets the needs of most high-end users, leaving little room for the iPhone Air to carve out a distinct market segment or positioning.

On Tuesday night, Chinese financial media outlet CLS reported that Apple is drastically reducing production ordersfor the iPhone Air and redirecting more resources toward the better-performing iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro series.

Earlier, Mizuho Securities Japan said in a research note that Apple plans to cut iPhone Air output by 1 million unitsthis year while increasing iPhone 17 series production by 2 million units.

Sales data from the China mainland launch suggest a lukewarm reception. According to Yicai Global, the first-day crowds at Apple’s flagship stores were noticeably smaller than during the iPhone 17 launch. On October 22, few customers were seen picking up their new devices, and the usual gray-market resellers were largely absent. Although China Unicom staff were present at stores to help users with eSIM activation, inquiries were limited.