The iPhone Air May Not Be a Sales Sensation — But It Could Be Apple’s Foldable Blueprint

When Apple introduced the iPhone Air last fall, its biggest selling point was not a revolutionary camera system or an entirely new processor. Instead, Apple bet heavily on something much simpler: making the iPhone dramatically thinner and lighter.

With a body measuring just 5.6mm thick and weighing approximately 165 grams, the iPhone Air immediately attracted attention. Starting at around 22.99 million VND, it occupies an unusual position between Apple's standard iPhone models and the more feature-packed Pro lineup.

Sales, however, suggest that consumers may not be willing to pay a premium simply for a thinner phone.

Yet that doesn't necessarily mean the iPhone Air is unimportant. In fact, the device could represent something much bigger for Apple: a real-world experiment in ultra-thin hardware that may eventually help the company build its long-rumored foldable iPhone.

Thin and Light: The Benefits Are Immediately Noticeable

There is one advantage of the iPhone Air that specifications alone cannot fully communicate: how it feels in the hand.

At just 165 grams, the device feels remarkably light when carried in a pocket or bag. For people who spend hours holding their smartphones, that reduction in weight can make a surprisingly noticeable difference.

The slim construction also gives the phone a distinctive feel compared with conventional smartphones.

For some users, this may be exactly what they have been waiting for. A lighter phone can be more comfortable for reading, messaging, browsing, or simply carrying throughout an entire day.

But there is a catch.

Going Thinner Means Making Compromises

Building an extremely thin smartphone is not simply a matter of shaving a few millimeters from the chassis. Every component inside the phone competes for limited space.

Apple appears to have made several compromises to achieve the iPhone Air's slim profile.

The phone features only a single 48MP wide-angle rear camera, while the speaker arrangement is also more limited. Battery capacity is constrained by the available internal space, and wired charging is capped at 20W.

These compromises raise an important question: How thin is thin enough?

According to Francisco Jeronimo, vice president of client devices at IDC, consumers may have difficulty justifying a higher price for a phone that is thinner if doing so means accepting weaker camera capabilities or reduced battery capacity.

That argument makes sense.

Most modern smartphones are already thin enough that their thickness rarely becomes a serious inconvenience. If reducing thickness by another millimeter means sacrificing several hours of battery life or removing a useful camera, many consumers may simply decide that the trade-off isn't worthwhile.

In my opinion, this is probably the biggest challenge facing ultra-thin smartphones. Thinness is immediately impressive when you first pick up the device, but battery life and camera versatility affect the user every single day.

The Numbers Tell an Interesting Story

The iPhone Air has not become a major sales driver for Apple.

IDC estimates that the device sold approximately 7.7 million units over four quarters, representing around 1.8% of total iPhone sales in Q2 2026.

That is a relatively small share compared with Apple's more popular iPhone models.

Interestingly, Samsung has experienced a similar situation with its own ultra-thin smartphone.

The Galaxy S25 Edge reportedly sold around 2.3 million units by the second quarter of this year, accounting for less than 1% of Samsung's smartphone sales in most quarters. The only exception was the first quarter following its launch, when its share reached roughly 1.8%.

The comparison suggests that the challenge isn't necessarily specific to Apple.

Consumers appear interested in ultra-thin phones, but interest does not automatically translate into large-scale purchases.

People may admire a remarkably thin smartphone in a store, but when faced with a choice between a thinner body and better battery life or cameras, many buyers appear to prioritize functionality.

So Why Does the iPhone Air Matter?

If the iPhone Air isn't selling at the level of Apple's mainstream models, why should Apple continue developing the concept?

Because sales aren't necessarily the only objective.

The iPhone Air gives Apple valuable information about how thin consumers are actually willing to go and which compromises they will tolerate.

More importantly, it allows Apple to test engineering solutions for reducing the size of internal components, managing heat, optimizing battery placement, and maintaining structural strength in a very thin chassis.

Those lessons could become extremely valuable when Apple moves into a much more complicated product category: foldable smartphones.

The Foldable iPhone Changes the Equation

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Apple is expected to enter the foldable smartphone market with a model reportedly referred to as the iPhone Ultra.

The challenge for Apple is obvious.

A conventional smartphone can be made thinner simply by reducing the thickness of its components and frame. A foldable phone, however, contains a hinge and two sections of hardware. When folded, the device naturally becomes much thicker than a conventional smartphone.

That makes every millimeter extremely important.

Apple's experience with the iPhone Air could therefore provide a useful engineering foundation for solving the thickness and weight problems associated with foldable devices.

The company may be learning not just how to build a thinner phone, but how to make the entire internal architecture more space-efficient.

Samsung Has Already Shown a Possible Path

Samsung's product strategy provides an interesting comparison.

The Galaxy S25 Edge measures approximately 5.8mm thick, placing it in the same general ultra-thin category as the iPhone Air.

Samsung subsequently introduced the Galaxy Z Fold7, which measures around 4.2mm when unfolded and approximately 8.9mm when folded.

The comparison illustrates how technologies developed for ultra-thin conventional smartphones can potentially contribute to the development of thinner foldables.

Apple could follow a similar path, although its implementation would undoubtedly be different.

A Foldable iPhone May Not Need Everything a Pro iPhone Has

One interesting possibility is that Apple may not try to make its first foldable iPhone a perfect replacement for the Pro lineup.

Instead, Apple could accept certain compromises in exchange for a much larger display in a relatively compact form factor.

For example, users might be willing to sacrifice some camera hardware or other features if the phone can transform from a conventional-sized device into something approaching a small tablet when unfolded.

This would represent a different value proposition from the iPhone Pro.

The appeal wouldn't necessarily be "the most powerful iPhone possible." Instead, it could be the most versatile iPhone form factor.

That distinction could be important for Apple.

Apple Could Have Big Ambitions for Foldables

IDC forecasts that Apple could ship more than 17 million foldable iPhones by 2027, potentially giving the company close to 40% of the global foldable smartphone market by the end of that year.

Those are extremely ambitious numbers, and actual results will depend on pricing, availability, product quality, and how consumers respond to Apple's approach.

But if the forecast becomes reality, the significance of the iPhone Air could look very different in hindsight.

Rather than judging the Air purely by how many units it sold, analysts may eventually view it as an engineering stepping stone.

The iPhone Air Could Be More Important Than It Looks

The iPhone Air may not be Apple's next blockbuster product. Its sales indicate that ultra-thin design alone isn't enough to convince most consumers to abandon more balanced smartphones.

But Apple doesn't necessarily need the Air to become a mass-market success.

The product can serve as a test platform for ultra-thin construction, component integration, battery optimization, structural design, and user preferences.

The timing is particularly interesting. Apple is reportedly preparing to introduce its first foldable iPhone, while a second-generation iPhone Air could arrive in spring 2027. Separating the products could allow Apple to position them for different audiences rather than having them compete directly with one another.

Ultimately, the iPhone Air may be remembered less for its sales figures and more for what it taught Apple.

Sometimes, an experimental product doesn't need to dominate the market to be successful. It simply needs to teach the company how to build the next big thing.

And if Apple eventually delivers a thin, lightweight foldable iPhone that becomes a major hit, the humble iPhone Air could turn out to have been one of the most important stepping stones in that journey.