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With the arrival of the iPhone 16 Plus, it will be three generations of the Plus line for Apple, and it is reportedly already preparing to shut the whole big-screen low-specs iPhone project down.
When Apple deprecated the iPhone mini line, it was because it didn't sell all that well. It looked at focus groups and the competition, and concluded that users want bigger screens to consume media and browse on.
It then added a 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Plus model that came with way worse specs than the Pro Max line, but with the same screen diagonal, for those who would want a cheaper iPhone with a big screen. That turned out to be almost nobody
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The reason for the eventual iPhone Plus demise would be the same ass for the iPhone mini line before it, it simply doesn't sell. All the other iPhones sell, and so much so that they are the bestselling handsets in the world, but the Plus models aren't even in the top 10, according to Counterpoint Research's latest breakdown of the most popular phone models
All other iPhones are the world's most popular phones, but the Plus series | Image credit – Counterpoint
This is a pretty remarkable top 10 chart that only comes to show how unpopular the iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 15 Plus, and, most likely, the iPhone 16 Plus are and will be. Granted, they offer a larger screen, but slower chipsets, less memory, puny display refresh rates, and weaker cameras. That's not to mention the smaller street cred that comes with a larger screen but not three camera lenses at the rear to indicate that this is the expensive Pro Max model.
Since its sales and marketing team has most likely been looking at the same charts, what's Apple to do now? Why, completely reinvent the Plus line instead of offering simply a bigger iPhone, find a unique selling point, and sell it for even more than the Pro Max series, if it could. Enter the impossibly thin iPhone that has been up in the air for a good while now.
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iPhone Air beats iPhone Plus
In a stroke of stable marketing genius, Apple has reportedly decided to name its upcoming thinner iPhone the iPhone Air. According to FPT, previous rumors that it may be called the iPhone Slim have now given way to a naming scheme that makes way more sense.
Apple iPhone Air render based on design rumors | Image credit – FPT
First off, Apple has imprinted in the mind of consumers the association of incredibly thin, elegant, and light devices with the Air moniker. This happened ever since the first MacBook Air appeared, and continued with the iPad Air, so it is only logical that Apple would want to transfer the association to the iPhone line.
The original MacBook Air, for instance, launched in 2008 as the world's thinnest laptop at just 0.75 in (1.9 cm). Apple then released the iPad Air in 2013 with its 0.29 inch (7.5 mm) thickness and in 2025 it is allegedly planning to introduce an iPhone Air at long last, which could be only 5mm thin. That's not the first time Apple intends to release an iPhone Air, either, as the first rumors about it date way back to 2013 when the iPad Air was released, but this time it might be for real.
Don't hold your breath for any hardware upgrades, of course, as thinner phones are worse phones when it comes to specs, since there is simply not enough space inside to put giant batteries or multiple camera lenses inside.
The rumored iPhone Air specs are nothing to write home about. | Image credit – Ice Universe
When it comes to specs, the iPhone Air will very much resemble the iPhone Plus line, as it will reportedly ship with an Apple A19 instead of the A19 Pro chipset, and will also offer a camera set that is much less capable than what will be on the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
The biggest disappointment about the iPhone Air, however, may turn out to be its price, though. At the rumored $1,299 starting tag, the first iPhone Air may cost as much or more than the eventual iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Thus, what Apple may replace the Plus line with could very well follow its unenviable sales fate, especially if Apple fans would rather go for power than elegance.
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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.
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