iPhone Air is Apple admitting that iPhone Plus won't sell

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 hard sell of the 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.

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. 

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.