Apple is aware of greatest—or actually seems to assume so. Steve Jobs famously stated the corporate’s job was not to take heed to clients, as a result of they might ask, metaphorically talking, for quicker horses fairly than vehicles. Thus, at any time when rivals rush to leap aboard the most recent bandwagon, whether or not netbooks or foldables or good rings or AI chatbots, Apple quietly sticks to its personal path, which as a rule proves to be the correct one.
So when phrase obtained out that Apple was engaged on an ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air for launch later this yr, and a few individuals within the media responded with skepticism, it’s unlikely that firm executives let this fear them. Everybody’s entitled to their opinion, however the one metrics for achievement at Apple Park are buyer satisfaction and chilly, laborious income.
Which is truthful sufficient, actually. Apple has a wonderful monitor report of doing issues which are initially unpopular however look smart on reflection. It was pilloried for dropping the headphone jack, then different corporations adopted go well with and AirPods took over the world. Deluxe brick-and-mortar shops made no sense in anyway in 2001, till the iPad arrived and so they have been applauded for reinforcing the model and creating a way of group. And seemingly each certainly one of Apple’s hit merchandise has obtained snarky feedback from somebody within the media earlier than smashing gross sales data left, proper, and heart.
Possibly the iPhone 17 Air can be one other of these hits. However my qualms about its rumored compromises—making sacrifices in areas that can make an actual distinction with a purpose to profit people who gained’t—at the moment are backed by some real-world proof. The 17 Air gained’t go on sale for one more three months, however certainly one of its predominant rivals got here out final month… and isn’t promoting effectively in any respect.
In response to The Elec, Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge has to date shifted fewer items than its maker anticipated, that it has already “significantly lowered the variety of items it was producing.” The positioning doesn’t present gross sales numbers, however goes on to explain them as “weak efficiency” and a “nosedive” when telephones of its kind are supposed and anticipated to promote solidly for his or her first three months in the marketplace. This follows an early report from SamMobile that the system “doesn’t appear to have attracted a big sufficient crowd to fulfill the Korean tech large” regardless of Samsung doing its greatest to sweeten preorders with steadily bettering offers.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
In fact, Apple’s advertising and marketing division would counter that that is excellent news. That Samsung’s failure to ship on the ultra-slim idea solely makes life simpler for the iPhone 17 Air when it arrives, and that it’s the S25 Edge’s execution that’s at fault, not the final thought of a sub-6mm cellphone. In any case, Apple sells much more iPhones than any single Galaxy cellphone and it is aware of what we wish.
Possibly that’s proper. However in these well-known circumstances the place Apple dominated a market regardless of arriving late, the unifying issue is that Apple did one thing materially totally different to its incumbent rivals, from the Macintosh with its mouse and windows-based interface to the iPhone’s software program keyboard and user-friendly working system. What’s going to the iPhone 17 Air try this’s considerably totally different from the S25 Edge? If rumors are correct, not a lot.
Let’s have a look at the place the $1,100 S25 Edge obtained issues incorrect. My colleagues on Tech Advisor reviewed the cellphone final month and criticised its mediocre battery life, gradual charging, tendency to run sizzling, and lack of a telephoto lens. They concluded that clients could be higher suggested to purchase the Galaxy S25+, a extra typical smartphone which presents “higher specs for much less cash.”
Placing apart the overheating points (though Apple’s engineers face all the identical thermal challenges), it’s certain to have a smaller battery and weaker digicam setup than the opposite fashions within the iPhone 17 lineup. These aren’t simply points with the S25 Edge; they’re issues with ultra-slim telephones. They’re issues it’s important to sacrifice with a purpose to make a cellphone that skinny.
Then there’s the difficulty of whether or not individuals even need a skinny cellphone. The fourth iPhone mannequin has been one thing of a flop since its inception, with the iPhone mini and the iPhone Plus each failing to seize a lot consideration. And each of these telephones made extra sense than a super-thin mannequin.
Apple will hope the Cupertino magic could make the iPhone 17 Air a hit the place the S25 Edge failed, counting on the intuitive qualities of iOS, the stickiness of the corporate’s product ecosystem, the same old privateness and safety claims, and a few costly adverts. Nevertheless it’s nonetheless a thin cellphone. You’ll be able to’t promote your means out of a mediocre battery life. Moreover, these positives all apply to the usual iPhones too, which can be a more sensible choice for nearly all patrons. They may provide higher specs for much less cash. It’s easy engineering actuality.
In the end, Samsung gambled that clients could be so seduced by the design of the S25 Edge that they might overlook its flaws, and misplaced: reviewers didn’t prefer it, and early indicators are that clients don’t prefer it both. Now Apple is able to put its cash on the identical dodgy guess, and is certain the end result can be totally different. Possibly the corporate is aware of greatest. However possibly, with present know-how, ultra-slim telephones simply suck.
