Apple is aware of finest—or definitely seems to assume so. Steve Jobs famously mentioned the corporate’s job was not to hearken to prospects, as a result of they’d ask, metaphorically talking, for sooner horses slightly than vehicles. Thus, every time rivals rush to leap aboard the newest bandwagon, whether or not netbooks or foldables or sensible rings or AI chatbots, Apple quietly sticks to its personal path, which as a rule proves to be the fitting one.
So when phrase bought out that Apple was engaged on an ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air for launch later this yr, and a few folks 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 fulfillment at Apple Park are buyer satisfaction and chilly, onerous income.
Which is truthful sufficient, actually. Apple has a wonderful monitor file of doing issues which can be initially unpopular however look wise on reflection. It was pilloried for dropping the headphone jack, then different firms adopted swimsuit and AirPods took over the world. Deluxe brick-and-mortar shops made no sense in any respect in 2001, till the iPad arrived they usually had been applauded for reinforcing the model and creating a way of group. And seemingly each certainly one of Apple’s hit merchandise has acquired snarky feedback from somebody within the media earlier than smashing gross sales information left, proper, and heart.
Possibly the iPhone 17 Air might be one other of these hits. However my qualms about its rumored compromises—making sacrifices in areas that can make an actual distinction in an effort 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 primary rivals got here out final month… and isn’t promoting effectively in any respect.
Based on The Elec, Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge has to this point 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 sort 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 machine “doesn’t appear to have attracted a big sufficient crowd to fulfill the Korean tech big” regardless of Samsung doing its finest to sweeten preorders with steadily bettering offers.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
In fact, Apple’s advertising 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 overall thought of a sub-6mm telephone. In spite of everything, Apple sells much more iPhones than any single Galaxy telephone and it is aware of what we would like.
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 completely 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 do this’s considerably completely different from the S25 Edge? If rumors are correct, not a lot.
Let’s take a look at the place the $1,100 S25 Edge bought issues improper. My colleagues on Tech Advisor reviewed the telephone final month and criticised its mediocre battery life, gradual charging, tendency to run sizzling, and lack of a telephoto lens. They concluded that prospects can be higher suggested to purchase the Galaxy S25+, a extra typical smartphone which gives “higher specs for much less cash.”
Placing apart the overheating points (though Apple’s engineers face all the identical thermal challenges), it’s positive to have a smaller battery and weaker digital camera 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 you need to sacrifice in an effort to make a telephone that skinny.
Then there’s the problem of whether or not folks even desire a skinny telephone. 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 standard privateness and safety claims, and a few costly adverts. Nevertheless it’s nonetheless a thin telephone. You may’t promote your manner out of a mediocre battery life. Apart from, these positives all apply to the usual iPhones too, which might be a more sensible choice for nearly all consumers. They are going to provide higher specs for much less cash. It’s easy engineering actuality.
In the end, Samsung gambled that prospects can be so seduced by the design of the S25 Edge that they’d overlook its flaws, and misplaced: reviewers didn’t prefer it, and early indicators are that prospects don’t prefer it both. Now Apple is able to put its cash on the identical dodgy wager, and is certain the result might be completely different. Possibly the corporate is aware of finest. However possibly, with present know-how, ultra-slim telephones simply suck.
