Apple is aware of greatest—or actually seems to suppose so. Steve Jobs famously stated the corporate’s job was not to hearken to prospects, as a result of they’d ask, metaphorically talking, for quicker horses slightly than automobiles. Thus, at any time when rivals rush to leap aboard the most recent 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 best one.
So when phrase bought out that Apple was engaged on an ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air for launch later this 12 months, 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, arduous income.
Which is truthful sufficient, actually. Apple has a superb monitor report of doing issues which can be initially unpopular however look smart on reflection. It was pilloried for dropping the headphone jack, then different corporations adopted swimsuit and AirPoids 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 neighborhood. And seemingly each one in all Apple’s hit merchandise has obtained snarky feedback from somebody within the media earlier than smashing gross sales information left, proper, and middle.
Possibly the iPhone 17 Air might be one other of these hits. However my qualms about its rumored compromises—making sacrifices in areas that may make an actual distinction to be able to profit people who gained’t—are actually backed by some real-world proof. The 17 Air gained’t go on sale for an additional three months, however one in all its most important rivals got here out final month… and isn’t promoting nicely in any respect.
Based on The Elec, Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge has to this point shifted fewer models than its maker anticipated, that it has already “significantly lowered the variety of models it was producing.” The location 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 available on the market. 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 large” regardless of Samsung doing its greatest to sweeten preorders with steadily bettering offers.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
After all, 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 concept of a sub-6mm cellphone. In spite of everything, Apple sells much more iPhones than any single Galaxy cellphone and it is aware of what we would like.
Possibly that’s proper. However in these well-known instances 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 have a look at the place the $1,100 S25 Edge bought issues fallacious. My colleagues on Tech Advisor reviewed the cellphone final month and criticised its mediocre battery life, sluggish charging, tendency to run scorching, and lack of a telephoto lens. They concluded that prospects can be higher suggested to purchase the Galaxy S25+, a extra standard 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 a must to sacrifice to be able to make a cellphone that skinny.
Then there’s the problem 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. In addition to, these positives all apply to the usual iPhones too, which might be a more sensible choice for nearly all consumers. They’ll supply 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 guess, and is certain the result might be completely different. Possibly the corporate is aware of greatest. However perhaps, with present know-how, ultra-slim telephones simply suck.
