GoKawiilApple’s release of the iPhone Air last fall generated plenty of buzz, even as sales reportedly disappointed. But beyond its appeal as a standalone device, signs suggested the Air was a stepping stone toward something bigger – and foldable.
Measuring a slim 5.6mm thick and weighing just 165 grams, the $999 iPhone Air made a striking impression from the moment I first got my hands on it at Apple Park last September. That sense of amazement continued as I made the phone my daily driver, finding it surprisingly durable while feeling almost imperceptible in my pocket or bag.
Those are attributes that would be particularly well-suited to a foldable phone – a category that has, until recently, carried a reputation for being bulky, fragile and unwieldy. More recent foldables like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 series, the Honor Magic V6 and the Motorola Razr Fold have demonstrated that sleekness and versatility can coexist. And now, it may be Apple’s turn to do the same.
“The first iPhone Air may eventually be viewed as a transitional step rather than a failed product category,” said Rishi Padhi, research principal at Gartner. “It proved that Apple could still make a thinner iPhone. It identified the minimum features consumers will not readily surrender and established a component and design pathway for a foldable iPhone.”
A foldable iPhone, which has speculatively been dubbed the iPhone Ultra, could make its debut at Apple’s Sept. 9 event in Cupertino, California. A second-generation iPhone Air could follow early next year. The company’s anticipated entry into the foldable phone market could give the entire segment a boost, with IDC forecasting global shipments to grow more than 12% this year, led by Apple’s new offering. A CNET survey found that 75% of US adults aren’t interested in a foldable iPhone, but that could quickly change once they see what Apple has to offer.
A premium trade-off
The iPhone Air supplanted the iPhone Plus, an awkward middle-ground device that offered a larger screen than the baseline model, but little else to distinguish it.
The Air, meanwhile, stood out for more obvious reasons: It was eye-catchingly thin and jaw-droppingly light, making it an enticing centerpiece of Apple’s marketing for its latest iPhone lineup. It gave people who didn’t just want the standard, baseline model or the specced-out Pro a solid middle-ground option that felt fresh and enticing.
“Consumers who want a premium iPhone had traditionally opted for the Pro, but did not always need some of the Pro features,” Padhi said. “The Air, in many ways, was Apple’s goal to address that gap in the market – an iPhone for premium end-user consumption without delving into Pro features.”
But despite its sleek build, the iPhone Air comes with some notable compromises. There’s just one rear 48-megapixel wide-angle camera, along with a single speaker at the top of the phone. Its slimmer profile leaves less room for a battery, which can mean reaching for a charger before the end of the day – and then having to make do with measly 20-watt charging. Samsung’s super-slim Galaxy S25 Edge, which debuted a few months before the iPhone Air for $1,100, also features scaled-back camera and battery specs. For many consumers, those caveats overshadowed the cool factor.
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