The smartphone market is witnessing an unexpected change of direction, driven by the lukewarm reception of the iPhone The decision reflects a new consumer perception, which seems to value battery life and camera quality more than an extremely thin design.
Market reports indicate that sales of the iPhone The weak commercial performance raised an alert for competitors, who interpreted the scenario as an indication of high risk for investments in products with similar proposals, opting to redirect resources to technologies with greater appeal to the public.
This chain reaction demonstrates the influence that Apple still has on industry trends, even when one of its products does not achieve the expected success. The caution adopted by Chinese manufacturers signals a period of greater focus on functionality and user experience, to the detriment of purely aesthetic innovations that could compromise essential aspects of the devices.
Direct impact on the Apple production chain
Apple’s response to low demand was immediate and drastic, with cuts that exceeded 80% in production of the iPhone Foxconn, the main assembly partner of the Cupertino giant, completely dismantled the production lines that were dedicated exclusively to the ultra-thin model at the end of October 2025. Outros partners, such as Luxshare, also stopped assembling components for the device, with some long-term items being discontinued until December, confirming the analysis of experts at
Chinese brands back away from slim designs
Xiaomi, which was at an advanced stage in the development of a direct competitor internally dubbed the “true model Air”, was one of the first to abandon the project. The company chose to reallocate research and development resources to its main lines, such as the Mi series, which focuses on higher capacity batteries and more robust camera systems.
Following the same line, Vivo discarded plans to integrate ultra-thin designs into its popular mid-range S range. The decision was made during the planning phase, avoiding high costs with molds and components that would not have a guaranteed return on investment, given the negative feedback from the global market.
Other companies also acted cautiously. Oppo froze the slim chassis tests that would be applied to its future flagships, preferring to focus on optimizing existing models. Até even Huawei, which recently launched the Mate 70 Air, is closely monitoring performance to decide whether to continue similar projects.
Strategy of Samsung and other global giants
Samsung, Apple’s main rival, was not immune to the trend. The South Korean company confirmed the cancellation of the Galaxy S26
With the cut in production of the S25 Edge and the cancellation of its successor, the Samsung signals a return to more traditional and economically viable designs, such as the future Galaxy S26 Outras Asian brands such as Honor have also paused thickness innovations, redirecting their investments to the growing foldable smartphone market, which offers a more promising field for differentiation and functional innovation.
The uncertain future of the iPhone Air
Given the adverse scenario, Apple decided to postpone plans for a second generation of the iPhone Air. The launch, previously speculated for 2026, was postponed to 2027, with the possibility of being integrated into the iPhone 18 launch cycle.
The company’s engineering team is already working on a complete redesign of the device, with the aim of correcting the main criticisms received by the original model.
Among the planned improvements are the addition of a second lens to the rear camera, a significant increase in battery life and the implementation of stereo audio, features absent in the first version.
These adjustments seek to transform the iPhone
Reassessment of designs in the technology market
The iPhone Air episode served as a lesson for the entire technology industry, reinforcing that innovations focused excessively on design need to be balanced with the practicality of daily use. Testes with new technologies, such as silicon batteries, were not enough to overcome the limitations imposed by the reduced thickness.
The trend now points to hybrid devices, such as foldables, which can offer larger screens in a compact format without sacrificing essential components. Pesquisas of the market indicate that consumer preference is for devices with a thickness of at least 8 mm, which guarantee greater durability and a more complete set of features.
Official positioning of companies
To date, none of the aforementioned smartphone manufacturers, including Apple, Xiaomi, Oppo, The sector awaits more information, which may be revealed at major technology events, such as Mobile World Congress (MWC) in 2026.
