Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is drastically cutting iPhone Air production orders but boosting those for other flagship iPhone 17 models amid strong demand, according to a report published on Wednesday.
Weak Demand For iPhone Air Outside China
Production orders for the iPhone Air have been cut nearly to “end of production” levels, despite it only becoming available in China last week, due to weak demand in other markets, Nikkei Asia reported, citing sources.
The iPhone Air was initially expected to represent 10–15% of new iPhone production this year, but the production orders from November onward will drop to less than 10% of September's volume, according to the report.
The model is seen as strategically paving the way for the first foldable iPhone, expected to debut in 2026, the report said.
However, demand for the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro has surpassed expectations, leading Apple to boost production orders for these models, as per Nikkei. Despite the ongoing tariff war and a slow smartphone market, Apple plans to keep its iPhone 17 production forecast unchanged at 85–90 million units.
Apple did not immediately respond to Benzinga‘s request for comment.
iPhone 17 Sales Surge In US, China
The iPhone 17 models have outsold the iPhone 16 models by 14% in the U.S. and China during the first 10 days following the launch, according to Counterpoint Research.
Analysts Bet On Strong Demand
Wedbush analyst Dan Ives attributes the strong iPhone demand globally and further improvement in the China market as key themes for Apple’s growth.
Loop Capital analyst Ananda Baruah, who boosted Apple stock from Hold to Buy, sees the start of a multi-year iPhone growth cycle, expecting demand to rise through 2027.
Apple holds a momentum rating of 66.87% and a quality rating of 76.09%, according to Benzinga’s Proprietary Edge Rankings. Check the detailed report here.
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