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Apple has been obsessed with the fourth iPhone. A story of failures, attempts and more attempts until trying to find a key that, perhaps, does not exist. He iPhone 17 Air It will not be a commercial success, according to Mark Gurman in Bloomberg. The reason is that this model only aspires to be that intermediate iPhone that has never worked. The key is to ask why.
The fourth iPhone. My partner Javier Lacort explained in January 2025. Apple does not find the fourth iPhone key. For four generations, with the launch of the iPhone 12the families of these mobiles are made up of base model, base model with a surname (Mini, Plus, Air …), and the two pro variants.
With the exception of the model with last names, the intermediate, all are more than settled in sales. The mini failed. The Plus failed And, although nobody knows what will happen to the iPhone 17 Air, this model is a shot in the air.
The intermediate iPhone. To understand the situation of the fourth iPhone you have to try to locate the space you try to occupy. And that space is that of the intermediate iPhone. An iPhone that does not become pro, but that offers something different from the base model.
The problem is that, on that way to offer a secondary characteristic, primary specifications are lost. Battery In the case of the iPhone Mini, a adjusted price in the case of Plus models, cameras in the future iPhone 17 Air. Great sacrifices to end an intermediate model in your pocket.
The question is why. The smartphone industry has been limiting and segmenting for surnames for years. But, beyond dances between pros and ultras, market analysis makes it clear what works: base (cheaper) model and premium model (the most expensive). Xiaomi understood it well, and stopped bringing the pro models of his family number (eg: Xiaomi 15) to leave a clearer photo: Xiaomi 15 and Xiaomi 15 Ultra. Because no, an Xiaomi 15 Pro does not have much fit between the two.
It is the same as manufacturers and Oppo. In Spain, only their Pro Flagships are sold, and not ultra, more than probably to maintain a competitive price strategy.
There are no more needs to meet. The smartphone industry is going through a saturation point. And this is not something negative, it is a symptom of market maturity. Manufacturers want to revitalize sales in a market that grows very discreetly, but they run into a difficult wall to jump: all needs are covered.
Trying to conquer the market with ultradelgated mobiles (a characteristic that barely responds to a real demand) generates doubts, especially at a time when the batteries live their best moment and the consumer clearly prioritizes autonomy. Only the results of the iPhone 17 Air and Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge They will clear the unknown.
Image | Xataka
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