Manufacturers are abandoning ultra-thin smartphones en masse after the iPhone Air's failure

Chinese tech brands are rapidly scaling back their ultra-thin smartphone projects, which were recently considered a promising direction. Industry sources claim the sudden reversal was prompted by the failure of the iPhone Air, a long-rumored device that effectively pushed competitors into a race to become thinner.

According to media reports, Xiaomi, OPPO, and Vivo have already suspended or completely canceled work on models thinner than 6 mm. Until recently, such projects were seen as a logical step in market development, but after Apple's negative experience, most companies have chosen to avoid the risk of repeating their failure. Component suppliers have begun dismantling production lines dedicated to the iPhone Air, and smartphone production may cease completely in the coming weeks.

Apple isn't alone in this setback. Various sources report that Samsung has abandoned plans to continue its ultra-thin device lineup, deciding not to release a successor to the Galaxy S25 Edge.

The situation shows that for the vast majority of users, the advantages of an extremely thin case don't compensate for the poor battery life and inevitable technical compromises. The high production costs of such models also play a role, making them prohibitively expensive and reducing real demand.