Amazon Lists iPhone Air at £719, Inflating Prime Day Discount to 28%

Q: With consumers rejecting the iPhone Air, is the era of ultra-thin smartphones over before it even began?

No. What looks over is the idea that consumers will pay flagship prices for extreme thinness if it comes with obvious trade-offs. The iPhone Air shows the limit clearly. Apple delivered a striking 5.6mm, 165g phone, and battery life was better than many expected, with an average 12:44 active-use score. But buyers still saw a $999 device with a single rear camera, a smaller battery and fewer features than both the base iPhone 17 and the slightly pricier iPhone 17 Pro. CIRP data showed the Air at about 6% of U.S. iPhone buyers, and reports put total sales at roughly 700,000 units, weak enough for analysts to cite major production cuts. That does not mean slim phones have no future. It means thinness is not, by itself, a strong selling point. Analysts including Josh Lowitz and Carolina Milanesi said consumers were not asking for thinner phones as a major pain point. Samsung’s similarly thin Galaxy S25 Edge also reportedly saw weak demand, reinforcing that the problem is broader than Apple. The likely lesson for the industry is balance. Slim phones can still work if they avoid punishing compromises on battery, cameras, heat management and price. That is why Apple is reportedly planning a follow-up for 2027, expected to improve battery life and add another camera. Ultra-thin phones are not dead, but “thin at all costs” appears to be.

3 articles · Updated · Expert Reviews · Jun 25

£719 is the lowest Amazon price yet for the 256GB iPhone Air, but the advertised 28% cut relies on comparing it with a £999 RRP rather than the phone’s recent selling price.
Keepa price tracking and rival retailers including Currys, John Lewis and Argos show the model has effectively sat at £799 since early 2026, putting the real Prime Day saving closer to £80 than £280.
The pricing dispute matters because the iPhone Air has already struggled commercially, with buyers put off by its single rear camera, smaller battery and weaker value than thicker alternatives.
At £737, the standard iPhone 17 now sits just £18 above Amazon’s deal and adds an ultrawide camera, better battery life and a second speaker, undercutting the Air’s value case.