The ultra-thin smartphone market is showing clear signs of decline, as users apparently don’t see enough value in ultra-thin designs. Although the manufacturers tried to present this category as the next big trend, the real sales results say quite different.
One of the best examples is the Honor Magic8 Pro Air model, which, despite its advanced specifications, achieved only about 50,000 activations. The device had a 6.31-inch screen and a 5,500 mAh battery, which tried to eliminate the typical weaknesses of thin phones, but it was not enough to attract buyers.
Weak demand shuts down ultra-thin Android models
The problem is apparently not only in technical compromises, but in the fact that most users do not consider the extremely thin line of devices to be a key factor when purchasing. The focus is still on battery life, performance and camera, while design comes after that.
A similar trend is visible at Apple. Within the iPhone 17 series, the iPhone Air model achieved around 700,000 activations, while the total sales of the series exceed 20 million. The largest part of sales falls on bulky Pro Max models, which further confirms that customers favor functionality over form.
Despite the weak results, Apple remains the only manufacturer that insists on continuing the development of this category. On the other hand, companies like Xiaomi and OPPO have reportedly canceled their ultra-thin phone projects due to poor profitability.
Additional pressure comes from the current memory crisis, where DRAM and NAND components are expensive and limited. Manufacturers therefore give priority to premium models with a higher margin, instead of devices with a small market value such as ultra-thin phones.
Everything indicates that this category, at least for now, has no real market potential. Apart from Apple’s attempts to keep the concept alive, ultra-thin phones practically disappear from the plans of most manufacturers, which confirms that the market clearly dictates the future direction of development, reports Android Headlines.