iPhone Air not doing as well as expected in Vietnam, but outsells Android

Unlike the discontinued Plus series with its larger screens and longer battery life, the iPhone Air is praised for its sleek, lightweight design and is the only model in Apple’s latest lineup to have a titanium frame. But its single camera and relatively low battery capacity have sparked controversy, especially given its higher prices compared to the standard iPhone 17.

"iPhone Air was expected to see a breakout in sales compared to the Plus series, but after two months, its performance has been similar to the previous model," Nguyen Thanh Chung, a spokesperson for a major retail chain, said.

The iPhone Air. Photo by VnExpress/Tuan Hung

A VnExpress survey found that while the phone is available at most retail outlets, some color variations of the 17, 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max are in limited supply, with prices sometimes marked up at smaller shops and on e-commerce platforms. The iPhone Air had accounted for 7-8% of total iPhone sales in its release phase in 2025, but the share dropped to 2-3% as more stock of other models became available.

Chung estimated that major retail chains sold over 1,000 units per month per store, but this was still "far too low compared to the Pro Max series" and only marginally better than the Plus series.

Le Hieu, owner of a store specializing in Apple products in Hanoi, said while customers initially purchased the iPhone Air for its slim design, many later swapped it for the Pro series, citing better camera quality, the convenience of physical SIM cards, and more stable network performance.

The iPhone Air is also seeing the largest price cuts, dropping by as much as VND1.5 million (US$57) from its original price of VND32 million. Meanwhile, its U.S. version is available in the grey market for VND25-26 million. Nevertheless, the iPhone Air still outsells most high-end Android phones.

"While selling a thousand units per month may be considered a failure for the iPhone Air, it still represents a target many Android models in the same price range can only aspire to," Chung said.

There are few Android phones priced above VND30 million, and most cannot match Apple phones in popularity. Some large smartphone retailers report that the Galaxy S25 Ultra, priced at over VND28 million, slightly higher than the standard 17 but cheaper than the iPhone Air, is the top-selling Android model in this price range.

Samsung and Apple have not disclosed specific sales numbers for their models in Vietnam, but some retailers suggest that the Galaxy S25 Ultra sells 20-50% more than the iPhone Air. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S25 Edge, which aimed to compete directly with the iPhone Air, has failed to generate much interest.

A spokesperson for another retail chain revealed that Android phones more popular than the iPhone Air are typically priced at around VND15 million, such as the Xiaomi 15T and Galaxy S24 Plus.

Reports from Nikkei Asia indicate that, due to low demand, Apple cut its iPhone Air production by 10% in November from September. It had been expected to account for 10-15% of total iPhone production in 2025.

But a survey in October by tech site Apple Insider showed that it achieved just 2% market share, not even making the top five among Apple’s models. The 17 Pro Max was the most popular with a 33% market share followed by the 17 Pro and 17.

Demand for the three versions of the 17 lineup is strong. According to sources, the U.S. tech giant has increased its total orders for the new iPhone models from 88 million to 94 million. This includes an additional one million iPhone 17 Pro phones, two million iPhone 17s and four million iPhone 17 Pro Maxs, while orders for the iPhone Air were cut by one million.