Despite Poor Sales, iPhone Air is Still Doing Better Than iPhone 16 Plus

Apple’s iPhone Air is showing stronger early performance compared to the iPhone 16 Plus it replaced, according to a new report from Ookla based on Speedtest data.

The report indicates that the iPhone Air accounts for 6.8% of total iPhone 17 series sales, more than double the 2.9% share recorded by the iPhone 16 Plus within the previous generation.

The standard iPhone 17 also shows improved performance, making up 7% of total sales compared to 5.9% for the iPhone 16.

As a result of these shifts, the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max have seen a decline in their share of overall sales within the lineup compared to their predecessors. The Pro model recorded the largest drop, suggesting that some buyers may have opted for the iPhone Air instead.

The report suggests that Apple’s focus on a thinner design may have contributed to the iPhone Air’s performance. Unlike the iPhone 16 Plus, which primarily offered a larger display, the Air introduces a more distinct feature set.

However, the findings are based on Speedtest samples and are not official sales figures.

Ookla also noted that the iPhone Air outperformed Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge in the US by a margin of three to one based on sample data.

In the UK and Germany, the Galaxy S25 Edge accounted for less than 1% of the sampled data.

The report adds that Apple’s C1X modem in the iPhone Air has reached a level of maturity that narrows the performance gap with Qualcomm’s X80 modem.

According to the analysis, the C1X delivers comparable download speeds globally, unlike the earlier C1 modem used in the iPhone 16e, which showed lower performance.