Are Ultra-Thin Phones Losing Their Appeal? Lu Weibing Hints Xiaomi Might Ditch the “Air” Series

On November 3rd, Xiaomi Group President Lu Weibing reignited debate over the value of ultra-thin smartphones. In a recent post, he admitted that while the “Air” concept was a bold and courageous innovation, an extreme pursuit of thinness often comes at the cost of battery life, heat dissipation, performance, and camera quality.

Sales figures tell the story. The ultra-thin phone market remains niche. Since Apple launched the iPhone Air, discussions about “how thin is too thin” have swept through the entire industry. On October 22nd, the iPhone Air officially debuted in China at a starting price of ¥7,999, the nation’s first smartphone to fully adopt eSIM and eliminate the physical SIM card.

The launch day saw a brief frenzy—sold out within just five minutes. But that hype quickly cooled. Reports suggest that only about 50,000 units were sold in the first week, lagging far behind other iPhone models and even underperforming the previous iPhone 16 Plus.

Industry analysts believe Apple’s struggle with the iPhone Air is no coincidence. The mismatch between its pricing and positioning, along with eSIM limitations, severely restricted its market reach. In response, Apple is reportedly shifting about one million units of production capacity to the better-performing iPhone 17 series.

Meanwhile, on the secondhand market, the decline is stark — resale prices for the iPhone Air have dropped from ¥7,999 to around ¥7,299, leaving early adopters regretting their purchase.

The trend has also caught the attention of Chinese manufacturers. Rumors suggest Xiaomi had been evaluating a new ultra-thin flagship, the Mi 17 Air, featuring a 200MP main camera, eSIM support, and a unibody cold-forging design. However, judging from Lu Weibing’s latest remarks, Xiaomi may be rethinking the value of pursuing thinness at all costs.

In today’s smartphone market, experience outweighs appearance. Consumers now care more about endurance, thermal control, and signal quality than shaving off a few millimeters of thickness.