Famed analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has joined the bandwagon of declaring that the iPhone Air is falling short of expectations, by insisting the Pro models are squeezing out attempts by Apple to do anything new.

Weeks after release, the initial reports on the iPhone supply chain claim that Apple is cutting orders for the iPhone Air and ordering more Pro models instead. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has joined the slowly growing chorus of voices saying the iPhone Air's production is being adjusted to match the lacking demand.

In a post to X on Wednesday, Kuo writes that the Air has "fallen short of expectations," and that the supply chain is starting to scale back production capacity.

Most suppliers are cutting capacity by more than 80% by the first quarter of 2026, Kuo insists. Components with longer lead times are also expected to be discontinued by the end of 2025.

It's not clear if Kuo has new data, or is chiming in on earlier reports.

Pro iPhones are too pro

To Kuo, this situation is a continuation of a trend Apple's product lines experience, because of the existence of the Pro lineup of iPhone models.

The Pro series and standard models "already cover the majority of high-end user demand well," Kuo believes. This therefore leaves "little room" for Apple to create new market segments.

This was observed in the past, with the mini model of iPhone as well as the Plus. Now, the Air has "failed to gain traction" in the same way.

Hot Air

Kuo's post follows after one Nikkei report earlier on Wednesday that production of the iPhone Air was being cut back due to demand issues. Similarly, Apple was reportedly revising manufacturing orders on October 17, with a view to increasing overall production, but reducing iPhone Air orders at the same time.

While there are regular claims that this supply chain change is a sign that models have flopped, it's not necessarily proof of failure.

As AppleInsider explained on Wednesday, the Apple supply chain is set up to be flexible and to change production levels in a relatively short timeframe. All in a bid to meet demand from consumers rather than sales forecasts.

There is also a tendency for Pro models to dominate the product mix in the months after launch, with sales leveling out later in the cycle.

This is not necessarily a sign of the iPhone Air being a failure, as Apple can always increase orders in the future when sales patterns shift.