The global mobile phone industry has seen intense moves recently, with Apple’s sharp price cut for the iPhone 17 Air in China drawing wide attention. Beyond the Chinese market, this model has also encountered lackluster sales in other regions, and its price slump reflects profound reasons for the sales setbacks.

The iPhone 17 Air’s poor sales in global markets stem from multiple factors. Firstly, its overpriced positioning misaligns with product configurations. Priced at around $999 in overseas markets, it only features a single rear camera (lacking ultra-wide and telephoto lenses) and a small battery (about 3149mAh), failing to compete with either Apple’s own iPhone 17 standard version or flagship models from Samsung and other brands. Secondly, overseas consumers are more pragmatic; they are unwilling to pay a premium for the "ultra-thin" feature while compromising core experiences like photography and battery life. Thirdly, the pure eSIM design, though popular in some regions, still faces compatibility and usage threshold issues in many emerging markets, limiting its user base. These problems have led to sluggish sales globally, forcing Apple to adopt aggressive price cuts to clear inventory.

Meanwhile, Huawei rolled out HarmonyOS 6.0.0.130 from Jan 23, covering mainstream models like Mate 60/70/80 series by Jan 26. The update adds Spring Festival-themed features and AI functions to enhance holiday user experience.

In Q1 2026, Apple led global smartphone shipments with 18.7% share, followed by Samsung (17.2%) and Xiaomi (14.5%). Major brands will focus on AI, foldable screens and mid-range market competition ahead.