Apple’s new iPhone 17 is already entering rarified Air

Well, it’s day four of the iPhone 17 launch, time to assess how it’s going. (Look, it beats talking about AI again.)

According to The Information (subscription required), Apple has asked two suppliers to increase production by about a third to meet higher-than-expected demand for the low-end iPhone 17.

A fall production increase? In this economy?

Don’t worry. This just means that when Apple eventually asks them to reduce production after satisfying this increased demand, they’ll be the biggest reductions evahhh.

Still, this is good news for the low-end iPhone 17, and there’s good reason for it. Apple brought the always-on screen, ProMotion, and Center Stage to the low end this year and bumped the storage while keeping prices the same and not doing anything tricky, like eliminating the cheapest option, like it did with the iPhone 17 Pro. This furry observer, for example, was able to upgrade from an iPhone 16 to the iPhone 17 with the same amount of storage and end up with a lower monthly payment. Nice.

I mean, it’s a few bucks. The Macalope’s not taking everyone to lunch. Plus, every time he invites you to that new dried alfalfa place, you conveniently have something else to do, so forget it! He’s not asking you anymore, Kevin.

The Information notes:

The shift suggests more consumers than Apple expected opted to buy the cheaper iPhone 17 model, which retails for $799 in the U.S., rather than the premium Pro models, which cost $1,099 and more…

Oh, okay, so, yes, in this economy.

If more people are opting to buy the base iPhone this year, that could impact Apple’s profitability for the quarter, although Tim Cook usually has a trick or two up his sleeve to make sure it’s smooth sailing for Apple. Some say it’s a really big couch full of change. Admittedly, just the guy who’s always standing out in front of the Gas-N-Sip trying to sell “lightly used” vape pens says that.

But what about the iPhone 17 Air? The initial word on the street that Ming-Chi Kuo lives on indicated it didn’t have as good a launch weekend as the other iPhone 17 models. The good news is, though, you can put your worries about the return of Bendgate to rest.

Trigger warning for those of you who take good care of your Apple devices: the article contains a video of an iPhone 17 Air being bent an uncomfortable amount. They really need to tag things like that. It’s like fingernails on a blackboard.

Kuo believed that the iPhone Air might have more appeal to those who see one in the store than people who buy online, and based on the reaction of those who’ve held one, that may be true. So there’s hope for the device to do better in the long run as people lay their hands on it. In fact, if your hands have a lot of static, you may have to buy one if you pick it up because they’re so light that they’re reportedly as hard to shake off as the tab of a Band Aid.

True story.

(If someone says “True story” after something, that automatically makes it true.)

(True story.)

Still, let’s face it, one iPhone 17 Air isn’t cool. You know what’s cool? Two iPhone 17 Airs hot-glued together.

According to some guy named Mark Gurrr-man? (first time reading this name, is the Macalope pronouncing that right?), the upcoming foldable iPhone will be like “two titanium iPhone Airs side-by-side”. If you need more proof that this device is going to cost at least $2,000, the Macalope really can’t help you at this point. One iPhone Air costs $1,000. Two iPhone Airs cost $2,000. That’s just math.

Clearly, if Apple’s margin on iPhones takes a hit this year, it’ll come roaring back next year. Just wait until the company unveils the foldable Mac Studio.