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Apple’s iPhone Event May Lack Spark, but Rumored Slim ‘iPhone Air’ Could Drive Upgrades

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Apple is set to unveil its latest iPhone lineup on Tuesday, but analysts warn the launch could feel underwhelming compared with rivals’ rapid AI integration. The highlight may be the rumored “iPhone Air”, a slimmer model designed to echo the sleekness of Apple’s MacBook Air.

The thinner device would require Apple to solve battery and camera design challenges while fitting into a price band between the base iPhone 17 and Pro models. Analysts say this new form factor could entice iPhone 14–16 users to upgrade, offering Apple its first meaningful design shift in years.

Some see the “Air” as a stepping stone toward foldable iPhones and a more advanced Siri, though foldables are not expected until next year. Competitors like Samsung and Google already have folding models, but they remain a niche category at less than 2% of global sales. Apple faces added pressure in China, where foldables are popular and its market share has slipped.

Pricing remains a sensitive issue amid Trump’s tariff policies. Apple may quietly push margins higher through storage-based price increases, avoiding direct price hikes that could trigger political backlash, analysts say.

On the AI front, Apple has lagged rivals. Plans to revamp Siri were delayed by engineering hurdles, forcing the company to lean on OpenAI’s ChatGPT integration. Apple is also in early talks to use Google’s Gemini AI to strengthen Siri. Analysts expect the company to tout the AI processing power of its next-gen Apple Silicon chips, paving the way for an “agentic Siri” that can handle tasks in the background without draining device batteries.

While Apple’s customer base remains loyal, experts warn the company now has months, not years, to prove it can match competitors in AI and form-factor innovation. “By this time next year, if Siri still disappoints and the foldable isn’t out, Apple’s content base could erode,” said Bob O’Donnell of TECHnalysis Research.

Samsung unveils slimmer foldable phones to counter Chinese rivals and boost AI leadership

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Samsung Electronics on Wednesday revealed thinner and lighter foldable smartphones as it seeks to defend its premium segment against growing Chinese competition from Huawei and Honor, while Apple has yet to enter this niche market.

Having lost its global smartphone crown to Apple in 2023, Samsung is pushing to regain momentum by integrating AI features into its foldable devices. Mobile President and COO Choi Won-joon highlighted foldables combined with AI as poised to go mainstream, offering users a unique and differentiated experience. Samsung aims to lead in AI-powered smartphones by collaborating with partners like Google, contrasting Apple’s in-house AI approach that has faced delays.

Alongside the foldables, Samsung launched its first smartwatches featuring Google’s AI voice assistant Gemini, which offers personalized recommendations such as running locations.

Samsung’s premium strategy continues amid U.S. tariffs that could raise costs. The new Galaxy Z Fold 7 is 10% lighter and 26% thinner than the Fold 6 and priced 5% higher at $1,999. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE offers a more affordable option at $899. The Fold 7 uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, while the Flip 7 runs on Samsung’s own Exynos processors.

Analysts say the new models address bulkiness concerns and strengthen Samsung’s premium brand image. However, foldables remain niche with just 1.5% market share globally. Research firm Canalys expects foldable shipments to stay flat or slightly decline in 2025, with Samsung’s foldables accounting for 4% of total phone sales but 16% of sales over $800. Samsung’s dominance is challenged by strong Chinese sales, especially in China.

Samsung will focus foldable sales on the U.S., Europe, and South Korea. The company is also developing a tri-fold phone to launch by year-end, allowing users to fold the device three ways.

To prepare for U.S. tariffs, Samsung accelerated production and shipments destined for the U.S., manufacturing primarily in Vietnam, South Korea, and India. It is also mitigating China’s rare earth export restrictions by diversifying suppliers and increasing internal stockpiles.

Samsung’s Q4 Profit Misses Expectations as Chip Issues and Rising Costs Weigh on Earnings

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Samsung Electronics has reported a significant shortfall in its preliminary fourth-quarter operating profit, primarily due to challenges in its semiconductor business. The South Korean tech giant estimates an operating profit of 6.5 trillion won ($4.5 billion) for the three months ending Dec. 31, well below analyst expectations of 7.7 trillion won. Although the expected profit represents a 131% year-on-year increase, it marks a 29% decline compared to the previous quarter.

The company’s earnings were affected by rising research and development (R&D) costs and the ramp-up of manufacturing capacity for advanced semiconductors. Additionally, weak demand for conventional memory chips used in PCs and mobile phones further contributed to the dip in profits.

Samsung’s efforts to provide high-end chips to Nvidia have also posed challenges. Unlike its rival SK Hynix, which is Nvidia’s main supplier of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips used in AI GPUs, Samsung has struggled to meet the tech giant’s chip requirements. Nvidia’s CEO, Jensen Huang, mentioned that Samsung needs to “engineer a new design” to supply HBM chips, although he expressed confidence in Samsung’s ability to meet this challenge.

The disappointing earnings also extended to Samsung’s logic chip division, which designs and manufactures chips for mobile phones. Analysts estimate losses could have widened to about $1.5 billion in the fourth quarter due to lower production yields and reduced demand for mobile devices, including Samsung’s premium foldable phones.

Despite the weak earnings, Samsung’s shares saw a slight uptick, with analysts noting that the company’s woes were already factored into stock prices. Competition in the chip and mobile sectors remains intense, and analysts are cautiously optimistic that chip demand may have bottomed out.