Apple introduced the iPhone Air to replace the Plus version, and new data shows the gamble is paying off. According to recent numbers from Ookla, the new slim model is pulling in about twice the usage share of the old iPhone 16 Plus during the same launch period. While it remains the least popular phone in the current lineup, the overall growth suggests people are actually buying into the new design.
iPhone Air’s early adoption numbers are way higher than iPhone 16 Plus
Ookla gathered these numbers by looking at how many people used the Speedtest app on different phones. Back in late 2024, the iPhone 16 Plus made up less than three percent of tests during its launch window. Fast forward to early 2026, and the iPhone Air has captured almost seven percent of the market share. That puts it right on par with the standard iPhone 17. This jump seems to be pulling buyers away from the Pro model, which saw its share drop from around 35 percent to roughly 31 percent.
While domestic numbers look good, the phone is doing even better overseas. The Air took over 11 percent of the share in South Korea and is seeing strong adoption in places like Japan, Sweden, and Singapore. To put things in perspective, the Air generates three times more test samples in the United States than the competing Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge.
New modem brings major speed upgrades
Beyond the sales numbers, the iPhone Air features new internal hardware. Apple included its new C1X modem inside the device, a big step up from the older C1 chip in the iPhone 16e. Ookla data points out that this new component holds its own when it comes to download speeds on 5G networks.
In everyday use, the C1X delivers download speeds sitting very close to the more expensive Qualcomm modems inside the iPhone 17 Pro models. It is a massive improvement for Apple’s custom silicon. The only real catch is that the C1X still falls a bit behind when it comes to upload speeds.
Even so, the performance bump shows Apple is getting much better at making its own networking hardware. The Cupertino tech giant is now planning to launch the iPhone Air 2 later this year.
