Apple Designer Behind iPhone Air Leaves as Lineup Faces Setback

Just months after launching the iPhone Air, one of its key designers has reportedly left Apple. Abidur Chowdhury, who helped shape the ultra-slim smartphone, is departing the company as the lineup faces uncertainty following disappointing sales. Reports now suggest Apple has scrapped plans for a 2026 sequel, though Chowdhury’s exit is said to be unrelated.

iPhone Air designer leaves Apple for an AI startup

Abidur Chowdhury joined Apple in 2019 and was a key member of the iPhone Air design team. He even narrated the phone’s launch video back in September. However, months later, Chowdhury exits the company, reportedly for an AI startup. While his departure may be unrelated to the phone’s market performance, it has raised questions internally.

According to reports, Apple has temporarily paused the development of the iPhone Air 2 as the first-gen model failed to impress consumers. While the company still plans a sequel, it may be pushed back to 2027. It considers several upgrades to make the lineup more appealing, including a dual camera setup. It’s unclear who will lead the design effort for the next-gen model.

Interestingly, Samsung also seems to be at a crossroads with its own ultra-slim phone strategy. It launched the Galaxy S25 Edge months before the iPhone Air, but the device failed to gain traction. The Edge similarly underperformed, prompting the cancellation of the S26 Edge, at least for now. While the project reportedly isn’t fully dead, its future remains uncertain.

Much like Apple, Samsung appears to be taking a wait-and-see approach before committing to another attempt at the slim-phone form factor. Both firms couldn’t read the market properly on the first attempt and are now re-evaluating it all. It remains to be seen who makes the next move. More importantly, what changes their next slim phones bring to the table.