Apple’s new iPhone 17 lineup, headlined by the wafer-thin iPhone Air, has sparked plenty of excitement among fanboys and gadget reviewers in the last 48 hours.

However, a growing collection of tech-industry critics argues that the company is leaning too heavily on design flourishes while its rivals push ahead in artificial intelligence.

As Channel News reported yesterday, the iPhone Air measures just 5.6mm thick, slimmer than Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge.

CEO Tim Cook hailed it as a “game changer”.

Reviewers haven’t gone that far, but the Air’s titanium frame, ceramic shield glass and A19 Pro processor have been praised for durability and AI-ready performance.

Yet many analysts were underwhelmed.

Apple shares slid more than 3% on Wednesday, with investors worried about flat margins and tariffs from the Trump administration.

Morgan Stanley noted the Air could boost sales in the short term, but flagged limited uptake in China due to eSIM restrictions

More broadly, critics point to Apple’s lack of breakthrough features and its sluggishness in the AI race.

Google’s Pixel line, armed with its Gemini model, has demonstrated generative capabilities Apple has yet to match.

“They’re still behind the eight ball on AI,” Thomas Hayes of Great Hill Capital told Reuters.