It’s been a whirlwind of a week for iPhone Air fans. First, The Information reported that Apple had indefinitely delayed the iPhone Air 2 due to lower-than-expected sales.
The next day, a separate report said the iPhone Air 2 had actually just been delayed six months, with Apple targeting a spring 2027 launch instead of fall 2026.
Now, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has more details on what’s going on with the iPhone Air 2.
The latest on iPhone Air 2
According to Gurman, the second-generation iPhone Air “hadn’t actually been earmarked for next year — at least not in recent months.” This, in turn, negates the narrative that Apple delayed the device due to its sales numbers.
The Information’s report suggested that the main reason for the delay was to give Apple time to add a second camera to the iPhone Air 2.
Gurman, however, reports that the primary focus of the next iPhone Air will be the switch to a new 2-nanometer processor rather than structural updates. The chip will bring notable improvements to the iPhone Air battery life. Supply chain reports have largely corroborated that the forthcoming A20 chip will be built on TSMC’s second-gen 2nm process (N2) with multiple breakthroughs.
Here’s what Gurman says about the likelihood of the iPhone Air 2 having two cameras:
Adding a second rear camera for ultrawide shots is technically possible, but I find that idea strange. The phone’s “plateau” area (where the camera is located) is already crowded. Redoing that entire section just to add the least-used iPhone camera seems like a lot of work for a phone that few people are buying. The only scenario where this makes sense is if the foldable iPhone’s dual rear-camera design eventually trickles down to standard models.
The report says that Apple developed the iPhone Air “believing it would make up 6% to 8% of new iPhone sales.” These numbers “roughly” mirror the performance of the iPhone 16 Plus.
Today’s report doesn’t give a specific release date for the iPhone Air 2. Instead, Gurman writes:
Apple plans to unveil three high-end models — the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and a new foldable — in fall 2026. Then, roughly six months later, it will roll out the iPhone 18, iPhone 18e and potentially a refreshed iPhone Air. I expect this pattern to continue for years to come, with Apple launching between five and six new models annually.
The key takeaway is that Apple never wanted the iPhone Air tied to an annual release schedule, hence it being named “iPhone Air” not “iPhone 17 Air.”
Finally, Gurman reminds us that one reason the iPhone Air exists is to serve as a “technology expertise and a prototype” for next year’s iPhone Fold. The foldable iPhone will use “many of the same materials, miniaturization techniques, internal components, batteries and software optimizations” as the iPhone Air.
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