It’s no secret that the iPhone Air isn’t selling as well as Apple hoped (an October report suggested there was “virtually no consumer demand” for the device), but there might still be some life in Apple’s ultra-thin iPhone project.
According to a recent Weibo post from Chinese leaker Fixed Focus Digital, Apple still plans to release an iPhone Air 2 “no matter how well it sells,” adding that the company will “grit its teeth and go all the way with at least two generations.”
There are several very big reasons to doubt this claim – I’ll explain them to you below – but I, for one, am all for a sequel to what is undeniably Apple’s most exciting iPhone in years.
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But let’s start with skepticism. First, our translation of the Weibo post may have lost some of the nuances of the original. It starts by saying “the Air 2 will continue to be iterated as usual”, but “iterated” in this case may not mean “released”, and “iterated” may not even be the exact translation from the original Chinese (MacRumors, for example, translated part of the message as “no matter how disastrous sales turn out to be”, which is slightly different from our translation of the same line). If you are fluent in Chinese, please correct us in the comments.
Second, all (most) signs point to Apple releasing an iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and foldable iPhone Ultra in September. The big leakers have yet to mention the iPhone Air 2 by name, and Apple’s March 2027 event will likely focus on its upcoming non-Pro models, namely the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e.
The iPhone Air 2 would be a true premium iPhone, and so it’s not suitable for launch alongside these two more affordable models, and it seems unlikely that Apple will offer four very different new iPhones at its upcoming September event (the aforementioned Weibo post doesn’t actually specify September as the iPhone Air 2 release month, but we can infer as much from the phrase “iterated as usual”).
Third, Apple is not a company that “grinds its teeth” to market an unprofitable product. I recently wrote an opinion piece about Tim Cook’s methodical and self-confessed “ruthless” approach to running the company, and if indeed the iPhone Air is selling poorly, a Hail Mary-style version of the iPhone Air 2 would be completely at odds with the predictability (and subsequent profitability) we’ve come to associate with Apple.
So, unfortunately, I don’t think we’ll see a sequel to the iPhone Air anytime soon, unless other tipsters come forward to corroborate this report. However, that doesn’t mean I personally think Apple should abandon its ultra-thin iPhone plans.
Don’t give up, Apple
Last month I wrote that the iPhone Air is Apple’s best-looking and most frustrating iPhone, and while I’m not entirely surprised it didn’t sell as well as hoped, I think Apple can boost its appeal with just a few tweaks.
In my anecdotal experience, I’ve never had so many people approach me asking what phone I’m using than with the iPhone Air. It’s unique, it’s beautiful, and it makes me (and, clearly, others) excited in the same way old Apple products did. That’s reason enough for Apple to release a second model: consumers didn’t know they wanted an iPhone Air the first time around. Now, maybe they’ve tried one for themselves and been sold on the idea of an ultra-thin phone.
But aesthetics aside, the iPhone Air 2 needs a telephoto lens to justify its necessarily high price. The iPhone Air costs $999 / £999 / AU$1,799, but it has the same rear camera hardware as the iPhone 17e, which costs $599 / £599 / AU$999, almost half the price. iPhone 17 Pro users won’t look twice at a device with a single camera.
Then there’s the issue of battery life. The iPhone Air’s “all-day” battery life isn’t bad by industry standards, but it’s significantly worse than the iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17, and maybe even the iPhone 17e. This is another tough pill to swallow.
Of course, the iPhone Air is as thin and beautiful as it gets. because it doesn’t have a telephoto lens and because it doesn’t have a big battery. But that’s the problem Apple needs to solve. Maybe he can take inspiration from Honor; The Chinese brand sacrificed a few millimeters on its Honor Magic 8 Pro Air to ensure the phone has flagship-level battery life and a triple-lens rear camera array.
Either way, I’m probably shouting into the void here. Although I hope for one, I don’t think an iPhone Air 2 is planned any time soon. But I also don’t think we should consider Apple’s original model a failed product. This is a truly magnificent piece of technology that, unfortunately, sacrifices too much for the professionally inclined iPhone user. Here’s hoping the even thinner iPhone Ultra can scratch the same design itch.
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