iPhone Air 2 will come later than you think — and with one big upgrade

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The iPhone Air sequel may arrive later than expected, and these are the upgrades it could have

iPhone Air shown in hand
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

The iPhone Air 2 may not be launching next year, but it is still proceeding all according to plan, according to new claims from those in the know.

To catch everyone up, after the iPhone Air apparently met with an underwhelming response from the phone-buying public after launching in September, sources claimed the iPhone Air 2 had been removed from Apple's current launch schedule. That isn't to say the iPhone Air 2 will never happen, but rather that it will launch later than predicted, with a spring 2027 launch tipped instead.

iPhone Air shown in hand

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Gurman alleges that Apple had already intended not to release a new Air model annually, hence why the phone is called the iPhone Air, and not the iPhone 17 Air. Nor was Apple caught flat-footed by low sales — it had predicted that only 6-8% of new iPhones sold since September would be Air models.

While we don't know if the reality of this fall's iPhone sales has met those expectations so far, Apple was apparently aware that it wasn't going to outsell the base iPhone 17 or the iPhone 17 Pro. Gurman says that the Air's creation was more about providing a platform for engineering advancements and changes to Apple's supply chain in preparation for future foldables, as previous rumors have alleged.

Sequel improvements

As for upgrades, Gurman says the primary focus for the iPhone Air 2 will be the introduction of a 2-nanometer chipset, an upgrade on the current 3-nanometer A19 Pro chip in the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models. This new silicon should improve battery life as well as further increase the phone's computing performance.

Gurman also mentions a couple of other potential upgrades, like a vapor chamber and a larger battery, but he says he finds the rumored idea of a second camera being added to the iPhone Air 2 odd.

iPhone Air shown in hand

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

He explains that adding the extra camera would mean redesigning the iPhone Air's camera plateau (which is already stuffed with the phone's main camera and the motherboard) in the name of adding what is apparently the "least-used iPhone camera."

Gurman accepts that the iPhone Air line could inherit the iPhone Fold's rumored dual rear camera layout, but Apple seemingly wouldn't do the redesign just for the Air 2.

We're used to waiting close to a year to find out if a phone rumor is true or not, but in the iPhone Air 2's case, we may be left hanging for close to 18 months. Mark your calendars (assuming you have one that goes all the way to 2027) for now, and stay tuned to TG for further rumors and news on the second iPhone Air as we get it.

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Richard Priday
Richard Priday
Assistant Phones Editor

Richard is based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, tablets, gaming, and whatever else people need advice on. Following on from his MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he's also written for WIRED U.K., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he's likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.

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