It looks like the iPhone Air 2's chances of surviving just got slimmer. Originally, the iPhone Air 2 was expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone Fold in fall 2026. However, a new report from The Information indicates that the iPhone Air's relatively low sales have led to Apple changing direction.
The report cites three people involved in the project, who stated that Apple notified engineers and suppliers that it would be removing the iPhone Air 2 from the schedule, with no new release date in sight.
It is worth noting that this doesn’t necessarily mean that the phone will never appear, as the report does state that some Apple engineers and manufacturers are still working on the phone. This could indicate Apple plans to release the iPhone Air 2 alongside the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e, which are reportedly being delayed until the Spring of 2027.
Thinner phones have struggled to find their place
This news follows similar reports regarding the fate of the Galaxy S26 Edge. Due to slow sales of the superslim Galaxy S25 Edge, Samsung has reportedly outright canceled the Galaxy S26 Edge.
It raises the question of whether super-thin phones are the right move to take when it comes to new releases. While there is a lot to like about the iPhone Air, including the surprisingly durable titanium build and bright display, there were more than a couple of issues.
The problem with thinner phones is that some sacrifices must be made to achieve the design. For instance, the iPhone Air lacks both a telephoto and an ultrawide camera. Not only that, Apple’s decision to move most of the internal hardware to the camera bump caused it to get hotter than we would like, although it does make the phone easier to repair.
Most importantly, the iPhone Air's battery life trails the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup. On the Tom's Guide Battery Test, the iPhone Air lasted 12 hours and 2 minutes. That's not terrible, but the iPhone 17 Pro lasted over 15 hours and the iPhone 17 Pro Max close to 18 hours. The regular iPhone 17 endured for 12:47.
Now, these design choices certainly make sense from an engineering point of view. The issue is that Apple, much like Samsung, decided to charge a premium for the phone. When it launched, the iPhone Air had a base price of $999, which is only a $100 less than the iPhone 17 Pro. That means you were paying a premium for the thickness alone, with the iPhone 17 Pro offering a pretty substantial difference in hardware.
For now, we'll have to wait and see what Apple plans for the future releases, especially considering we might not see the iPhone Air 2 until 2027. With that in mind, let us know what you would like to see from the next generation of iPhone Air, or would you rather Apple put its focus elsewhere and drop the line entirely?
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