Report Claims iPhone Air 2 Was Never Intended For A 2026 Launch

A couple of reports from The Information last week said that Apple's iPhone Air 2 model won't get the September 2026 launch suggested in other rumors. Initially, the news site said the iPhone Air 2 was delayed indefinitely. The Information then said that the iPhone Air 2 would launch in early 2027 at the earliest, featuring a dual-lens camera system. On Sunday, Bloomberg released Mark Gurman's new "Power On" newsletter, in which the Apple insider partially confirms the previous reports. The iPhone Air 2 isn't coming in 2026. But crucially, Gurman adds that Apple hadn't planned to launch the second-generation ultra-thin phone in September 2026.

"From what I've heard, the second-generation iPhone Air hadn't actually been earmarked for next year — at least not in recent months," Gurman said. "So this wasn't a delay due to the phone's sales performance. The fact that Apple named the device the iPhone Air (rather than the iPhone 17 Air) signaled that it didn't want to tie the product to an annual release schedule." Then again, it's unclear what "recent months" means. The iPhone Air has been available for sale for two months already. Unlike the three iPhone 17 models, the iPhone Air was largely available online and in stores during that time, briefly selling out in China, where it was released only last month due to regulatory matters.

Gurman also notes that Apple "never really anticipated much fanfare for the Air." The company wanted the iPhone Air to make up 6% to 8% of new iPhone sales, just like the iPhone 16 Plus last year. Gurman points out that Apple didn't waste any marketing efforts on the iPhone Air since the launch event — an indication of where its priorities lie.

Gurman also explained that the point of the iPhone Air was preparation for the foldable iPhone coming next year. It was a technology exercise for the Apple supply chain, which will provide new components for the iPhone Fold, not fans interested in ultra-thin iPhones. The report notes that the foldable iPhone will use "many of the same materials, miniaturization techniques, internal components, batteries, and software optimizations" as the Air.

That said, an iPhone Air 2 is in the works, and the handset might launch alongside the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e in the spring of 2027. The iPhone Air 2's main upgrade will be a new 2nm chip "rather than major structural changes." The chip will improve the iPhone Air's battery life, which Gurman calls "the biggest drawback" of the first-generation model. He says a second camera makes no sense if that process involves redesigning the plateau area on the back, which contains the iPhone Air chips and other key components. "The only scenario where this makes sense is if the foldable iPhone's dual rear-camera design eventually trickles down to standard models," Gurman said.

The foldable iPhone is expected to feature four cameras, including two selfie cameras, one for each display, and a dual-lens camera on the back. If Gurman is right, that dual-lens system might be used elsewhere in Apple's iPhone ecosystem, including the iPhone Air 2. It's unclear what secondary camera Apple will pair with the main (wide) camera on the iPhone Fold. The base iPhone 17 models feature an ultra-wide lens next to the primary camera. That's the likeliest candidate. A telephoto lens like the one Apple used on the iPhone 17 Pros this year seems less likely, considering the larger internal space that a periscope camera needs.