Fresh leaks suggest that Apple may not be done with the iPhone Air line just yet, with a new report claiming that the second-generation iPhone Air could still launch in the fall of next year. The claim runs counter to a growing body of reports that have pointed towards a much later debut, making the future of Apple’s slim iPhone experiment increasingly uncertain.
According to a leaker citing people familiar with Apple’s plans, the iPhone Air 2 is still internally scheduled for a fall launch window. This would place it alongside Apple’s traditional autumn iPhone refresh, rather than being pushed into a later product cycle. The same source claims that the iPhone 17e is already in mass production and is being prepared for a spring launch event, suggesting that Apple’s lower-cost lineup is firmly locked in for early next year.
This information directly contradicts several earlier and widely circulated reports that suggested Apple had delayed the second-generation iPhone Air until March 2027. Under that reported strategy, the device would launch alongside the standard iPhone 18 and a more affordable iPhone 18e, rather than appearing with the Pro models. Those earlier reports also claimed that Apple originally intended to launch the iPhone Air 2 in fall 2026 alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the company’s first foldable iPhone.
The reported delay was largely attributed to underwhelming sales of the first-generation iPhone Air. While Apple has not publicly commented on the device’s performance, multiple supply chain sources have suggested that demand failed to meet internal expectations. That appears to have triggered a reassessment of the product’s positioning, pricing, and feature set.
The second-generation iPhone Air is expected to address several of the criticisms levelled at the original model. One of the most consistent complaints was the single rear camera, which felt out of place on a device positioned above Apple’s entry-level phones. The next version is widely rumoured to add a second rear camera, bringing it closer to mainstream expectations.
Price is another area Apple is said to be rethinking. The iPhone Air launched at a level that many buyers felt was difficult to justify given its compromises. Reports suggest Apple is considering a lower price point for the second-generation model, which could make it more competitive and easier to slot into the broader iPhone lineup.
Beyond cameras and pricing, several hardware upgrades are also rumoured. These include a lighter overall build, the introduction of vapor chamber cooling to improve sustained performance, and a larger battery to address concerns about endurance. If implemented together, these changes would significantly reshape the identity of the iPhone Air, shifting it from a design-led experiment to a more balanced everyday device.
The idea of a fall 2026 launch is not entirely implausible. That was Apple’s original target timeline, and it is possible that development of the revised model has progressed faster than expected. If Apple believes it has solved the first generation’s shortcomings, it may choose to stick closer to its initial schedule rather than waiting another year.
That said, the weight of recent reporting still leans heavily towards a delayed launch. Multiple independent sources have pointed to a 2027 release, making it unlikely that all of them are mistaken. A fall launch would also create an unusually crowded lineup, especially if Apple introduces a foldable iPhone around the same time.
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