Go away, iPhone Air 2

The iPhone Air 2 looks set to launch later this year – and I really wish it wasn’t.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I can see the appeal of the iPhone Air. Essentially, you’re getting the familiar iPhone experience, including top-tier performance, within an incredibly thin and light chassis.

But, having reviewed the original, it was obvious that the phone needed significant changes. The cameras are badly hamstrung, the speakers are terrible and charging is painfully slow. When you’re paying at least £999/$999, that’s simply not good enough.

In theory, this wasn’t a major issue. The iPhone Air is widely expected to serve as the blueprint for the foldable iPhone, which looks set to make its long-awaited debut before the end of 2026.

Should that be true, there are two logical options. Either skip a year, giving Apple time for more substantial upgrades, or ditch the iPhone Air entirely. Early sales data suggested it wasn’t proving popular, and there’s no indication that things have changed significantly in the two months since.

However, the latest rumour suggests Apple is doing neither of those things. According to Fixed Focus Digital on Weibo, the iPhone Air 2 will launch “this fall” – likely in September alongside the iPhone 18 series.

If the direct translation from Chinese is accurate, they go on to say that it’ll be a “routine upgrade” with “minor changes”. Why, Apple?

Now, this is only one leak, and it contradicts earlier rumours of a 2027 launch. But if it turns out to be true, it’d be a big mistake from Apple. The iPhone Air still has potential, but it needs significant upgrades to even be in the best phones conversation.

Just this week, Honor showed what’s possible with the launch of the Magic 8 Pro Air. The name and design are blatant copies of the iPhone Air, but it adds a triple rear camera and a much larger 5500mAh silicon-carbon battery.

These are the kinds of upgrades that Apple should be pushing for on the iPhone Air 2. Instead, it appears to be resting on its laurels, and hoping that Apple die-hards will want a second-gen ultra-slim phone with barely any improvements.

I really hope that this rumour is incorrect, and that Apple either delays the launch by a year or introduces more significant upgrades. Without them, it’ll be a waste of a phone.