Apple surprised almost nobody with the iPhone Air, a razor-thin, wallet-draining handset that features just one camera and battery life that – while okay by market standards – is pretty subpar for an iOS device.
Its only feature of note? It was slightly thinner than Samsung's previous very thin phone, the Galaxy S25 Edge.
Did anyone want or have use for a very thin phone? We honestly didn't think so at Digital Camera World. My theory on the iPhone Air is that it is just half of a folding phone.
Essentially, I hypothesized that Apple was tricking a small niche of people into covering some research and development costs for another product category in which it is now years behind the game (check out one of Samsung's latest tri-folding phones if you don't believe me).
Some thought it might disappear altogether, but phone rumor site GSM Arena has started circulating some very interesting suggestions about a possible sequel to the device that isn't the long-awaited iPhone Fold.
A second camera
Firstly, and this perhaps won't be much of a surprise, there is the idea that a second camera will be added. This makes a lot of sense because the iPhone Air was very expensive for a single-camera phone.
No firm details exist, but an ultrawide would be the expected 'second camera' based on Apple's previous two camera phones (and that the single camera on the first generation is a hybrid zoom already).
This price will seem even more unacceptable to most consumers when the novelty of being the 'first' Air has gone, and adding the camera to the lump means it won't affect the marketing team's assessment of the device's thickness!
New release window
Secondly, for those of us who have come to expect a new iPhone at a certain time of year, the launch window would be spring 2027. Perhaps Apple just needs longer to move units of the first-generation phones? I understand that. I wouldn't buy one! It's only got one camera, after all!
A shocking price – but not how you'd expect
Thirdly, though, and this is the most shocking one of all for many, it is thought that Apple will be reducing the price by $100. Partly that is because the company likes a round 100, so coming down by 'just 50' wouldn't be enough.
But reducing the price of phones is something that rarely happens – and never happens to Apple products. Even more so if features are actually increasing.
It certainly seems that Apple isn't anticipating a price premium being something it can charge for future generations of the Air, though, even if the idea of an ultra-thin phone continues to be worth selling.
What I'd say is that everything here is logical. If there is to be an iPhone Air 2 it should be cheaper, should have a better camera system and it probably isn't needed in a hurry. But it also sounds pretty implausible all put together, doesn't it?
In the meantime I can also tell you that I don't mind carrying the slightly heavier iPhone 17 Pro Max – and I get a really good and useful telephoto camera and decent battery life. I don't understand the appeal of the Air at all.
To each their own, eh?
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Check our guides to the best iPhone for photographers and the best camera phone. Also read my piece on having spent over $34,800 on iPhones!
