iPhone Air 2 Expected to Launch Early Next Year With Five New Features

[Frixos]

If there is a problem with the air, it’s the speaker. Seems like they are not going to fix the biggest problem. That’s disappointing.

I hardly ever use my phone speakers. You don’t have Bluetooth speakers or AirPods?

 

[osgat]

They basically always plan for 2 versions minimum of a new concept.

Even the Vision Pro sales flop got a spec bumped 2nd version.

My beloved iPhone Mini got two releases also.

Apple's in it for the longhaul. By version 5 its sales are gonna surpass the regular

 

[Piggie]

I wonder how much you could add into the "module"

what would you think id a better speaker, camera were also added to the battery pack?

More like a 2 part phone concept?

 

[mlayer]

I thought it was obvious I meant all of those things in the same form factor and similar weight. They don't have to add weight and bulk, technological advances could mean Apple finds a solution. Adding a stereo speaker for example would be negligible weight increase (if any, if its replacing a solid piece of the phone) and no bulk increase.

The only "technological advance" in the near future that could remove weight while offsetting the addition of new features or hardware is the use of a silicon carbon battery. I suspect that the Air's and the new MagSafe battery's encased battery design was meant to transition to SiC at some point. We'll see if that happens with the Air or the folding iPhone.

 

[Sosab123]

I hardly ever use my phone speakers. You don’t have Bluetooth speakers or AirPods?

Thats actually why I went with the 17e instead of Air, all the stuff that is important for a phone to be a phone, like the microphone, speakers and one could even say battery life, are just missing from the Air in comparison to the 17e.

 

[SR Steve]

...

The downside being of course the 20th anniversary phone is probably going to make a lot of Air 2 buyers upgrade again, assuming it's a separate model and not the 'new pro' thickness wise. Time will tell.

Isn't that what the whole "Air" concept is leading to? Now that Apple has the huge aluminum bricks for the power users, getting back to the aesthetics of the "X" should be the next direction.

How long will Apple stick with the current boxy design?

 

[zubikov]

I still don't understand the appeal of a super thin phone with a huge camera bump, but to each their own.

Totally! The whole concept of a thin phone goes out the window with that fugly uneven camera bump. How does Apple not understand this?! When marketing a thin phone, you actually have to make the whole thing…thin!

 

[BvizioN]

I have iPhone Air and I don’t think I will ever go back to having the Pro versions, unless Apple stops making the Air. iPhone Pros have gone ridiculously large, far to large to put them in a pocket.

 

[BvizioN]

I just can't work with anything smaller in size than my Pro Max. If they had a Max Air......

Understandable! Some people prefer the large size!

 

[Luftkopf]

The more I see of the iPhone Air, the more I want one to be my next phone. If the rumour is correct and the add the ultra wide camera, I’m even more keen!

 

[d.pedro]

Thats actually why I went with the 17e instead of Air, all the stuff that is important for a phone to be a phone, like the microphone, speakers and one could even say battery life, are just missing from the Air in comparison to the 17e.

My Air can hear me from afar, and Siri works HomeKit seamlessly. Speakers are only needed at home, either for voice commands when not in range of HomePods, or calls whilst working the bbq.

 

[kindaichi81]

It is technically a plus model that apple removed for 17 as they know that it will impact pro max sales due to the fix of all the weakness for 17 including 120hz etc.

If Air 2 has second camera, it is technically a slim version of plus model.

 

[kindaichi81]

I switched from 14 pro max to Air and I enjoy Air a lot. I use it significantly more than pro max due to its light weight.

I have iPad mini 7 which I use it often on the move and at home but now on the move I did not even bring a long my iPad mini 7 any more that I use air only. Even at home I now use air more.

The weight of a phone makes significant difference to user experience.

 

[dwtd]

Have you held one?

I have. I liked the thinness of the body, and appreciate the engineering that went into getting it that thin, but with that camera bump it's almost back to the thickness of a Pro phone. Like I said, to each their own. I'm in the camp that thinks the Pro models are adequately thin and I'd rather have more battery if the camera system is going to push out the thickness anyway.

 

[dwtd]

The same can be said of the the pro: a mega camera bump sitting on top of a huge chunk of aluminum. But to each, their own.

For sure. It's a very personal preference. My original comment was more about my disappointment that the camera bump had to be as thick as it is. The idea of a thin phone has more appeal to me when the entire phone is thin.

https://www.reddit.com/r/iphone/comments/1nj33fr/i_made_an_iphone_thickness_comparison_with_the

 

[spaceballl]

I have a 16 Pro. My wife has the air. Every time I pick her phone up, I'm a bit jealous...

I figured I would upgrade to the 18 Pro, and maybe I will... But honestly I don't use a zoom lens that often so the Air 2 might be my next phone.

Her battery life is totally fine. On days where she knows she needs extra juice like Disneyland or a concert, then she just has a slim magnetic battery. 90% of days it is more than fine.

 

[lordcradden]

I wish they'd turn the Air into one half of the upcoming fold/ultra. A thin, small, passport size phone would be an instant buy for me.

All the videos of the new Samsung and the iPhone mocks leave me loving for the form factor but not wanting to have to spent 2k+ to get the folding internal screen.

 

[frou]

If you look at the teardown of the original iPhone Air, it seems quite far fetched that they will be able to add an entire second camera. What are they going to do, physically take a big chunk out of the battery shape and move a bunch of stuff downwards?

The main SoC is at the top middle of the phone.

 

[turbineseaplane]

With a smaller, worse screen and much less capability since it uses a slower chip.

Capacity to do what?

Every new iPhone is wildly overpowered for what almost everyone is actually doing with them.

 

[turbineseaplane]

It's amazing how many people are chiming in how everything with the Air is "just fine" or folks have only one particular nit to pick.

It did not sell well, so something is off with the folks praising it here vs the reality of the wider market.

Should be fascinating to watch.

I expect a very minor revision and continued tepid sales (at best), especially in our new pricing environment.

If there were a smaller version, even with just one camera, I'd have considered it.
The width in hand is way too much for me when I've spent time with it. I found myself shifting it around in my hand when demoing it and knew after 5 mins ... no way. "You'll hate this once the novelty wears off"

 

[Dark_Omen]

Hell if that's it, there is no point of releasing a new one... just give me a $100 deal on the old one

The phone needs a better camera and more efficient parts to extend battery life.

Saving only $100 on the original isn't a good solution.

 

[Astuces iOS]

The phone needs a better camera and more efficient parts to extend battery life.

Saving only $100 on the original isn't a good solution.

The phone does not need a better camera, it just lack a lens that many people just don’t need. For battery life, that depends on usage… if you are not a heavy phone user (like me), the phone is alright… And you would be surprised by many people like this… just the ones using an old iPhone, well the iPhone Air has a better battery life !

 

[Dark_Omen]

The phone does not need a better camera, it just lack a lens that many people just don’t need. For battery life, that depends on usage… if you are not a heavy phone user (like me), the phone is alright… And you would be surprised by many people like this… just the ones using an old iPhone, well the iPhone Air has a better battery life !

They could just add an SC battery to it. Well past due for that innovation.

 

[ab2c4]

The main thing I wish my Air had was a second speaker. The speaker it has is decent but it really needs a second speaker.

I would have liked it a little smaller and lighter as well.

 

[Luftkopf]

It's amazing how many people are chiming in how everything with the Air is "just fine" or folks have only one particular nit to pick.

It did not sell well, so something is off with the folks praising it here vs the reality of the wider market.

Should be fascinating to watch.

I expect a very minor revision and continued tepid sales (at best), especially in our new pricing environment.

If there were a smaller version, even with just one camera, I'd have considered it.
The width in hand is way too much for me when I've spent time with it. I found myself shifting it around in my hand when demoing it and knew after 5 mins ... no way. "You'll hate this once the novelty wears off"

I seem to recall reading somewhere that it is selling better than the Plus it replaced. I don't know what Apple's metrics for success are. I just hope it sticks around until I can get one.