Apple hosted its annual iPhone launch occasion on Wednesday, and one thing we didn’t see — together with base iPhone 18 fashions, as Apple centered purely on premium gadgets — was a second iteration of its light-weight iPhone Air.
At simply 5.6mm thick and weighing solely 165 grams, final yr’s $999 iPhone 17 Air gave patrons a middle-ground choice between the bottom iPhone 17 and the iPhone 17 Professional fashions, and for a reasonably cheap worth.
Whereas gross sales of the iPhone Air have been reportedly disappointing, it was arguably a first step towards launching the iPhone Duo — an illustration {that a} slim, light-weight telephone may very well be simply as sturdy and high-functioning as a completely specced-out one. It got here with only one rear 48-megapixel wide-angle digicam, a smaller battery and a single speaker.
The Air’s pared-back options and slim profile would have been pivotal to designing Apple’s new folding telephone, since foldables have to be each slim and make related compromises on specs — the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 solely has two rear lenses, in contrast with the three that come on different Galaxy fashions, and the iPhone Duo likewise has simply two rear cameras.
We have been hoping Apple would launch one other model of the Air with improved cameras and battery life, particularly since that center floor nonetheless exists. Some individuals simply desire a telephone that’s barely higher than the bottom iPhone, and many individuals desire a succesful telephone with out having to spend upward of $1,199 — the most cost effective telephone Apple introduced on Wednesday because it took the wraps off premium handsets just like the iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Professional and iPhone 18 Professional Max.
iPhone 18 Professional and Professional Max
Many individuals additionally don’t desire a telephone that folds. CNET’s survey of greater than 2,600 adults final month discovered that 75% weren’t concerned with a foldable iPhone and that almost all would need to spend lower than $1,000 in the event that they did get one. However the Duo prices between $1,999 and $3,199 — far exceeding the iPhone Air’s authentic $999 price ticket.
Apple additionally raised the costs on its iPhone 17 lineup on Wednesday because it introduced its new high-end handsets, leaving the center floor with fewer choices, even in beforehand obtainable fashions. The iPhone 17 Air now begins at $1,099, with the worth will increase coming amid RAMageddon, the worldwide reminiscence scarcity brought on by the spike in AI instruments. Apple continues to whittle down choices for extra budget-conscious shoppers in a troublesome financial system.
We’re nonetheless holding out hope that the iPhone 18 Air has been pushed again till a rumored spring launch, the place it may very well be unveiled alongside an iPhone 18 base mannequin and a possible iPhone 18E, the funds follow-up to this yr’s iPhone 17E.
IDC Worldwide Gadget Trackers Senior Analysis Director Nabila Popal likewise believes Apple is strategically withholding the second iPhone Air till subsequent yr to bundle with the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18E — launching a trio of extra reasonably priced smartphones to distinction with the premium trio of the iPhone 18 Professional, Professional Max and Duo that have been simply introduced.
“It permits Apple to unfold its shipments extra evenly all year long and concurrently permit the highlight on the premium fashions this fall — particularly the brand new iPhone foldable,” Popal mentioned. “Apple is spreading its portfolio to a wider client demographic and giving shoppers extra alternative.”
However for now, the shortage of lower-end fashions means anybody eager to improve their telephone to a brand-new Apple handset might be caught selecting between an $1,199 iPhone 18 Professional and as much as an eye-watering $3,199 for a 2TB iPhone Duo.
