A new report says Apple may already be working on a second-generation iPhone Air, even though the first model hasn’t exactly become a breakout hit.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says Apple usually gives new iPhone ideas more than one try before walking away from them. He pointed to past examples like the iPhone mini and the iPhone Plus, both of which stayed around for more than a single cycle.
That logic matters here because dropping the iPhone Air after just one year would make the product look like a failed experiment, especially after Apple put real marketing weight behind its ultra-thin design.
Gurman also argues the device matters beyond short-term sales. In his view, the model serves as a stepping stone for future hardware directions, which gives Apple another reason to keep refining it instead of shelving the concept too quickly.
The current phone launched in September 2025 as Apple’s thinnest iPhone so far, measuring 5.6 mm thick and weighing 165 grams. It uses an A19 Pro chip, but the slim design also came with trade-offs like a smaller battery and no physical SIM slot.
Sales, at least so far, don’t seem especially strong. The report says Apple had expected better results, then cut production sharply just weeks after launch when demand came in well below target.
Separate figures cited in the story suggest activations for the iPhone Air were still below 200,000 units by January, far behind the wider iPhone 17 family, especially the Pro and Pro Max models.
Even so, Apple may still see value in keeping the idea alive. If that happens, a second-generation iPhone Air would be less about immediate volume and more about pushing the company’s long-term design roadmap forward.
