iPhone Air How often do we think the iPhone Air will be updated?

[Lounge vibes 05]

Once they’ve figured out how to get 2 cameras and proper speakers on the air the bottom of the line regular iPhone is toast. Could be wrong.

I agree with this, and I think the fact that it didn’t receive a design refresh this year, and isn’t even rumored to be updated during the fall next year are both signs Apple doesn’t see the regular iPhone as an important part of their strategy going forward.
If anything, I could see the iPhone e and regular combining to become simply just the iPhone, the most basic, bottom of the lineup iPhone, just like the iPad.
Then the Air and Pro are the premium models, again just like the iPad.

 

[huanbrother]

Will be gone when the fold is introduced.
Because by then, the September event will be focusing on the Pro and Fold, then the April event on the regular iPhone --- if they do all three together, the price gap between the regular and the pro would be huge, and there's really no need for a filler anymore.

PS: 17 Plus was supposedly to fill the gap, but if it were here, less people will go for the Pro Max --- battery life would be enough on the 17 Plus, and having ProMotion really kills a lot of people's will to go for the Pros. So here's Air, why Air exist, really for innovation? No. Time will prove this, Air will be gone silently when Apple changes the announcement norm, period.

 

[bill-p]

That has nothing to do with the focal length. All modern smartphone cameras are already rectilinear. Having a lens that captures a perfectly rectangle image doesn't change the focal length.

Using a large sensor and making the module thin requires a short focal length.

To get a standard non-fisheye view at 1x requires longer focal length.

There is no magic to escape those facts. That's why camera bumps are increasing. If you want to use a large sensor, the camera module will be thick. The Air trademark is being thin, so there's no chance of it using a large sensor.

If you insist on a smaller sensor, SAMSUNG ISOCELL HP5 is 1/1.56 and is 200MP. Which incidentally is exactly the same size as Air’s current sensor.

In short, there are solutions. You’re just insisting that Air shouldn’t use these solutions for some reason.

 

[snipr125]

Probably a really long time, if ever.

Apple actively chose to delete the second camera and speaker for less bulk. Don't you think Apple decision makers spent a lot of time thinking about this already? Why would they add it back?

Jpack do you think Apple should have copied the S25 Edge with dual lenses, stereo speakers and close to 3900 Mh battery for the Air at the expense of some thinness? Personally i think they should have.

 

[JPack]

If you insist on a smaller sensor, SAMSUNG ISOCELL HP5 is 1/1.56 and is 200MP. Which incidentally is exactly the same size as Air’s current sensor.

In short, there are solutions. You’re just insisting that Air shouldn’t use these solutions for some reason.

It's a sensor that's not being used by Samsung themselves. For Oppo, they're using it as telephoto only. Apple doesn't play in the high MP game for the sake of numbers. Something tells me Apple isn't going to use it.

 

[JPack]

Jpack do you think Apple should have copied the S25 Edge with dual lenses, stereo speakers and close to 3900 Mh battery for the Air at the expense of some thinness? Personally i think they should have.

In my opinion, no. Apple has a very focused and deliberate design. The iPhone Air has one selling point - it's to serve as the thinnest and lightest iPhone. Apple is following Steve Jobs' philosophy of picking carefully and saying no. They're clearly avoiding scope creep.

If you look mechanically at both devices, it's clear Apple has very different design standards compared to Samsung. These things all add bulk.

• Rigidity and twist tolerance: Air is much higher than the Galaxy S25 Edge.
• Number of screws used: Edge uses 21. Samsung uses structural adhesives are used to hold the display and front camera. iPhone Air uses 51 screws and does not use adhesives. This has direct implications for repairability.
• Safety: Apple uses a steel-encased battery and the connection points are sealed to avoid shorting. This means swelling batteries no longer destroy the device, per EU directives.

Apple simply can't add speakers, cameras, battery, SIM tray, dual layer logic board, etc. because they're so focused on design and thinness. I would not expect any changes for Air 2 except for being even thinner.

 

[bill-p]

It's a sensor that's not being used by Samsung themselves. For Oppo, they're using it as telephoto only. Apple doesn't play in the high MP game for the sake of numbers. Something tells me Apple isn't going to use it.

The sensor does not have to use the full 200MP output. It can do 50MP or 12.5MP too. Apple does not have to use it at 200MP at all. The benefit is simply that the middle portion of the sensor can help if Apple decides to design their optics to support zooming in that far.

Apple will have to keep up with the rest of the market, whether they want to or not. Air is already a direct response to how thin other companies are able to make their foldable phones. The S25 Edge is not even the thinnest phone from Samsung. Z Fold 7, which I do incidentally own, is barely above 4mm when unfolded. So it's a 4mm phone that has a 200MP sensor. Samsung could have made it thicker with a bigger battery, but they clearly wanted to prove a point. The specs war rages on.

 

[zenmacx]

In my opinion, no. Apple has a very focused and deliberate design. The iPhone Air has one selling point - it's to serve as the thinnest and lightest iPhone. Apple is following Steve Jobs' philosophy of picking carefully and saying no. They're clearly avoiding scope creep.

If you look mechanically at both devices, it's clear Apple has very different design standards compared to Samsung. These things all add bulk.

• Rigidity and twist tolerance: Air is much higher than the Galaxy S25 Edge.
• Number of screws used: Edge uses 21. Samsung uses structural adhesives are used to hold the display and front camera. iPhone Air uses 51 screws and does not use adhesives. This has direct implications for repairability.
• Safety: Apple uses a steel-encased battery and the connection points are sealed to avoid shorting. This means swelling batteries no longer destroy the device, per EU directives.

Apple simply can't add speakers, cameras, battery, SIM tray, dual layer logic board, etc. because they're so focused on design and thinness. I would not expect any changes for Air 2 except for being even thinner.

I appreciate the detailed post and interpretation of Apples design philosophy for this model.

If indeed they are hyper focused on design and thinness, then it would make sense for them to move forward without making major changes to Air 2.

One things for certain, this will be very interesting to follow.

 

[zenmacx]

The sensor does not have to use the full 200MP output. It can do 50MP or 12.5MP too. Apple does not have to use it at 200MP at all. The benefit is simply that the middle portion of the sensor can help if Apple decides to design their optics to support zooming in that far.

Apple will have to keep up with the rest of the market, whether they want to or not. Air is already a direct response to how thin other companies are able to make their foldable phones. The S25 Edge is not even the thinnest phone from Samsung. Z Fold 7, which I do incidentally own, is barely above 4mm when unfolded. So it's a 4mm phone that has a 200MP sensor. Samsung could have made it thicker with a bigger battery, but they clearly wanted to prove a point. The specs war rages on.

Out of sheer enthusiasm and desire for a new experience I bought the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge and the Z Fold7. Each provides enjoyment in its own unique way.

As I continue to discover the best way to take advantage of the various features, these two have clearly redefined my day to day experience.

I agree with you "the spec war rages on".

 

[kepler20b]

Every year.

iPhone sales account for more than 50% of apples revenue, so not updating it would be a huge mistake and place more pressure on pro and base sales.

The simplest path to increase margins is to freeze the improvements to base iPhone, and to add the newest specs and tech to the pro max and air. It’s not a mistake that a few months ago we got a rumor that Apple was already debating whether to continue upgrading the base phone every year. They’ve already thought about it and have modeled future sales and product lines around that idea

Against the backdrop of the failed Vision Pro and meta’s success with AR raybans, Apple will look to squeeze out every last drop of value from iPhones while the phone still remains the number one tech item for consumers.

 

[bevsb2]

One and done. Not selling numbers they wanted, will “fold” into the iPhone fold and be phased out.

I hope this doesn't happen. I love the Air - my favorite iPhone ever.

 

[zenmacx]

I hope this doesn't happen. I love the Air - my favorite iPhone ever.

Currently it does seem that sales are soft. The Air is the only new model that’s been in stock and readily available at a few of my local Apple stores since release day.

iPhone 17, 17 Pro and ProMax models continue to show estimated delivery dates as far out as late October.

It would be great to see enough demand for Apple to keep it in the lineup. If history is an indicator, the next generation may have significant improvements.

 

[svish]

I expect to see a new Air iPhone every year. Will take a couple of years for it to get an additional camera lens.