iPhone Air 2, iPhone 18e, iPhone 18 Release Dates, Specs, Features and Prices Revealed

Apple is expected to shake up its usual iPhone calendar next year, with the iPhone Air 2, iPhone 18e and standard iPhone 18 reportedly lined up for spring 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The three devices are said to be scheduled for a March or April unveiling, most likely at a US event, with the iPhone Air 2 positioned as a slim higher-end option and the iPhone 18e as a cheaper entry point.

Apple has traditionally anchored its main iPhone launches in September. The current iPhone Air and iPhone 17 arrived together last autumn, while the cheaper iPhone 16e and iPhone 17e were introduced in the first quarter of 2025 and 2026. The latest suggestion is that Apple will push further into a split release strategy, unveiling some models in autumn and holding others back until spring to spread demand and ease production pressure.

How iPhone Air 2 And iPhone 18e Fit Into Apple's New Schedule

Gurman's latest report points to a two-stage roadmap for the iPhone 18 line. In September 2026, Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and a new foldable flagship, often referred to as the iPhone Ultra or iPhone Fold. Those top-end devices are tipped to feature the new A20 Pro chip, a Dynamic Island reduced by about 35 per cent and possible camera upgrades such as variable aperture, with US prices for the Pro models likely starting at around $1,199.

The more mainstream devices are now expected to follow in early 2027. In March, Apple is tipped to launch the iPhone 18e, the standard iPhone 18 and the iPhone Air 2. That would leave no base iPhone 18 on shelves in autumn 2026, an unusual gap that highlights Apple's growing focus on its premium range.

The split schedule has appeared in analyst notes for months, but the exact timing of the iPhone Air 2 has shifted repeatedly. Some earlier rumours placed it in September 2026, while others suggested it could be dropped altogether in favour of an iPhone 18 Plus. Gurman's spring 2027 report offers the clearest window yet, although Apple has not confirmed any of it.

iPhone Air 2: Ultra‑Thin Design, A20 Pro Power And Modest Camera Tweaks

The iPhone Air 2 is expected to remain Apple's ultra-slim statement piece. Design leaks are limited, but current reporting suggests Apple will stay close to the original Air, with a thickness of around 5.6mm, a flat design and a clear emphasis on lightness.

Titanium is expected to remain the frame material, paired with Ceramic Shield and an IP68 rating. The Action button and Camera Control button are both expected to return.

Under the hood, the iPhone Air 2 is widely tipped to use Apple's next-generation A20 Pro chip, built on a 2nm process. The current Air already uses a Pro-class chip, and matching the Air 2 with the same A20 Pro silicon expected in the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max would reinforce its place as a thin but high-performance model.

Early industry chatter suggests the move from 3nm to 2nm could bring roughly 15 per cent higher performance while cutting power use by about 30 per cent, though those figures remain unverified.

On memory and storage, expectations are more straightforward. The iPhone Air 2 is expected to offer 8GB of RAM and storage tiers of 256GB, 512GB and 1TB.

The 128GB option, dropped with the first Air and the iPhone 17 range, is not expected to return.

Battery life is unlikely to change dramatically. Because of the slim design, analysts do not expect a major increase over the current model's 3,149mAh battery. Charging is also likely to stay broadly similar, with MagSafe support and wired speeds of around 20W rather than the faster charging seen on some Android rivals.

Camera upgrades look modest on paper. The baseline expectation is a 48MP main camera and an 18MP selfie camera, in line with the current set-up. One Weibo leak claims Apple is considering a second rear lens, potentially a 48MP ultra-wide, which would narrow the gap with the standard iPhone 17 and add more flexibility.

That move may depend on space being freed up by a revised Face ID unit inside the slim chassis. Other reports, however, suggest Apple could keep a single rear camera for another year, leaving the Air 2 focused more on thinness than photography.

iPhone 18e And iPhone 18: Lower Cost, Shared Core, Limited Upgrades

Alongside the Air 2, Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 18e and standard iPhone 18 in the same spring window. Gurman reports that both are likely to receive the new A20 chip, bringing them closer to the rest of the family on core performance. Beyond that, expectations are deliberately modest, with rumours pointing to little else in the way of major upgrades.

The iPhone 18e is being positioned as a lower-cost, budget-focused device, effectively taking over the role the base iPhone once played at launch. Exact specifications and pricing have not leaked, but recent 'e' models suggest Apple will try to keep costs down by reusing displays and camera hardware from the previous generation while still offering the latest chip and long-term iOS support.

On software, all three spring 2027 phones are expected to debut with iOS 27, with Apple Intelligence central to the pitch. Existing AI features are likely to carry over, and Apple is believed to be working on an upgraded Siri that could be ready for the iPhone 18 era, though that remains unconfirmed.

A new in-house C2 modem, building on the C1 introduced with the iPhone 16e, is also reportedly in development and could improve mmWave support, carrier aggregation and power efficiency if it arrives with the iPhone 18 range.

There is one further wrinkle in the wider speculation. One analyst has argued that weak sales could see the iPhone Air quietly replaced by an iPhone 18 Plus. But another report cited in the original material says the first iPhone Air performed better than expected, particularly in South Korea and Japan, and was more than twice as successful as the iPhone 16 Plus in the final quarter of 2025.

Until Apple confirms its plans, the future of the Air branding, like the exact timing and specifications of the iPhone Air 2, iPhone 18e and iPhone 18, remains unsettled.