By general consensus, the iPhone Air had two main problems, with reviewers complaining about its battery and camera performance. The latest reports, however, indicate that the 2nd-gen version of the device will address both issues. And we’ve even got numerical values for both upgrades, more than six months ahead of the launch.
Earlier this month, the lawsuit-embroiled leaker Jon Prosser released a video full of claims about next year’s iPhone Air 2. Among other things, Prosser purportedly revealed a new color, a new name, estimated pricing, the release timeframe, and strategic positioning. But most important of all, he predicted (in concordance with other pundits) that the Air 2 will get a second camera lens on the rear of the chassis. This will, he said, be a 48MP ultrawide lens.
The original Air had just one rear camera, a 48MP main lens, and our reviewer said they were reminded on a daily basis of this frustrating limitation. Adding a second lens would be a major step towards making the Air appealing to a more mainstream market.
Prosser also said the Air 2 will feature improvements to battery performance, an area we described as “just OK” in the first model. But he wasn’t prepared to put a number to this change. “Nothing dramatic,” he said, “but definitely noticeable.” Another source, however, has been less coy.
In a Weibo post this week, the leaker Digital Chat Station says the Air 2 will have a battery capacity of roughly 3,500 mAh, compared to 3,149 mAh on the Air 1. That’s an increase of just over 11 percent, and well worth having. By contrast, the same source has claimed the iPhone 18 Pro’s battery capacity will go up by less than 1 percent this year.
With battery life noticeably enhanced and an extra camera lens on the rear, the Air 2 is looking more and more like an appealing option. The only other concern we had with the original model was its price, which was rather high for what you got. In that respect, unfortunately, Apple is unlikely to be as generous here.
