iPhone Air 2 will get a second rear camera and the A20 Pro chip, says Bloomberg

The iPhone Air 2 will ship with two rear cameras and the A20 Pro chip on TSMC's 2nm process, according to reporting from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and The Information, summarized by 9to5Mac on July 21 2026. The two-camera change addresses the biggest complaint about the original iPhone Air, which launched in September 2025 with a single rear camera.

The Air 2 is on track for a spring 2027 launch (likely March or April 2027), alongside the standard iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e — not in the September 2026 iPhone 18 cycle.

What is changing?

Two specific changes are reported:

1. A second rear camera, specifically an ultra-wide lens (Bloomberg). The original iPhone Air shipped with a single 48MP main camera and no secondary lens. The Air 2 will add an ultra-wide camera, putting its camera system on par with the standard iPhone (which has had main + ultra-wide since the iPhone 11).
2. The A20 Pro chip (multiple sources). The original Air shipped with the A19 Pro. The Air 2 jumps to the A20 Pro — the same chip that will power the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max — built on TSMC's 2nm process.

Notably absent from the leaks: a telephoto camera. Bloomberg specifically calls out that the second camera is ultra-wide, not telephoto. That keeps the Air 2 below the iPhone 18 Pro on camera capability (the Pro adds a 5x telephoto periscope), but it puts the Air 2 on par with the standard iPhone 18, which has main + ultra-wide only.

How does this change the Air 2 vs the original Air?

The original iPhone Air launched in September 2025 at $999 with a 6.7-inch OLED display, A19 Pro chip, 48MP single rear camera, and a 5.5mm-thin chassis. It was Apple's lightest iPhone (165g) and had the longest single-charge battery life of any iPhone at launch (28 hours of video playback, per Apple's spec sheet).

The Air 2, based on the leaks:

Spec	iPhone Air (2025)	iPhone Air 2 (rumored, 2027)
Chip	A19 Pro (3nm)	A20 Pro (2nm)
Rear cameras	1 (48MP main)	2 (48MP main + 12MP ultra-wide)
Telephoto	None	None
Display	6.7-inch OLED	6.7-inch OLED (expected)
Thickness	5.5mm	~5.5mm (expected, same constraint)
Apple Intelligence	Yes	Yes (faster on A20 Pro)

The two changes — more cameras and a faster chip — are exactly what reviewers and users complained about on the original Air. Adding the ultra-wide camera gives buyers more flexibility without requiring the telephoto of the Pro line. The A20 Pro upgrade makes the Air 2 feel like a generational jump, not a half-step refresh.

Why is Apple keeping the Air 2 on a spring release?

Apple delayed the Air 2's original schedule. The Information reported in November 2025 that Apple had indefinitely delayed the second-generation Air due to weaker-than-expected sales of the original. The Information later walked that back, saying Apple had not canceled the Air 2 and that it remained in development.

The current schedule — spring 2027 — fits Apple's pattern of splitting launches. The September 2026 cycle is iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone Fold, and iPhone 18e (per multiple leaks). The spring 2027 cycle is iPhone 18, iPhone Air 2, and possibly new iPads. This staggered schedule keeps Apple's news cycle continuous through the year and gives each product its own launch window.

For users who wanted an Air with two cameras, the wait until spring 2027 is the trade-off. For users who want a thin iPhone in 2026, the original Air remains the only option and is now discounted slightly in the secondary market after the Air 2 leak.

What the Air 2 is not

The leaks are clear about what is not changing:

• No telephoto camera. The Air 2 will not catch up to the Pro camera system. The Air line is positioned below the Pro on cameras and that segmentation holds.
• No Face ID under display. The Dynamic Island remains. The Air 2 has the same Face ID + Dynamic Island setup as the rest of the lineup.
• No ProMotion 120Hz upgrade. The Air line is expected to stay at 60Hz to keep cost and battery drain down. ProMotion is the Pro line's differentiator.
• No major chassis redesign. The 5.5mm thickness is at the limit of what current smartphone engineering supports. A thinner Air would require a major battery or display technology breakthrough.

What this means for buyers

For users who bought the original iPhone Air:

• The Air 2's second camera is the upgrade most Air users will care about. The single-camera limitation was the most-cited reason for returning the original Air.
• The A20 Pro is a meaningful jump, but the original Air's A19 Pro still handles iOS 27 and Apple Intelligence smoothly. If cameras do not matter, there is no urgent reason to upgrade from the original Air to the Air 2.

For users considering the original iPhone Air at a discount in late 2026:

• The original Air at $899-$949 (likely discount range after the Air 2 announcement) is a reasonable choice for buyers who want a thin iPhone today and do not care about the ultra-wide camera.
• The Air 2 at an expected $999 starting price in spring 2027 is the better long-term choice for buyers who can wait.

For users considering an iPhone 18 Pro over the Air 2:

• The iPhone 18 Pro adds a telephoto camera, ProMotion 120Hz, and a more powerful camera system, but is heavier (227g+) and thicker (8.25mm+).
• The Air 2 is the choice for thin-and-light buyers. The Pro is the choice for camera buyers. They are not competing for the same buyer.

Apple has not formally announced the iPhone Air 2. The expected announcement window is March or April 2027.