A leaker with no real track record to speak of is claiming that Apple is going to drop the expected iPhone 18 and instead give that name to what was the iPhone Air 2. A move like this may happen someday, but not in 2027.
It's previously been reported that the iPhone 18 will closely resemble the performance and hardware of the iPhone 18e. But now one of the leakers who claimed that is now saying that Apple is dropping its iPhone 18 design.
Instead, according to EarlyAppleLeaks, the expected iPhone Air 2 will take its place, and its name. So the iPhone 18 Apple launches will really be the iPhone Air 2 in disguise.
Apple is reportedly exploring the idea of "iPhone Air 2" replacing the upcoming "iPhone 18" next spring.
— Early Apple (@earlyappleleaks) September 7, 2026
The upcoming iPhone Air 2 would simply be rebranded as a $999 "iPhone 18" https://t.co/GMocoTtoNn
It's actually not an unreasonable prediction, except for the scheduling. As the iPhone Air, base iPhone and iPhone "e" versions get closer in design, Apple could well subsume all or some of them into one model.
That would mean the base iPhone being significantly thinner than the Pro models. It would also likely affect the battery life in that base version.
However, it would simplify Apple's iPhone lineup. By the time Apple is done launching its next round of iPhones in the spring, the company will have five new models on sale.
So it would make sense if, instead of two Pro models, one base, one Air, and one foldable, Apple combined some. Even now, 2027 is looking like a crowded year for iPhone launches.
The chances of this happening in spring 2027 are nil, however. Even assuming that Apple is splitting its iPhone launch into two events, all of the models expected in spring are already far down the line.
We won't know for sure until at least spring 2027. But at the September 9, 2026 event, Apple will show whether leaker EarlyAppleLeaks is right about the iPhone 18 range sporting a smaller Dynamic Island.
