iPhone 18 Said to Retain Same Design as Predecessor, iPhone Air 2 Launch Timeline Tipped

iPhone 18 series is said to be in development as the successor to the iPhone 17 lineup, and we have seen multiple reports about the iPhone 18 Pro models recently. However, a new leak now sheds light on the design of the regular iPhone 18. It also offers hints about the possible launch timeline of the iPhone Air 2 model. The new leak contradicts earlier claims that all iPhone 18 series models would feature a smaller Dynamic Island. The leak also challenges the previous rumours, which pointed to a 2027 launch for the iPhone Air 2.

iPhone Air 2 Could Arrive Earlier Than Previously Expected

A Chinese tipster known as Fixed Focus Digital (translated from Chinese) on Weibo, citing industry sources, claims that the design of the vanilla iPhone 18 will remain largely unchanged from the iPhone 17. This leak contradicts recent rumours that the entire lineup would arrive with a slightly smaller Dynamic Island.

In another Weibo post, the same tipster claims that Apple will stick to its usual launch schedule for the iPhone Air 2. The iPhone Air was launched in September last year alongside the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro models. Previous reports have contradicted this claim, and it's currently unclear whether a new slim phone will debut alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Apple's rumoured foldable iPhone. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously suggested the iPhone Air 2 could arrive in early 2027.

There has been a lot of buzz around the launch timeline of the iPhone 18 series. Apple was rumoured to launch iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models in September this year, alongside its first foldable smartphone. The iPhone 18 model was speculated to arrive early next year alongside the iPhone Air 2 model.

The vanilla model is likely to feature a 6.27-inch LTPO 120Hz screen. The iPhone Air 2, on the other hand, is tipped to offer a 6.55-inch LTPO panel with the same 120Hz refresh rate. The entire lineup could use the A20 or the A20 Pro processor. Apple could launch the new phones in the same price points as its iPhone 17 counterparts.