Apple Weighs Ultra-Thin iPhone Air 2 to Replace iPhone 18 Base Model, Dropping Standard and Plus Variants

Apple is considering a strategic adjustment to its smartphone product lineup, planning to directly replace the originally planned iPhone 18 standard model with the iPhone Air 2. To break the stagnation of innovation in its base models, Apple has adopted extreme thinness and lightness as a new product direction and has introduced the iPhone Air product line.

If this adjustment is ultimately implemented, Apple will abandon the four-model array of standard, Plus, Pro, and Pro Max that has persisted since the iPhone 11 era. Under the new product plan, the base digital series will no longer serve as the default mainstream model, with the iPhone Air series taking on a bridging role between tiers.

From a supply chain and manufacturing cost perspective, this shift also reflects Apple's intent to optimize gross margins across its product lineup. By making thin-and-light technology a new design signature, Apple can shed the reputational pressure of standard models lacking distinctiveness and, through the modern aesthetic premium of the iPhone Air, rebuild product appeal in that price segment. There remains a research and development window before the relevant models enter formal production and launch, and Apple typically conducts repeated evaluations of multiple engineering and market alternatives internally.