Godox A2: The Xenon Flash Apple Never Put in Your iPhone

Learn AllAbstract PhotographyArchitectural PhotographyAstrophotographyBeginner Photography TipsBlack and White PhotographyEvent PhotographyFlower PhotographyFood PhotographyGift GuidesHow to Shoot Landscape PhotographyMacro PhotographyMaternity Photography TipsNature PhotographyNewborn PhotographyNude Photography Photography News Godox A2: The Xenon Flash Apple Never Put in Your iPhone

How to Master Manual Focus for Sharper Photos

Golden Hour in San Francisco: Month-by-Month Times and the 8 Best Spots to Use It

How to Pose People: A Portrait Photographer’s Posing Guide

Building a Portrait Lighting Kit on a Budget

Best Cameras for Vlogging in 2026: The Features Worth Paying For

Best Camera Under 1000 Dollars: 6 New Picks for Photos and Video in 2026

Best Travel Camera 2026: 10 Mirrorless and Compact Picks for Every Kind of Trip

Canon R8 vs R8 Mark II: Should You Upgrade or Buy the Original R8 Now?

Foldable Phone Cameras in 2026: Apple’s First Fold Against Samsung and Google

Hasselblad X2D 100C Review: What MPB’s Berlin Field Test Found

Sony A6000 Review: The Best Used Mirrorless Camera Under $500 in 2026

Leica Q3 Review: What a Used Q3 Costs in 2026

Fujifilm X100VI Review: Why Used Costs More Than New

Canon 5D Mark III Review: Is a 14-Year-Old Pro Body Still Worth Buying?

Learn AllAbstract PhotographyArchitectural PhotographyAstrophotographyBeginner Photography TipsBlack and White PhotographyEvent PhotographyFlower PhotographyFood PhotographyGift GuidesHow to Shoot Landscape Photography Photography News Godox A2: The Xenon Flash Apple Never Put in Your iPhone

How to Master Manual Focus for Sharper Photos

Golden Hour in San Francisco: Month-by-Month Times and the 8 Best Spots to Use It

How to Pose People: A Portrait Photographer’s Posing Guide

Building a Portrait Lighting Kit on a Budget

Best Cameras for Vlogging in 2026: The Features Worth Paying For

Best Camera Under 1000 Dollars: 6 New Picks for Photos and Video in 2026

Best Travel Camera 2026: 10 Mirrorless and Compact Picks for Every Kind of Trip

Canon R8 vs R8 Mark II: Should You Upgrade or Buy the Original R8 Now?

Foldable Phone Cameras in 2026: Apple’s First Fold Against Samsung and Google

Hasselblad X2D 100C Review: What MPB’s Berlin Field Test Found

Sony A6000 Review: The Best Used Mirrorless Camera Under $500 in 2026

Leica Q3 Review: What a Used Q3 Costs in 2026

Fujifilm X100VI Review: Why Used Costs More Than New

Canon 5D Mark III Review: Is a 14-Year-Old Pro Body Still Worth Buying?

The Godox A2 is a magnetic xenon flash for the iPhone, and it costs $84.90. Godox announced it in October 2026 and sells it direct. Specifically, it pairs a xenon tube with a 3W bi-color LED, so one puck covers stills and video. As a result, you get flash power the built-in iPhone flash lacks.

Godox aims the A2 at creators who shoot photos and video on one phone, especially portraits and indoor scenes. However, the A2 works only with iPhones for now. Godox lists Android and HarmonyOS support as under development, with no date.

Its closest rival, the LED-based Profoto C1 Plus, is no longer available at B&H. In fact, Godox tried this idea once before, with its 2017 A1 smartphone flash.

I have shot stills and video for more than 17 years on Nikon, Sony, Panasonic and Canon bodies. In my view, a dedicated flash changes low-light portraits more than most camera upgrades do. Now the A2 puts one on an iPhone for under $90.

If you want one today, the A2 is also listed on Amazon through the GODOX USA storefront. The box below shows the live price and stock for the white version.

A magnetic xenon flash with TTL, high-speed sync and a bi-color LED for listed iPhones.

These figures come from the official A2 product page and Godox’s launch graphics.

The headline spec is the tube itself. A xenon flash stores a charge and releases it in one short, bright burst. In contrast, the built-in iPhone flash is an LED, which trades peak output for a longer glow.

Guide number tells you the reach. Divide 15 by your aperture to get the distance in meters at ISO 100. For example, at f/2 the A2 reaches about 7.5 m at full power. Still, Godox recommends staying within 2 m for best results, because light falls off with the square of distance.

For context, Godox rates its V860III speedlight at GN 60 with the head zoomed to 200mm. On paper, the V860III delivers four times the A2’s number, or four stops more light. Therefore, treat the A2 as a close-range light, not a speedlight replacement. Our guide to lighting setups for beginners explains how falloff shapes a portrait.

The Godox Camera app controls the A2. In Auto mode, TTL sets flash output for you. Also, you pick one of three looks: Natural, Even or Contrast. Manual mode instead lets you set shutter speed and flash output, from 1/128 to full power in 1/3-stop steps.

High-speed sync reaches 1/8000s. This matters outdoors, because a fast shutter darkens a bright sky while the flash still lights your subject. Godox shows it with a sunset beach portrait. For newcomers, our primer on TTL, sync speed, and modifiers covers the basics.

Still, the app is a requirement, not an extra. TTL, high-speed sync and 1% LED steps all run through it. Pairing uses Bluetooth with NFC assist and reaches 15 m. Godox also plans a separate trigger to fire its speedlights from the phone.

The A2 snaps magnetically onto a compatible iPhone, so it goes on and off without tools. Its magnetic body also sticks to metal surfaces, which turns it into an off-camera light. In addition, an optional PS01 mount rotates 360 degrees for selfies.

The A2 ships with a magnetic ring, a magnetic dome diffuser and a carrying pouch. For more control, the optional AK-R1 Mini kit adds a snoot, barndoors and a bounce card. It also includes a grid, diffusers and two CTO gels. Godox recommends using most of these with the flash off the phone.

Switch to the LED, and the A2 becomes a small video light, with four color presets on the body. Runtime at full brightness is about 30 minutes, which suits short clips more than long interviews.

The Profoto C1 Plus is the obvious comparison. Unlike the A2, it used LEDs for both flash and continuous light. Also, B&H now lists the Profoto C1 Plus as no longer available.

The A2 is lighter, at about 93 g against 176 g for the C1 Plus without its dome. However, the C1 Plus carried a 1,500mAh battery. It was rated for over 2,000 full-power flashes, versus about 400 for the A2.

Price is the bigger gap. The C1 Plus launched at $499 in 2019, while the A2 costs $84.90. In other words, the A2 costs about a sixth as much and adds a xenon tube. The C1 Plus still wins on battery life.

Whichever way you lean, Godox built two add-ons for the A2: the PS01 phone mount and the AK-R1 Mini modifier kit. For comparison, the Godox TT600 shows what a full-size speedlight adds for camera owners.

If you shoot portraits, food or events on a listed iPhone, the A2 looks worth its $84.90 on paper. Owners of earlier models such as the Profoto C1 call the gain over the built-in iPhone flash clear, although it trails a speedlight. They also say a light this small gets carried. For me, the size is the point: a flash in your bag beats a stronger one left at home.

On the other hand, wait if you use Android or an iPhone older than the 15 series. Anything before iOS 18 rules it out as well. Also wait if you depend on Apple’s Camera app, since Godox runs TTL and sync through its own app. Earlier smartphone flash models drew complaints about the maker’s app. Godox’s 2017 A1, for instance, failed to sync with newer iPhones, according to owner reviews. My advice is to let early owners test the app through an iOS update or two first.

Finally, if you already carry a camera and a speedlight, the A2 does not replace them. For a bigger step up, see our guide to building a portrait lighting kit on a budget.

On paper, the Godox A2 is the phone flash I would point most iPhone portrait shooters to. It packs a xenon tube, TTL and 1/8000s sync into a 93 g puck for $84.90. Better still, the magnetic design lets you move the light off the phone, which is where flash gets interesting.

The trade-offs are fair ones. It works only with the iPhones on Godox’s list. Also, it needs the Godox app for its best features, and its reach suits subjects within 2 m. Android shooters and anyone who lives in Apple’s Camera app should wait for now.

For everyone else, I see the A2 as an affordable way to put a capable flash on an iPhone. Let early owners vet the app through an iOS update, then buy one.

Not yet. Godox lists Android and HarmonyOS support as under development, with no date. At launch, it supports iPhones only.

Godox lists every iPhone 15, 16 and 17 series model, including the 16e, 17e and iPhone Air. It also lists the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max, with iOS 18.0 or later.

Yes, for its main features. TTL, high-speed sync and 1% LED steps all run through the Godox Camera app. Meanwhile, the buttons on the flash set LED brightness in 10% steps and pick from four color presets.

Xenon releases a stored charge in one short, intense burst. In contrast, the built-in LED stays lit longer at a lower peak output. As a result, xenon freezes motion better and reaches further.

https://www.photographytalk.com/photography-lighting-setups-beginners/ 2. TTL, sync speed, and modifiers -> https://www.photographytalk.com/off-camera-flash-photography-for-beginners/ 3. portrait lighting kit on a budget -> https://www.photographytalk.com/building-a-portrait-lighting-kit-on-a-budget/ WIDGET MANIFEST azw_box: B0HM9S4FLN (Godox A2, white, sold by GODOX USA) | section: Overview: A Real Flash for Your iPhone (end, about 21%) | review_url: none | rating source: omitted (new listing, no ratings yet) azw_grid: B0HMKMW6CJ (Godox PS01 phone mount), B0HMKX21GS (Godox AK-R1 Mini kit), B01969PLQ8 (Godox TT600) | placement: end of Godox A2 vs. Profoto C1 Plus (about 67%) Needs manual ASIN: none Replaced legacy CTAs: 0 RELATED READING LINKS: 1. Godox Lux Junior II -> https://www.photographytalk.com/godox-lux-junior-ii-retro-flash-announced/ 2. iPhone 18 Pro upgrade -> https://www.photographytalk.com/iphone-18-pro-upgrade-photographers/ 3. Smartphone photography at night -> https://www.photographytalk.com/mastering-smartphone-photography-at-night –>