Apple’s standard iPhone 18 model will reportedly skip a 2026 release.
According to South Korea’s ETNews, Apple is targeting a spring 2027 launch for the upcoming handset. This would break from the tech giant’s annual release pattern and put a notable gap between it and next month’s expected launch of the iPhone 17.
According to ETNews, Apple will instead fill the September 2026 window with the long-rumoured foldable iPhone and, interestingly enough, the iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max and thinner “Air” models. Then, in spring 2027, Apple would launch the base iPhone 18 model, as well as the more entry-level 18e alternative.
ETNews says it heard all of this information from industry officials. It should also be noted that there’s likely credibility to this report, given that both The Information and Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported earlier this year that Apple has been considering a biannual iPhone release schedule in an effort to attain prolonged sales. This is because iPhone sales tend to peak in the fourth quarter before dropping in the following months.
All in all, this “high-end phones in the fall, lower-cost phones in the spring” strategy would mark a major deviation from what Apple has been doing since the inception of the iPhone in 2007. It remains to be seen how consumers might respond to these rumoured tiered release plans.
For now, though, it should be business as usual with Apple, as the company is expected to launch the full iPhone 17 series at next month’s phone event. Rumours suggest it will take place on September 9.
Via: MacRumors
MobileSyrup may earn a commission from purchases made via our links, which helps fund the journalism we provide free on our website. These links do not influence our editorial content. Support us here.
