Apple reportedly skips standard iPhone 18 launch in 2026

Apple is reportedly delaying the bse model iPhone 18 until the first half of 2027, breaking with its long-standing September iPhone launch cycle.

Apple's iPhone 17 lineup

The move would mark a major departure from Apple's annual September release strategy, according to tech site MacRumors. Since 2019, the company has released standard and higher-end Pro models as part of its flagship lineup.

Reports of the change first emerged earlier this year and have since been confirmed by supply-chain sources. Under the new schedule, Apple is expected to split its iPhone launches into two phases each year.

The 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max, along with Apple's first foldable iPhone, are expected to debut in September. The standard 18, 18e and second-generation Air would follow in the first half of 2027.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo attributed the shift to two factors: closing the "marketing gap" with competitors, particularly Chinese smartphone makers that typically launch flagships in the first half of the year, and avoiding "diluted marketing efforts" as Apple's iPhone lineup expands.

The Information has similarly reported that splitting the launches could help Apple manage manufacturing resources more efficiently as its iPhone lineup grows from five models to six.

Multiple reports indicate that the 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max will go on sale about a week after their debut.

Apple's first foldable model, referred to in some reports as the Ultra, is also expected to be unveiled at the September event but could go on sale later, potentially toward the end of the year.

The 18 Pro models are also expected to come with substantially higher prices.

Jeff Pu, an analyst at GF Securities, estimates that the 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max could cost $250-$300 more than their current-generation counterparts. The 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max, debuted late 2025, start at $1,099 and $1,199.

Pu attributed the potential price increases to the higher cost of producing chips using a 2-nanometer manufacturing process, as well as rising prices for DRAM and NAND flash memory, which are used for temporary and long-term data storage in smartphones. Apple is facing tighter component supplies as the rapid expansion of global AI infrastructure increases demand for semiconductor manufacturing capacity.