No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest
Apple isn’t planning to release a regular iPhone 18 model this year, according to several reports. These reports suggest that Apple is making a big change to its usual yearly iPhone launch schedule.
Even though the iPhone 17 was very successful in 2025, the iPhone 18 isn’t expected to come out until 2027. That means the iPhone 17 will stay as the latest standard model for more than 18 months. This would be the first time Apple skips an entire year without introducing a new version of its mainline iPhone.
For over a decade, Apple has launched its main iPhone models in the fall, usually all at once in September. But this year, there are rumors that Apple will split its iPhone releases into two different time periods. Instead of launching all models together, the company might release higher-end models in the fall and wait to launch lower-cost or standard models until the next year.
Because of this, the iPhone 18 isn’t expected to come out in 2026. Instead, reports say that the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and a foldable iPhone will be launched in the usual fall season. The standard iPhone 18 will be delayed until spring 2027, where it will be released along with the iPhone 18e and iPhone Air 2.
This change is connected to Apple’s growing range of iPhone models. With the iPhone 16e and iPhone Air already on the market in 2025, the first foldable iPhone is expected in 2026, and older models like the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will still be available, there could be at least eight different iPhone models on sale by the end of 2026. A staggered release schedule could help Apple better separate its models, give them more time to sell without competing with each other, and spread out iPhone sales more evenly throughout the year.
Supply chain experts also think that this change could bring benefits to Apple’s manufacturing and logistics. By spreading out releases, Apple might avoid production bottlenecks, better manage parts for advanced features, and spread out revenue more smoothly across different quarters instead of focusing all iPhone sales in one period.