No base iPhone 18 for you in 2026! Instead, premium models will drop in the fall of that year while the standard iPhone 18 is said to slip to spring 2027, rumor has it.
ETNews has reportedly confirmed with its supply chain sources earlier rumors about a major shift in Apple’s iPhone rollout strategy where the standard iPhone 18 model is not expected to debut in fall 2026 alongside its peers. If true, that will mark a signidficant departure from Apple’s traditional single-event reveal for new iPhones.
Meanwhile, this year’s iPhone 17 lineup remains on track for a traditional September 2025 launch, with the revamped iPhone 17e allegedly debuting at a spring 2026 event. However, only the premium iPhone 18 models are expected to launch at a fall 2026 event while the standard iPhone 18 (and the iPhone 18e) should come six months later in the spring of 2027. And in September 2027, iPhone fans should be treated to a big reveal as Apple introduces its 20th anniversary iPhone.
iPhone 18 is expected to be bumped into early 2027
If this is true and you were hoping to buy a base iPhone 18 instead of the more expensive premium models, you’d need to wait about six months. Apple reportedly already told its manufacturing partners and suppliers about this change.
This isn’t entirely new; Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo first said a few months ago that Apple would break tradition and make changes to the iPhone release schedule in order to better compete with Android vendors. The company apparently plans to introduce non-Pro models like the base iPhone 18 and the iPhone 18e in the spring, with the premium devices coming in the usual September timeframe.
In other words, the biannual release cadence will bring the iPhone 18 Air, iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the much-anticipated foldable iPhone in the fall of 2026. The main factor appears to be the arrival of Apple’s first foldable iPhone in 2026, which demands additional resources and attention, but it’s not just about that.
Android vendors introduce new devices more than once per year. Therefore, staggering releases will enable Apple to spotlight its premium offerings in the fall, with an additional spring launch helping maintain the momentum are renew interest when attention fades after the fall event.