Apple Skipping iPhone 18 Launch This Year

[MacRumors]

Apple supplier Pegatron today indirectly confirmed that the standard iPhone 18 model will not be released until next year, according to a new report.

Pegatron held an earnings call for the second quarter of 2026 today. On the call, Taiwan's Economic Daily News said Pegatron indicated that one of its customers will be changing its usual smartphone shipment schedule. As widely expected, the report said Apple plans to release the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and a foldable "iPhone Ultra" this September, followed by the standard iPhone 18 model in the first quarter of 2027.

The standard iPhone 11 through to the iPhone 17 all launched alongside Pro and Pro Max models in September over the years, so the launch of the base model iPhone 18 being postponed until around March 2027 would be a notable change.

Apple's plans to split up the launch of the iPhone 18 series has already been widely rumored by sources such as Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, former The Information reporter Wayne Ma, and others over the past year. Apple supplier Largan Precision also hinted at the change in a similarly indirect way earlier this year.

A lower-end iPhone 18e and an iPhone Air 2 are also expected to be released around March 2027.

In total, six new iPhone models are slated to launch by the end of March:

• iPhone 18 Pro: September 2026
• iPhone 18 Pro Max: September 2026
• iPhone Ultra: September 2026
• iPhone 18: March 2027
• iPhone 18e: March 2027
• iPhone Air 2: March 2027

Article Link: Apple Skipping iPhone 18 Launch This Year

 

[lenningj]

LIES! 😢😥😢😥

interesting to see apple retail line up of the new launch.. when only the select range starts at over $1k.. its over!

 

[I7guy]

Okay, the higher margined iPhones get released first. Can’t fault Apple for that strategy.

 

[jsavvy]

I get the strategy…I just don’t like. I hope it doesn’t work out.

 

[antonrg]

Well, they can do this all they want, not everyone can or want to purchase a 1K€ phone. So those people will just skip this. And frankly, in today's economy buying a super expensive phone (even on instalments) is not as easy as before.

 

[mansplains]

I hope the rumors are incorrect, at least for Air 2. It wouldn’t be surprising, however, as both Google and Samsung have staggered release schedules.

 

[jclardy]

It makes sense, but feels like it is going to be strange at the actual 18 launch since the general public will think the 18 has already launched because of the 18 Pro.

 

[Return Zero]

The Air 2 is going to be a great consolation prize for anyone who ends up getting the Ultra and disliking it XD

 

[Nugget]

I think this is a great move. The historical strategy of trying to release all their various phone models all on the same day is a logistics nightmare and makes it more difficult for Apple to justify the existence of niche-market phones like the Air, Mini, and rumored Ultra.

There's no immutable law of the universe that says that Apple must release all their phone models on the same day. The market will adapt and I think it will be a healthier release tempo for the products, the company, and consumers.

 

[BeatCrazy]

Probably the best time for the basic model to be skipped/delayed. Standard iPhone 17 is still a very strong device, basically lacking nothing for the 99.9%, save for a >2X optical zoom.

 

[Powerbooky]

Well, they can do this all they want, not everyone can or want to purchase a 1K€ phone. So those people will just skip this. And frankly, in today's economy buying a super expensive phone (even on instalments) is not as easy as before.

Exactly! It’s ridiculous those prices. If this is due to sky high memory prices, then it’s time to put a big hold on the AI industry buying everything.

Man, with those ever larger screens, it will be cheaper to buy a Macbook Neo and use a cheap 5G router instead.

 

[CarAnalogy]

I get the strategy…I just don’t like. I hope it doesn’t work out.

It makes sense, but feels like it is going to be strange at the actual 18 launch since the general public will think the 18 has already launched because of the 18 Pro.

The general "standard" iPhone buying user doesn't even know what two digit number their phone is exactly anymore. They just go to their cellular provider when the battery starts wearing out/they start seeing "free" upgrade promotions.

The base 17 is already so good, I can't really think of anything I'd really want to see from the 18. Year over year upgrades are now as boring on phones as they are on computers. I'm frankly surprised they're still updating the Pro every single year. They almost have too many iPhones now.

The real enthusiasts are buying the Pros anyway so nothing changes. Anyone who doesn't have a 17 by now and wants one might as well either just get it or wait a little longer, it's not going to be that different either way.

 

[klasma]

It makes sense, but feels like it is going to be strange at the actual 18 launch since the general public will think the 18 has already launched because of the 18 Pro.

Given that Apple will likely skip the “19” denomination, maybe there will be a major renaming next year to solve that problem, instead of just going “20”.

 

[k1121j]

This should help with supply

 

[Shanesan]

I'm sure the overwhelming majority of iPhone owners will feel seen being put in the back of the line.

 

[Hammerd]

It introduces a perpetual dilemma:
Should I get the Pro I don’t need while a cheaper base iPhone would launch in not even 6 months?

The bast iPhone 18 just launched, but should I wait for the 19 Pro that might receive important improvements in just 6 months?

That, plus this is a strategy to force upselling which is despicable and will eventually result in people upgrading even less frequently and hold onto their phone for longer.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

The general "standard" iPhone buying user doesn't even know what two digit number their phone is exactly anymore. They just go to their cellular provider when the battery starts wearing out/they start seeing "free" upgrade promotions.

The base 17 is already so good, I can't really think of anything I'd really want to see from the 18. Year over year upgrades are now as boring on phones as they are on computers. I'm frankly surprised they're still updating the Pro every single year. They almost have too many iPhones now.

The real enthusiasts are buying the Pros anyway so nothing changes. Anyone who doesn't have a 17 by now and wants one might as well either just get it or wait a little longer, it's not going to be that different either way.

All valid points.

I could see non-Pro going to an 18 month or 24 month product cycle, and separating from the “number” - like iPhone Air did.

 

[BeatCrazy]

Exactly! It’s ridiculous those prices. If this is due to sky high memory prices, then it’s time to put a big hold on the AI industry buying everything.

We're in a global economy, who exactly puts 'a big hold' on a worldwide industry?

 

[crsh1976]

It doesn't matter in the sense that non-Pro/Ultra models won't be getting enough RAM to run all Siri AI features locally anyway, but I'm waiting for the normal 18 in order to upgrade from my aging iPhone 14.

 

[jayducharme]

Fall is for pros; spring is for n00bs.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

It makes sense, but feels like it is going to be strange at the actual 18 launch since the general public will think the 18 has already launched because of the 18 Pro.

It’s not a problem if Apple discontinues the numbers, as they have already started prototyping with the iPhone Air.
If the pros launch in the fall as simply iPhone Pro, and the Airs launch in the spring as simply iPhone Air, then there’s no problem.

 

[Powerbooky]

We're in a global economy, who exactly puts 'a big hold' on a worldwide industry?

There are only a few manufacturers - they can be influenced by some people.

 

[svish]

Was expecting this to happen for the last many months. Flagships in September, followed by everything else 6 months later. Waiting to hear possible color options for the base 18.

 

[Unami]

LIES! 😢😥😢😥

interesting to see apple retail line up of the new launch.. when only the select range starts at over $1k.. its over!

Atm, the iphone 17 sits at €949, including VAT. That's roughly $1,1k.

 

[jonnysods]

The tricky part about the iPhone 18 is that its processor would also be the thing going into the next gen Neo, its going to be hard for them to keep up.