No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

[MilaM]

Wasn't the last rumour that the iPhone 18 would launch in spring of 2026?

 

[roklanhavok]

From a business perspective, this is a great idea. I'm glad I have two iPhone 17s. With six phones I get a least one new phone a year, but I would wait for the normal iPhone 18.

 

[switz]

There is a bracket from 12 South that mounts to the back side of the stand on my Studio Display (that is in my summer office in the mountains) that holds the fully loaded Mac mini on it's side. Instant 27" iMac.

Getting maybe 35% of the value of the top model iPhone Pro Max is less than year is sure lots of depreciation. Apple turns it around on the refurb site and still doubles their money.

Will be interested to see actual specs of the rumored M5 Ultra Mac Studio.

My iPhone 17 Pro Max 2TB I got in November will have to last several years. I buy whenever I decide I want to, not on Apple's release schedule. Sometimes the first ones out the door have issues that get fixed after a couple of months in the models then coming off the line. More true of Apple operating system releases!

 

[ghostanime2001]

If Apple indeed manage to fit all the current iPhone 17 tech into Air body, without any of the current compromises (two cameras, stereo speakers and battery capacity), while also keeping the price similar to 17, I will seriously consider it. For now, however, it remains a pretty concept.

I will also consider the air if its cheaper than the base iphone 18 and if there are upgrades...even if they add a lower 12 MP telephoto lens in either base 18 or air 2 ....samsung and pixel base models both have a telephoto if apple doesnt get on board they will learn soon

 

[harriska2]

Weird. Went to buy a 17 pro when they came out but they were all sold out at the store. Had to settle for regular 17.

 

[harriska2]

those people can use some self control and just not buy it. and wait for the x.2 software update.

I updated from a 12 mini to 17. Felt guilty as I only had the phone for 4.5 years. But I was struggling with the battery life and replacing the battery would still give poor battery life. The 17 is a beast with the battery.

 

[Ifti]

I would have thought they would release the standard model first, and then the Pro models later. Just makes more sense in my mind!

 

[Chidoro]

Wasn't the last rumour that the iPhone 18 would launch in spring of 2026?

No

 

[Markwebbvt]

Does this mean I should trade in my 15Pro to the Base 17? The camera on the 15 Pro really wasn't the draw for me anyways as I just wanted to say for once I owned a Pro model but the 15 Pro is heavy. The longer I wait, the less I'll get for a trade-in. With that being said, I miss my 13Mini which I traded in for the 15Pro.

 

[TechMarketer]

Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle.

Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest standard model for over 18 months. This would mark the first time Apple skips an entire calendar year without releasing a new generation of its flagship non-Pro iPhone.

For more than a decade, Apple has introduced its mainline iPhone lineup in the fall, with all core models launching simultaneously in September. That pattern is expected to change this year, when the company is widely rumored to split its upcoming iPhone releases across two distinct release windows rather than unveiling the entire lineup at once. Under this strategy, Apple is expected to prioritize higher-end models in the fall while delaying lower-cost or standard models until the following year.

As a result, Apple is not expected to ship the iPhone 18 in 2026. Instead, reports indicate that Apple plans to launch the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and foldable iPhone in the usual fall timeframe, while holding the standard iPhone 18 back until the spring of 2027, where it will launch alongside the iPhone 18e and iPhone Air 2.

The rumored change is tied to Apple's expanding iPhone lineup. With the introduction of the iPhone 16e and iPhone Air in 2025, the expected debut of the first foldable iPhone in 2026, and the continued presence of older models like the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, there could be at least eight distinct iPhone models on sale from Apple by the end of 2026. A staggered release schedule would allow the company to further differentiate its models, give them a longer sales window without internal competition, and spread iPhone launches more evenly across the year.

Supply chain analysts have also pointed to manufacturing and logistics benefits as a factor behind the rumored shift. By spacing out launches, Apple could reduce production bottlenecks, better manage component supply for advanced technologies, and smooth revenue recognition across fiscal quarters rather than concentrating iPhone sales in a single period.

Article Link: No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

One possibility - there is no iPhone Air 2; the iPhone 18 will have the same form factor as the iPhone Air, but with 2 cameras and a silicon-carbon battery.

 

[kiranmk2]

Maybe it’s just me, but base should come out first and then Pro models. This goes for everything, including MacBooks.

I can't see them releasing an 18 Pro if there's no 18. Seems weird to release a Pro model of something without a standard model. If they take this approach, I suspect that they might also change the naming convention, maybe just changing to the "iPhone (year)"

In my opinion, the Pro model should be on a two-year cycle like the Apple Watch Ultra. They’ll have more room to do that when they have different models in the lineup, hopefully translating into more worthy upgrades

The Pro phones are still around 75% of iPhone sales. It makes sense to move the rest to a different time of year to ease the supply chain.

I would have thought they would release the standard model first, and then the Pro models later. Just makes more sense in my mind!

Apple have clearly learnt from the launch of Apple Silicon Macs. For M1 & M2 it was the lower spec models (MacBook Air, Mac Mini, Macbook Pro 13") that came out first followed by the Pro and Max chip models a few months later. There were clearly people who would have bought a Pro/Max model that jumped in when the lower spec models were released because they saw the great performance and didn't want to wait. By the time we got to M3, Apple launched the Pro and Max models first and made people wait 4-5 months for the MacBook Air. This way round, people that coudn't wait, ended up buying a more expensive (and more profitable) Mac rather than the cheaper (less profitable) Mac that could well have met their needs too.

With iPhone, let's stipulate that the 75% Pro share quoted above is accurate: by delaying the non-pro models 6 months it's now possible (and likely) that the Pro share will grow towards 80% as again, those that can't wait for the cheaper model will jump on the the Pro models just because they are available. It's classic Apple under Tim Cook - trying every trick in the book to get the average selling price up each year. The post below sums this up quite nicely:

Launching with a higher priced / higher end model before introducing a lower priced / lower end one is a business strategy known as price skimming.

Many decades have shown this is a successful strategy that allows a business to maximize returns in the shortest amount of time from those willing to pay a premium because they're impatient, not price sensitive, early adopters, etc.

What’s with the return of product line bloat? Is this just an inevitability with Apple trying to hit every price point and demographic under the sun?

It's not to hit every price point, it's the pricing ladder stategy - you find a model you like, then if you spec it a bit higher, you are only $50 off the next model up...

 

[Ifti]

Apple have clearly learnt from the launch of Apple Silicon Macs. For M1 & M2 it was the lower spec models (MacBook Air, Mac Mini, Macbook Pro 13") that came out first followed by the Pro and Max chip models a few months later. There were clearly people who would have bought a Pro/Max model that jumped in when the lower spec models were released because they saw the great performance and didn't want to wait. By the time we got to M3, Apple launched the Pro and Max models first and made people wait 4-5 months for the MacBook Air. This way round, people that coudn't wait, ended up buying a more expensive (and more profitable) Mac rather than the cheaper (less profitable) Mac that could well have met their needs too.

With iPhone, let's stipulate that the 75% Pro share quoted above is accurate: by delaying the non-pro models 6 months it's now possible (and likely) that the Pro share will grow towards 80% as again, those that can't wait for the cheaper model will jump on the the Pro models just because they are available. It's classic Apple under Tim Cook - trying every trick in the book to get the average selling price up each year. The post below sums this up quite nicely:

While that makes sense, I thought of it the other way around.

If the Pro models come first, those who can't wait and need to upgrade jump on the more expensive Pro model instead, and keep that for the year - as you suggested above.

However, if the cheaper models come first, then those same people jump on the cheaper model as a temporary stop gap to keep them going, then upgrade to the Pro model later in the year when it's released. This way Apple sells more handsets in the same year.......

 

[switz]

The other possibility is folks get ticked off and skip for perhaps a longer purchase cycle or give Apple the middle finger and buy something else entirely and never come back. The Apple enthusiasts seem to never consider that a possibility....

 

[Ethosik]

This is because of the RAM prices.

Not just RAM. SSD/HDD/Motherboard/etc are all expected to increase in price. Manufacturers are going back to AM4 and DDR4 and rumors are we will be going back to 8GB of RAM on a wide range of laptops again (not Apple for now).

 

[Premium1]

Feature parody is arguably the main reason the iPhone Air hasn't caught on. Its A19 chip parodies the A19Pro in the iPhone 17 models. Its one sad single camera parodies the two or three cameras in other iPhone models. Its C1 modem parodies the Qualcomm modems found in better iPhone models. And so on. Once the iPhone Air matures and its features reach parity instead of being clear downgrades from more capable iPhone models, only then will it have a chance to take its place as the entry-level iPhone.

I think price also plays a huge factor. Can’t charge pro level prices when it is lesser spec’d than the much cheaper entry level model.

 

[Premium1]

I know some won’t like this but I think the pro and pro max should be combined for just a pro max. And they should have three tier system (high mid budget). Which would lower cost and prevent price hikes and even lower them across the board (if they weren’t greedy 😂).

That is dumb. Not everyone wants a tablet in their hands. Apple could easily have 4 models (base, pro + pro max) and the fold) to cover all price points). Get rid of the air (which clearly isn’t selling well) and there isn’t a lot of confusion and the prices cover all consumers from low + high end in terms of what they are willing to pay for a device.

 

[Zenman12]

That is dumb. Not everyone wants a tablet in their hands. Apple could easily have 4 models (base, pro + pro max) and the fold) to cover all price points). Get rid of the air (which clearly isn’t selling well) and there isn’t a lot of confusion and the prices cover all consumers from low + high end in terms of what they are willing to pay for a device.

Agree about the air not, anything else.

 

[Premium1]

Agree about the air not, anything else.

So you want a bunch of redundant products that don't sell well? Penny Pincher Cook has convoluted the entire product line with the price points overlaps, features (or lack thereof), and naming schemes.