Apple may delay iPhone 18 launch to 2027, breaking annual release cycle

Guwahati: Apple is unlikely to introduce the standard iPhone 18 before spring 2027, extending the iPhone 17’s run as the company’s latest non-Pro model for more than 18 months, according to reports.

If the timeline holds, Apple will, for the first time, skip an entire calendar year without releasing a new generation of its flagship standard iPhone.

For over a decade, Apple has launched its core iPhone lineup together each September. That long-standing cycle is set to change as the company prepares to stagger future releases, rolling out premium models first and deferring lower-priced variants to a later window.

Under the revised strategy, Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and its first foldable iPhone in the customary fall launch season of 2026. The regular iPhone 18, however, is likely to debut in spring 2027 alongside the iPhone 18e and the iPhone Air 2, delaying the arrival of the standard model by several months.

The shift reflects Apple’s rapidly expanding iPhone portfolio. Following the launch of the iPhone 16e and iPhone Air in 2025, the anticipated entry of a foldable iPhone in 2026, and the continued sale of older models such as the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, Apple could have at least eight iPhone variants in the market by the end of 2026. A phased release schedule would help the company position each model more distinctly, reduce internal competition and extend individual sales cycles.

Industry analysts also cite supply chain considerations behind the move. By spacing out launches, Apple can ease manufacturing pressures, manage component supplies for advanced hardware more efficiently, and distribute iPhone revenue more evenly across fiscal quarters instead of concentrating sales around a single annual launch.