Due to Apple’s reported change of release plans, the standard iPhone 18 may not be available until spring 2027.
Apple will switch from releasing all of its newest iPhone models at once to a twice-yearly launch schedule, The Information reported on May 3. The change spaces out the lineup of six models, possibly including a foldable phone.
Historically, Apple has released its new iPhone lineup at one time in the fall; budget models, such as the iPhone SE line, have followed in the spring. Apple’s new iPhone release plan reportedly adjusts the timing of premium devices as well. According to The Information, the revised schedule will begin in 2026 with the iPhone 18.
The iPhone 18 will launch in two waves:
That means the iPhone 18 base model will likely be released in spring 2027.
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The iPhone 17 line is still expected to be revealed in fall 2025, following Apple’s usual schedule. A successor to the iPhone 16E is also expected in spring 2027.
The change will help Apple manage the production and release of six distinct iPhone models, The Information said, citing anonymous sources within Apple’s supply chain.
One of those six new iPhone models may include Apple’s long-rumored foldable smartphone. The Information said the foldable iPhone is expected to feature a book-style configuration, meaning it will hinge vertically between two horizontally aligned screens.
The alternative is the clamshell-style configuration with a horizontal hinge between two vertically aligned screens, which tend to be smaller. Samsung offers foldable phones in both configurations: the Fold line has the book configuration, while the Flip line has the clamshell configuration.
The Information said Apple’s foldable will let users interact with a 5.7-inch screen when closed and about an 8-inch display when opened.
Apple is following its classic playbook when it comes to foldable phones, holding back during the initial hype in an effort to make the most polished product when they do release their version.
Megan Crouse has a decade of experience in business-to-business news and feature writing, including as first a writer and then the editor of Manufacturing.net. Her news and feature stories have appeared in Military & Aerospace Electronics, Fierce Wireless, TechRepublic, and eWeek. She copyedited cybersecurity news and features at Security Intelligence. She holds a degree in English Literature and minored in Creative Writing at Fairleigh Dickinson University.
