(Image source from: Deccanchronicle.com)

Apple might be getting ready to change one of its oldest product traditions. A report suggests that the company probably will not launch a typical iPhone 18 this year, indicating a possible shift in its usual yearly iPhone release schedule. Although the iPhone 17 series saw a good response after its launch in 2025, the next entry-level upgrade might take a lot longer to come out. MacRumors mentions that the standard iPhone 18 is now thought to be coming out in early 2027, which means the iPhone 17 could be Apple's latest non-Pro model for over a year and a half. If this timing is accurate, it would mark the first time Apple skips a whole year without updating its main standard iPhone. In the past ten years, Apple has always revealed its complete iPhone series every September, presenting all versions at once. This method now seems to be changing. Apple is shifting towards a staggered launch plan and will spread out iPhone releases throughout the year instead of holding them all at one event in the fall. In this new approach, high-end devices would still be prioritized in the fall, while more affordable or regular versions would be released later.

Therefore, Apple is not expected to release the standard iPhone 18 in 2026. Instead, MacRumors indicates that the company aims to launch the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, as well as its first foldable iPhone, during the usual fall launch period. The regular iPhone 18 will then be available a few months later, arriving in the spring of 2027, along with the iPhone 18e and the second-generation iPhone Air. This reported change is closely tied to Apple’s quickly growing iPhone lineup. New models like the iPhone 16e and iPhone Air were introduced in 2025, and a foldable iPhone is anticipated in 2026. While older models like the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus are still being sold, Apple might have as many as eight different iPhone models available at the same time by the end of next year. One reason for this strategy could be that spreading out releases throughout the year would help to minimize overlap between models, lengthen their selling periods, and make the lineup easier to market.