No iPhone 18 this year as Apple plans new launch strategy, supplier hints
No iPhone 18 this year as Apple plans new launch strategy, supplier hints
Publish Date: 2026-06-16 00:49:00
Source Domain: www.indiatoday.in
Apple could be preparing one of the biggest changes to its iPhone release schedule in more than a decade. If recent reports and supply chain hints are accurate, buyers waiting for the standard iPhone 18 may have to wait until 2027 instead of seeing the device launch alongside the Pro models in late 2026. The latest indication comes from Largan Precision, a company best known for supplying camera lenses used in iPhones. During a recent shareholders’ meeting, chairman Lin En-ping revealed that a major American customer had moved the launch of a new product to the first quarter of 2027. While he did not name either the customer or the product, the timing has attracted attention because it matches ongoing reports about Apple’s future iPhone plans.
For years, Apple has introduced its entire flagship iPhone family at the same event, usually held in September. However, the rumour mill suggests the company is now considering a different approach as its smartphone portfolio continues to grow.
Under the plan, Mac Rumors reported that Apple would reserve the autumn launch window for its premium devices. This means the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max could arrive in the second half of 2026 alongside Apple’s first foldable iPhone. The regular iPhone 18, the iPhone 18e and a possible successor to the iPhone Air would then be introduced several months later in spring 2027.
If Apple follows this roadmap, it would be a notable departure from a launch pattern that has remained largely unchanged since the early 2010s. It would also mean that customers looking for Apple’s more affordable flagship models would no longer receive new devices at the same time as Pro buyers.
It is being reported that the move could help Apple spread demand across the year rather than concentrating it around a single launch event. It may also simplify production planning as the company expands its lineup to include a foldable model.
The foldable iPhone is expected to be the centrepiece of…
