Apple plans to significantly change its traditional iPhone launch schedule. For the first time in its long history, the company will not release a base iPhone model in a calendar year—the standard iPhone 18 will not hit the market until spring 2027.

According to industry sources, Apple will introduce only premium models in the fall of 2026: the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone 18 Air, and the company's first foldable iPhone. This approach will allow the company to differentiate its models and give each a longer sales period without internal competition.

The budget iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e models will not be released until the first half of 2027. This means that the iPhone 17, released in 2025, will remain the company's main standard model for more than 18 months.

Analysts point to supply chain and manufacturing benefits—spacing out launches will allow Apple to reduce production loads, more efficiently source components for advanced technologies, and balance revenue across fiscal quarters.

By the end of 2026, Apple could have up to eight different iPhone models on sale at any one time, including the iPhone 16e and iPhone Air introduced in 2025, the first foldable iPhone, and older models like the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus.

The first foldable iPhone, tentatively called iPhone Fold, will feature a book-shaped design with an external display of approximately 5.3-5.5 inches and an internal display of 7.6-7.8 inches. The device will use a 2-nanometer A20 chip and could be Apple's thinnest device yet—just 4.5 mm when unfolded.

Analysts predict the price of the foldable iPhone will be between $2,000 and $2,500, making it the most expensive iPhone in the company's history.