The iPhone 18 will be absent from the September event: it will be launched no later than March next year.
With just a few weeks to go before Apple’s September launch event, all indications suggest that one core product will be absent from this annual extravaganza: the standard iPhone 18.
As is customary in previous years, Apple usually releases all new iPhones at once in the fall, and occasionally supplements them with mid-range models such as the SE series or e series in the first half of the year.
This year is different, however; the standard iPhone 18 will not be unveiled in September. Next month’s event will focus on only three models: the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the foldable iPhone Ultra.
The other three models are scheduled to debut in the first quarter of 2027, including the iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, and iPhone Air 2, with an expected release date no later than March. For reference, Apple launched the iPhone 16e in February 2025 and the iPhone 17e in March 2026, indicating a precedent for spring releases.
Analysts believe that the delayed release of the iPhone 18 is mainly related to production capacity. The iPhone 18 Pro series will be the first to use TSMC’s 2nm A20 Pro chip, but the initial production capacity and yield of the new process are limited, and Apple needs to prioritize the supply of the more profitable Pro and foldable screen models.
Furthermore, 2026 is a crucial year for the launch of Apple’s foldable screen products. Delaying the release of the standard version to the spring can not only prevent the marketing hype of the high-end models from being diluted, but also effectively fill the sales gap in the second quarter.
For Apple, the core strategy is to prioritize ensuring the production capacity and profits of ultra-high-end models rather than letting the standard version compete with the first-generation foldable screen for new process chips and assembly capacity.
Therefore, if consumers want to buy the next generation of iPhones but don’t want to pay exorbitant prices for the Pro or Ultra models, they’ll have to wait a few more months. Apple is gradually restructuring its release schedule to cope with an increasingly complex product portfolio and supply chain pressures.
For users who are used to upgrading their devices in the fall, this change means they need to readjust their purchasing schedule.
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