Waiting for iPhone 18? Launch Could Be Months Away as Apple Splits its iPhone Releases

Apple's annual September event is just weeks away. While anticipation has been building for the next-generation iPhones, the rumour mill widely suggests that one of the Cupertino-based tech giant's most important products could be missing from the showcase. Apple has been rumoured to adopt a staggered launch strategy this year, with only the iPhone 18 Pro models debuting alongside the Ultra. The standard iPhone model, meanwhile, could be pushed into early 2027.

iPhone 18 Launch Timeline

Apple traditionally unveils its flagship iPhone lineup at a September event. The hardware showcase has historically featured a standard model alongside the Pro and Pro Max variants. The company's famous “One More Thing” reveal has usually rounded up the September event. This year, however, Apple is rumoured to shake up that formula.

According to reports, the Cupertino-based tech giant could split the iPhone 18 series launch into two phases. The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max could debut at the September event alongside Apple's first foldable iPhone, which is rumoured to have the iPhone Ultra moniker.

The vanilla iPhone 18, meanwhile, is said to be delayed until early 2027. Rumours suggest that it could debut alongside the iPhone 18e, possibly by March. For comparison, Apple introduced the iPhone 16e in February, while the iPhone 17e arrived in March.

If the reports are accurate, buyers looking for Apple's next-generation iPhone without paying the premium expected for the Pro or Ultra models may have to wait several months longer than usual.

The exact reason behind the reported change remains unclear. But if reports are to be believed, buyers who are waiting for Apple's next-generation affordable flagship model may have to wait a little longer before they can get their hands on the iPhone 18.

What to Expect

According to reports, Apple's iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e models will arrive with 9GB of RAM. If accurate, it would be an increase from the 8GB memory that is available on the current iPhone 17 and iPhone 17e. The additional memory is likely to help deliver smoother performance as iOS 27 introduces tighter system-level integration with Apple Intelligence. But major upgrades, meanwhile, could be very few.

The top-end model in the next-generation lineup, the iPhone 18 Pro Max, could feature a 6.9-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10 and Dolby Vision support. The handset is tipped to get Ceramic Shield 2 protection, an anti-reflective coating, and a Dynamic Island that is roughly one-third smaller than the current implementation.

Under the hood, the iPhone 18 Pro Max may be powered by Apple's A20 Pro chipset built on TSMC's 2nm process. It is expected to pair the processor with a hexa-core CPU and an 8-core Apple GPU. Cameras could include a 48-megapixel primary camera with a variable aperture ranging from f/1.6 to f/4.0, a 48-megapixel 4x periscope telephoto camera, and a 48-megapixel ultrawide shooter.