Apple Said to Switch to Staggered Release Schedule for iPhone 18 Series, Foldable iPhone

Apple's iPhone 17 series, expected to arrive in September as the successors to the iPhone 16 lineup, and details of next year's purported iPhone 18 lineup has already leaked online. The iPhone 18 series of smartphones have been tipped to debut with more RAM and advanced chips. Now, a new report suggests that the Cupertino tech giant could switch up its plans for the release of its upcoming iPhone models, starting in 2026. A few handsets in the iPhone 18 lineup may launch as usual around September 2026, while others may get pushed to the following year.

iPhone 18 Lineup Release Strategy

The Information reports that Apple is considering a staggered release for the iPhone 18 series of smartphones. Citing unnamed sources, the publication claims that the company is expected to launch the premium iPhone 18 models, including the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone 18 Air variants in fall 2026.

Apple typically introduces new iPhone models around the same time over the past few years. From 2026, however, the company may not unveil all the handsets in the series in one go. The standard iPhone 18 model and an iPhone 18e variant are expected to arrive in markets by spring 2027 (around March or April 2027).

The base iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e will reportedly undergo manufacturing trials in India. This is said to be due to Apple's efforts to lessen its manufacturing dependency on China.

This shift in strategy could be attributed to a number of reasons. As per the report, Apple is expected to introduce a foldable smartphone, alongside the Pro and Air versions, in 2026. The staggered release plans may help boost the sales of the upcoming iPhones as well. It will likely help the company better allocate resources, as the number of manufacturing workers Apple would need at one time will decrease.

Previous leaks suggested that Apple may use 2nm TSMC chipsets in the iPhone 18 phones. All handsets in the lineup are expected to arrive with 12GB of RAM. The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max could also come with a hole-punch style camera cutout instead of the Dynamic Island, as Apple reportedly prepares to launch an iPhone with an all-screen display.