Apple is expected to split its next iPhone generation across two release windows, launching premium models this fall while delaying the standard iPhone 18 until early 2027, according to recent statements from key suppliers and consistent industry reporting.

Taiwanese contract manufacturer Pegatron indicated during its second-quarter 2026 earnings call that the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models remain on track for a traditional September release. The base iPhone 18, however, is now projected to arrive in the first quarter of 2027. The more affordable iPhone 18e and a second-generation iPhone Air are also expected in that later window.

The reports align with earlier signals from the supply chain. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and outlets including The Information had previously outlined a strategy in which Apple would prioritize its higher-end devices in the fall of 2026. A chairman of Largan Precision, a major supplier of iPhone camera lenses, earlier noted that a significant U.S. customer had postponed a new product launch to the first quarter of 2027, remarks widely interpreted as referring to Apple's standard models.

Fall 2026 is instead expected to feature........

© International Business Times