Apple’s introduction of the brand new entry “e” mannequin and the upcoming iPhone Fold imply there’ll quickly be six new iPhones a yr, one thing a leaker identified.
There’s an opportunity that Apple might shift its launch schedule as soon as it has extra iPhone fashions available on the market. One rumor even steered the bottom iPhone might turn into a spring launch, leaving the professional fashions for the autumn.
The newest declare comes from Instantaneous Digital, a supply with a stable monitor report on Weibo, who suggests Apple will stagger the rollout of the iPhone 18 lineup throughout early 2027.
It’s going to observe the late-2026 launch of the iPhone 18 Professional fashions and the long-awaited foldable iPhone. This is not the primary time we have heard Apple was shifting towards a biannual iPhone launch technique.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo mentioned earlier in 2025 that Apple plans to separate its launch cadence. The iPhone Professional fashions will come within the fall, and non-Professional fashions will arrive the next spring.
Add within the firm’s foldable, which is broadly anticipated to reach in late 2026, and the maths turns into easy. By early 2027, Apple could be able to roll out the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e alongside the prevailing iPhone 18 Professional, iPhone 18 Professional Max, and the iPhone Fold.
The iPhone calendar is getting crowded
The extra fascinating angle is what this shift means for Apple’s technique. A spring iPhone launch is not uncommon for Apple due to the iPhone SE and iPhone 16e, nevertheless it might let the corporate deal with the iPhone Professional and non-Professional fashions virtually like separate traces.
Which will assist with provide chains and permit advertising to lean more durable into the year-round improve cycle.
An early multi-view render of the iPhone Fold – Picture Credit score: AppleInsider
Nonetheless, the chance of fragmentation is actual. With six new fashions coming in a single calendar yr, Apple’s clear fall-focused narrative might get more durable to keep up. Consumers could really feel caught making an attempt to guess which fashions are value ready for.
If the foldable is positioned as a premium experiment and the iPhone 18e turns into a real entry-level possibility, the unfold would possibly work. However Apple must be clear about the place every mannequin matches.
In any other case, the shift might blur the iPhone’s once-straightforward lineup into one thing rather a lot messier. Nevertheless, it’s a technique that works for Apple’s rival, Samsung, so it might work out in the long run.
