When will iPhone 18 come out? Apple’s new release schedule explained

With the iPhone 18 series, Apple is reportedly moving away from how it has been handling the launch dates of its flagship phones. The company’s new release schedule is designed to better compete against rivals Samsung and Google, but what does that mean for the iPhone 18?

Let’s go over the reports and rumors, and try to piece just when exactly the iPhone 18 will come out.

iPhone 18 launching in spring?

According to new reports — first from telecom companies, and now from industry insider Mark Gurman — Apple is splitting up the release of its phones.

The iPhone 18 Pro, the iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the new foldable iPhone will apparently release as normal: in the fall of 2026. However, the base model iPhone 18, as well as the iPhone 18e and possibly the iPhone Air 2, will come out in early 2027 instead.

Keeping previous iPhone releases in mind, the iPhone 18 Pro models and the foldable iPhone will likely be announced in the first 10 days of September, 2026.

Base model coming early 2027

Early next year will be the launch of the iPhone 17e, and that will be that, as Apple begins preparations for the foldable iPhone. According to reports, the base model iPhone 18 will come out alongside the iPhone 18e and the iPhone Air 2.

If the iPhone 18e and the iPhone 17e follow the same pattern as the iPhone 16e, then the base model iPhone 18 will likely come out in February or March of 2027.

iPhone 18 might come out in April

There is a chance that the base model iPhone 18 might come out in April of 2027, instead of February or March. Apple insider Mark Gurman, in his newsletter Power On, detailed Apple’s new iPhone release schedule.

In his report, Gurman says that Apple will release the base model iPhone 18, the iPhone 18e, and potentially the iPhone Air 2 “roughly” six months after the launch of the Pro models. This, Gurman claims, is a formula that the company will follow for years to come.

If the iPhone 18 Pro models and the foldable iPhone come out in September, and if Apple does take six months to release the other phones, we could be looking at an April launch. While unlikely that the company will take this long, it is definitely possible.

Except, of course, if the Pro models and the foldable iPhone come out during a month other than September.

February 2027 is the likeliest candidate

Ultimately, February 2027 is the likeliest candidate for the release of the base model iPhone 18. This is because, simply put, Apple’s new release schedule was designed to better compete with the Galaxy S26 and the Pixel phones.

If the Galaxy S26 release date is in February, as prior releases seem to suggest, then Apple won’t want to be too early or too late with the iPhone 18. As such, a February release for the base iPhone 18 seems most likely, with the Pro models coming out in September, as is tradition.

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