Apple Changes Release Schedule, IPhone 18 Basic Model Present In Spring 2027, 6 Months After Pro Model

IPhone 17 Air) is scheduled to be released in the second half of this year (photo: x @cultofmac)

JAKARTA Apple will change the iPhone release schedule on a large scale. According to industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple plans to no longer launch all flagship iPhone models at the same time in the fall. This shift will be the biggest change in the release pattern since the iPhone 4s in 2011.

Starting 2026, Apple will adopt a two-time release schedule a year, with the more affordable version of the iPhone launched in the first half of the year and the Pro model still coming in the fall. That is, in 2027, Apple will release the iPhone 18 and iPhone 19 in two stages of the basic version of the iPhone 18 in the spring, and the iPhone 18 Pro model in the fall.

2025 will be the last year for Apple to maintain its old launch pattern. iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone 17 Slim (or so-called iPhone 17 Air) are scheduled to be released in the second half of this year, likely in September.

In early 2026, Apple will release the iPhone 17e, which is likely to be present in March or April. This device will be the successor to the iPhone 16e, which was previously introduced in February 2025.

Then, in the second half of 2026, Apple will present the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone 18 Slim, and Apple's first foldable iPhone. However, the basic model of the iPhone 18 is not included in this group.

Instead, Kuo said that the standard version of the iPhone 18 will be released alongside the iPhone 18e in the spring of 2027, about six months after the launch of the Pro model. This is the first time in iPhone history that the basic model was not released alongside the Pro variant.

Apple is also planning the same thing for 2027, where the iPhone 19 Pro, iPhone 19 Pro Max models, second-generation folding iPhones, and Slim iPhone 19 will arrive at the end of the year. Meanwhile, the iPhone 19 and iPhone 19e models will follow a few months later, namely in 2028.

The report from The Information shows that production marketing and optimization strategies are the main reason Apple is changing its launch schedule. Many Apple competitors are used to launching their flagship in the spring, so Apple wants to compete with them with big releases at the same time.

Kuo said that this decision was a response to fierce competition, especially in China. With this new schedule, Apple will compete more directly with smartphone releases from its competitors in the first half of the year.

In addition, the increasing number of iPhone variants like the upcoming iPhone 16e line and foldable iPhone models is a challenge for Apple. If all models are launched in one window in time in the fall, marketing can be less effective. By separating the release of the basic model and premium model, Apple hopes to give each device longer time to attract consumer attention.

With this new schedule, Apple seems to want to optimize marketing strategies and face increasingly fierce smartphone industry competition. Will this strategy work? We look forward to it together!