Apple is gearing up to unveil the iPhone 17 series early next month, but fresh reports suggest a big shake-up in its future lineup. The vanilla iPhone 18 may not launch in 2026 alongside its Pro counterparts, as Apple is reportedly delaying its debut to early 2027. Importantly, the company isn’t scrapping the model altogether—instead, it is expected to launch the iPhone 18 alongside Apple’s long-rumored foldable iPhone, marking a major shift in its release strategy.
Apple to skip iPhone 18? Leak teases major reshuffle in plans before iPhone 17 launch
Apple to skip base iPhone 18 launch in September 2026
The company will release four models including its first-ever foldable late next year, reports say
The base iPhone 18 will… pic.twitter.com/jHqT3Ju5JT
— Pawan Jaiswal (@Pkhubhai) August 18, 2025
Apple is reportedly shifting its iPhone strategy to help boost sales by delaying the launch of the vanilla iPhone 18. The reasoning appears to be that, in the absence of a standard model, consumers may be encouraged to buy the iPhone 18 Air or higher-end Pro variants instead. Meanwhile, the iPhone 17e is expected to follow the usual timeline and launch alongside the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup.
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This isn’t the first time such reports have surfaced. Well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously suggested that Apple would not launch the vanilla iPhone 18 at its September 2026 event, adding weight to current speculation.
Foldable iPhone may push iPhone 18 launch to 2027 https://t.co/nSkv5wdKfC pic.twitter.com/txBBNWgwJ8
— Cult of Mac (@cultofmac) August 18, 2025
Kuo predicted that instead of the base model, Apple will introduce the iPhone 18 Air, iPhone 18 Pro, and iPhone 18 Pro Max, alongside the long-rumored foldable iPhone. However, analyst Jeff Pu of GF Securities has indicated that the foldable device’s mass production may only begin in late 2026, making a September debut unlikely.
In the meantime, Apple is also reshaping its lineup this year by retiring the Plus model from the iPhone 16 series. Its replacement, the iPhone 17 Air, is expected to launch as the thinnest and lightest iPhone yet, signaling Apple’s continued efforts to refresh its lineup while preparing for bigger shifts in the coming years.
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