Apple May Launch These 3 iPhones Instead Of The iPhone 18 In 2026

After releasing new iPhone models during the fall of every year for time immemorial, recent rumors suggest Apple is planning to change its launch schedule by adding new revenue growth opportunities for the company. The latest report to highlight that comes from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter, the journalist says Apple's next fall product release will only consist of the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and iPhone Fold.

Apparently, the company is set to shift the standard iPhone 18's release to early 2027, alongside the iPhone 18e and possibly the second generation of the iPhone Air. According to Gurman, this move to release new iPhone models every six months could help Apple get steadier revenue throughout the year, reduce strain on employees and manufacturing partners, and prevent the different models from cannibalizing each other's sales. It's also going to be easier for customers to choose their preferred model when Apple releases future iPhones.

Over the past few weeks, there have been rumors suggesting that Apple is uncertain about launching a second generation of the iPhone Air. While some reports suggested the company will scrap the second-gen model, The Information says Apple will launch the iPhone Air 2 in spring 2027 with a dual-lens camera system. On the other hand, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says Apple isn't preparing a major design change to the Air, but is instead focusing on the new A20 Pro chip based on the 2nm manufacturing process to extend the battery life.

Not only that, but Gurman notes that Apple didn't promote the iPhone Air as the "iPhone 17 Air" because it doesn't want to tie its release schedule to the main line, which means the company could release it every 15 or 18 months, or even less frequently. Still, the journalist says the iPhone Air was more of an experiment in preparation for the iPhone Fold, which is expected to be like two iPhone Airs stacked together. The company is also expected to unveil the all-new iPhone 20 in 2027 to celebrate the iPhone's 20th anniversary.