Every September, Apple launches its new iPhone family. Except that may be about to change this year...
Because, while we're still expecting to see new iPhones this September, rumours abound that the new baseline iPhone 18 model won't be among them.
iPhone 18: release date rumours
Possibly the biggest news concerning the iPhone 18 isn't to do with its design, specs or features, but its release date. Because while Apple is rumoured to launch some iPhones this September, the standard iPhone 18 isn't said to be among them.
Instead, it's rumoured to launch in the spring of 2027.
Why? Apple is said to be eyeing a split release strategy. September should act as the launch of the premium line of iPhones, while Apple will hold back the more affordable models until the following spring. Last spring saw the launch of the iPhone 16e, and the iPhone 18 is thought to debut alongside the iPhone 18e in the spring of 2027.
With the new foldable iPhone said to launch this September, alongside the newest iterations of the iPhone Air, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, it's understandable that the bog-standard iPhone 18 would be somewhat overshadowed in such company.
A spring launch would also make the iPhone 18e announcement more of an event, creating two iPhone launch events a year and doubling the amount of buzz. With updates becoming ever more incremental and people holding onto their devices for longer between upgrades, Apple hasn't been able to create the same kind of hype around an iPhone launch that it used to (remember the huge queues that used to form outside Apple Stores?). But two events a year would mean you were never more than six months away from a new iPhone launch.
This dual release strategy was first rumoured in May 2025, and has since been corroborated by numerous reputable sources.
iPhone 18: price predictions
Despite the rates of inflation in recent years, iPhones haven't really got more expensive. But that could be about to change.
Inflation might have subsided, but that doesn't mean everything has stopped increasing in price, just that it's getting more expensive more slowly. Coupled with US tariffs, it could point to the first significant price rise for an iPhone since the iPhone 12 in 2020.
There's also a RAM shortage currently ongoing, fuelled by the rise of RAM-hungry AI processes. As more devices need more RAM to run the latest features, RAM itself is becoming more scarce, which is pushing up prices due to the law of supply and demand.
Having said that, it's too early to predict prices with any accuracy. So far, we haven't see any leaks concerning prices from any reputable sources.
As a reminder, here's the pricing of the iPhone 17 line-up.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | iPhone 17 | iPhone Air | iPhone 17 Pro | iPhone 17 Pro Max |
256GB | £799 / $799 / AU$1399 | £999 / $999 / AU$1799 | £1099 / $1099 / AU$1999 | £1199 / $1199 / AU$2199 |
512GB | £999 / $999 / AU$1799 | £1199 / $1199 / AU$2199 | £1299 / $1299 / AU$2399 | £1399 / $1399 / AU$2599 |
1TB | N/A | £1399 / $1399 / AU$2599 | £1499 / $1499 / AU$2799 | £1599 / $1599 / AU$2999 |
2TB | N/A | N/A | N/A | £1999 / $1999 / AU$3799 |
iPhone 18: screen speculation
If one rumour is correct, you might need sunglasses in order to operate the iPhone 18.
That's because the device will have a much brighter screen, leaker Instant Digital posted on Chinese social media site Weibo (via MacRumors). Apple's brightness requirements for the panel are said to be so high, that Chinese supplier BOE is struggling to manufacture screens for the device, according to Korean publication The Elec (though this is also partly to do with ongoing production issues that persist from the end of last year).
That means Samsung could end up manufacturing the bulk of the iPhone 18's screens.
The iPhone 17 hit a peak outdoor brightness of 3000 nits (though in more typical use it's around 1000-1600 nits). If Apple can increase this significantly, you might have to reach for the Ray-Bans.
The screen is expected to stay the same 6.27-inch size as the iPhone 17, according to Chinese leaker Digital Chat Station. They say it will have the same 120Hz refresh rate and LTPO (Low-Temperature Polycrystalline Oxide) tech as the current model, too.
iPhone 18: design rumours
While rumours concerning the design of the iPhone 18 might be thin on the ground at present, we have heard about changes to the iPhone 18 Pro.
According to leaker Ice Universe, the Dynamic Island will shrink in the iPhone 18 Pro. In a post on X, they predict it will go from a width of 20.76mm to 13.49mm, a reduction of around 35 per cent.
The Dynamic Island cutout width on the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max has been reduced from 20.76 mm to 13.49 mm, representing a reduction of approximately 35%. pic.twitter.com/dLnUdCts7zJanuary 23, 2026
The Dynamic Island is the pill-shaped cutout at the top of the screen. It debuted on the iPhone 14 – replacing the notch that had featured in the same place – and shows information from other apps, allowing you to multitask.
Ice Universe has a decent track record of accurate leaks, but this one is still far from set in stone. But where the Pro model innovates, the standard iPhone often follows, so we could see the base variant shrink its Dynamic Island in a similar way. And with a lag of a few months between the Pro and standard model launching, this change could even come to the iPhone 18.
However, the leakers are split on this one. Some reckon Apple will replace the Dynamic Island with a circular cutout in the top corner of the screen, while others predict Apple will have found a way to keep the same functionality while doing away with any cutout altogether.
The iPhone 18 Pro is also said to lose the two-tone colour finish (according to leaker Instant Digital). And it could get some new finishes, with possible new colours including burgundy, coffee and purple.
iPhone 18: specs and feature leaks
Apple is expected to unveil its C2 modem chip this year, so the odds of it featuring in the iPhone 18 are high. The C2 should be more powerful than the current C1 and C1X, with mmWave 5G connectivity.
The iPhone 18 could have a new processor, too. The A20 will follow the A19 and A19 Pro of the iPhone 17 generation, though it could be exclusive to the pricier models, with the iPhone 18 being upgraded to the A19 Pro. At this stage, it's simply too early to tell.
The A20 will be more powerful and efficient thanks to TSMC's 2nm process – it's estimated to be up to 15 per cent faster than the A19 chips and 30 per cent more efficient.
The A20 should offer TSMC's Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module (WMCM) technology, which integrates the RAM directly onto the same wafer as the CPU, GPU and Neural Engine rather than having it adjacent. This could mean faster performance and better thermal management, with a longer battery life. But again, it could just be for the iPhone 18 Pro models for now, especially as these chips are expected to cost Apple more.
But we could see Apple launch both A20 and A20 Pro chips, with the iPhone 18 getting the former and the latter reserved for the Pro models. That's the approach Apple currently takes, kitting out the iPhone 17 with the A19 and the 17 Pro with the A19 Pro.
The only other rumour we've heard so far says that the iPhone 18 might be upgraded to 12GB of RAM, up from 8GB on the iPhone 17. Given the ubiquity of AI features, and their increasing RAM needs, we would say this one is a dead certainty.
iPhone 18: camera conjecture
The only rumour specifically relating to the iPhone 18's cameras is that the front-facer will be upgraded to 24 megapixels, from the iPhone 17's 18 megapixels. But there's more chat about the iPhone 18 Pro camera.
It's said to have a variable aperture, allowing the user to manually adjust how much light reaches the sensor, affecting the photo's lighting and depth of field. A new Samsung three-layer stacked image sensor is also rumoured, to make the camera more responsive, reduce picture noise and increase the dynamic range.
We could also be in for larger apertures on the iPhone 18 Pro's main and telephoto lenses to allow in more light during gloomy conditions.
iPhone 18: early verdict
The iPhone 18 is still probably 14 months away, so the fact we've seen any rumours so far just shows how eagerly awaited the handset is. If the screen can go as bright as is rumoured, movie fans on the go will be in for a treat. And if the iPhone 18 can make some gains in performance, battery life, sound quality and camera abilities, it will please fans all over the world.
The split launch would be a new strategy for Apple, and would be the first time a standard model iPhone hasn't launched in the autumn since the iPhone 4 in 2010. Would Apple mark such an occasion by making some major changes to the baseline model iPhone? We'll have to wait and see.
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