iPhone 18: Apple Officially Pushes the Standard Model to 2027

It is now unofficially settled: the standard iPhone 18 will not ship this year. On August 12, 2026, during its second-quarter earnings call, Taiwanese assembler Pegatron indirectly confirmed Apple’s calendar change. According to Taiwan’s Economic Daily News, the contractor said one of its customers was altering its usual smartphone shipment schedule. Translation: Apple will indeed launch the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and a foldable named iPhone Ultra in September, but the regular iPhone 18 will wait until the first quarter of 2027.

What Pegatron let slip

Pegatron is one of the main iPhone assemblers. Its earnings calls are watched closely, because the company cannot name Apple directly, yet its comments on volumes regularly give away Cupertino’s plans.

This time the message is clear: a major customer is shifting part of its smartphone production. It is not the first supply-chain leak on this subject. In June 2026, lens maker Largan Precision had already dropped a similar hint. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and former reporter Wayne Ma have been describing this split-launch strategy for more than a year.

Another clue landed on August 10: the fifth iOS 27 developer beta contains, according to Macworld, references to six unannounced iPhone models, hidden in system files tied to battery drivers.

Six iPhones in seven months: Apple’s new calendar

If this schedule holds, Apple will launch six new iPhones before the end of March 2027.

The break is sharp. From the iPhone 11 to the iPhone 17, the standard model was always introduced in September alongside the Pro and Pro Max versions. Pushing the entry-level model to March is the biggest calendar change in almost a decade.

Why Apple is breaking a seven-year rhythm

Three logics combine. First, logistics: squeezing six launches into a single day is becoming an industrial headache, especially as Apple multiplies niche ranges such as the Air and the Ultra.

Second, margin. By shipping the most expensive models first, Apple captures demand from the highest spenders without cannibalisation from a much cheaper standard model unveiled on the same day.

Third, the commercial calendar. Spreading releases keeps the first quarter alive, traditionally quiet after the holidays, and smooths production across the year instead of concentrating it in autumn.

iPhone 18 Pro: what is close to certain

The most solid rumours, corroborated by several independent sources, paint the following picture:

• A variable aperture on the 48-megapixel main sensor of both Pro models. In practice, the camera will be able to adjust how much light reaches the sensor and give you more control over exposure and depth of field.
• A 2nm A20 Pro chip built by TSMC, paired with an LTPO+ display meant to noticeably improve real-world battery life.
• More generous batteries: leaked capacities point to around 5,567mAh for the iPhone 18 Pro Max outside China.
• New colours, with Dark Cherry presented as this year’s signature finish, joined by light blue, silver and dark grey.
• A second-generation in-house modem, the C2, which could bring 5G satellite connectivity. If that modem lacks mmWave support, Apple is expected to keep a Qualcomm part for the US market.

Among the less established rumours is a Dynamic Island roughly 35 percent narrower, spotted on alleged prototypes and screen protectors. Some sources claim, however, that Apple may have postponed the change to next year because of Face ID component challenges. Treat it with caution.

iPhone Ultra: Apple’s first foldable

This is September’s real novelty. Apple’s first foldable is described very consistently by sources: a short, wide, book-style format with an outer screen of about 5.5 inches and an inner panel of about 7.8 inches in a 4:3 ratio. Unfolded, the device would resemble a small iPad. One source compared it to two titanium iPhone Airs placed side by side.

Apple has reportedly reduced the inner display crease to less than 0.15mm deep, which would make it almost invisible in normal use. More recent rumours acknowledge that some physical crease is probably unavoidable, so nearly crease-free is a more realistic description than completely crease-free.

The iPhone Ultra name keeps coming back and would match a position above the Pro Max. There is still no firm evidence, and iPhone Fold remains a possibility, albeit a receding one.

Prices set to climb

This is the dark spot of the season. Soaring memory prices weigh heavily on production costs. According to TrendForce estimates relayed by MacRumors, the iPhone 18 Pro would cost Apple roughly 38 percent more to build than its predecessor.

Analysts therefore expect an iPhone 18 Pro starting around 1,299 dollars and an iPhone 18 Pro Max around 1,399 dollars, 200 dollars more than the previous generation. The foldable would go north of 2,000 dollars. These figures remain estimates: Apple has announced no official pricing.

What it means for you

If you were targeting a standard iPhone 18 this autumn, you need to revise your plans. Two options are open to you.

First option: wait until March 2027. You will get the standard model, likely with 9GB or 12GB of RAM against 8GB on the iPhone 17, an increase needed to run the more advanced Apple Intelligence features in iOS 27.

Second option: buy an iPhone 17 now. Given the announced price rises across the 18 range and the delay to the standard model, the current generation becomes a rational choice, especially as its price should fall automatically after the September keynote.

If instead you are tempted by the Pro or the foldable, the autumn will be busy. Apple is expected to unveil these devices in the first half of September, with retail availability in the second half of the month.

Nothing is official until Apple speaks, but when assemblers, supply-chain analysts and the iOS 27 code all tell the same story, betting against it becomes difficult. Will you wait for the iPhone 18 or go for a Pro in September? Tell us in the comments on Wanda-techs.com.

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