Apple’s standard iPhone 18 may not arrive until 2027, according to a new report. Pegatron, a major Taiwanese company that assembles devices for Apple, has reportedly hinted at the change. During Pegatron’s second-quarter 2026 earnings call, the company discussed changes to its usual smartphone shipment schedule. Taiwan’s Economic Daily News linked those changes to one of Pegatron’s customers, widely believed to be Apple.
The report says Apple will launch the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and foldable iPhone Ultra in September 2026. The standard iPhone 18 would then follow in the first quarter of 2027. This would mark a major change for Apple’s iPhone launch strategy. The company has released its standard iPhone alongside the Pro and Pro Max models every September since the iPhone 11.
Apple’s plans for a split iPhone 18 launch have appeared in several reports over the past year. Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and former The Information reporter Wayne Ma have both reported similar plans.
Another Apple supplier, Largan Precision, also appeared to hint at the change earlier this year. Together, these reports suggest Apple could move to a two-stage iPhone launch schedule. The standard iPhone 18 may not be the only model arriving in early 2027. Apple is also expected to launch a lower-end iPhone 18e and the second-generation iPhone Air around the same time.
If these reports are accurate, Apple could launch six new iPhone models by the end of March 2027. Three models would arrive in September 2026, followed by three more in March 2027.
The expected September lineup includes the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and iPhone Ultra. The iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, and iPhone Air 2 are expected to follow in March 2027.
Apple has not confirmed these plans yet. However, Pegatron’s latest comments add more weight to reports of a major change in Apple’s iPhone release strategy.
