Apple’s introduction of the new entry “e” model and the upcoming iPhone Fold mean there will soon be six new iPhones a year, something a leaker pointed out.
There’s a chance that Apple could shift its release schedule once it has more iPhone models on the market. One rumor even suggested the base iPhone could become a spring release, leaving the pro models for the fall.
The latest claim comes from Instant Digital, a source with a solid track record on Weibo, who suggests Apple will stagger the rollout of the iPhone 18 lineup across early 2027.
It will follow the late-2026 launch of the iPhone 18 Pro models and the long-awaited foldable iPhone. This isn’t the first time we’ve heard Apple was moving toward a biannual iPhone launch strategy.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said earlier in 2025 that Apple plans to split its release cadence. The iPhone Pro models will come in the fall, and non-Pro models will arrive the following spring.
Add in the company’s foldable, which is widely expected to arrive in late 2026, and the math becomes simple. By early 2027, Apple would be in a position to roll out the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e alongside the existing iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the iPhone Fold.
The iPhone calendar is getting crowded
The more interesting angle is what this shift means for Apple’s strategy. A spring iPhone launch isn’t unusual for Apple thanks to the iPhone SE and iPhone 16e, but it could let the company treat the iPhone Pro and non-Pro models almost like separate lines.
That may help with supply chains and allow marketing to lean harder into the year-round upgrade cycle.
An early multi-view render of the iPhone Fold – Image Credit: AppleInsider
Still, the risk of fragmentation is real. With six new models coming in a single calendar year, Apple’s clean fall-focused narrative could get harder to maintain. Buyers may feel stuck trying to guess which models are worth waiting for.
If the foldable is positioned as a premium experiment and the iPhone 18e becomes a true entry-level option, the spread might work. But Apple will have to be clear about where each model fits.
Otherwise, the shift could blur the iPhone’s once-straightforward lineup into something a lot messier. However, it is a strategy that works for Apple’s rival, Samsung, so it could work out in the long term.