For well over a decade now, consumers have been used to new iPhones coming out in the fall, like clockwork. However, according to a series of reports, Apple may be planning to change its iPhone release schedule drastically. The change could significantly impact when you can buy your next preferred model of the iPhone. It could also provide Apple with several key advantages in an increasingly competitive smartphone landscape.
A staggered iPhone release
Apple released the original iPhone on June 29, 2007. For the following three years, Apple released a new iPhone every June or July. But in 2011, Apple altered its iPhone release window, shifting to a fall launch date for the iPhone 4s. Since that date, Apple’s new family of latest and greatest iPhones has launched every fall, with the exception of the iPhone SE (which was historically not considered part of the latest iPhone family) and this year’s iPhone SE replacement, the iPhone 16e.
Yet, according to two reports this week—one from The Information and one from respected TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo—2025 is the last year that Apple will launch an entirely new iPhone family of entry-level and premium phones in unison in the fall. Instead, beginning in 2026, Apple will move to a biannual iPhone release schedule, which will see the pricier “premium” iPhone models launch in the fall, and the cheaper “entry-level” and “budget” iPhone models in the first half of the following year.
You can still expect to see Apple launch the new iPhone 17 family in full this fall: most likely the entry-level iPhone 17 and the premium iPhone 17 Slim/Air (the exact name of the new, thin iPhone is uncertain at this point), iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. But this will be the last year Apple releases entry-level and premium family members at the same time. (The budget iPhone 17e is expected to debut in Spring 2026 as is usual for the budget model).
Starting in 2026, though, things will change. Apple will launch the premium iPhone 18 series models, including the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and iPhone 18 Slim/Air, along with a new foldable iPhone 18 in the fall. However, the entry-level iPhone 18 and budget iPhone 18e won’t be released until approximately six months later, in the spring of 2027.
This new staggered release schedule is sure to irritate some consumers, particularly those who enjoy buying the entry-level new iPhone model every September. However, the change will benefit Apple in several ways.
Chinese competition
The Information was the first to report on Apple’s planned release schedule changes, followed a few days later by a report from TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
