Apple Splits iPhone 18 Launch to Prioritize High-Margin Pro Models

##Apple Inc. will split its iPhone 18 release schedule to prioritize high-margin Pro models, launching the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max on September 12, 2026. In a departure from previous strategies, the company is delaying the standard iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, and iPhone Air until early 2027, likely in March. This shift forces holiday shoppers to either purchase the premium Pro models or wait until spring for entry-level options.

The iPhone 18 Pro series will feature significant price increases, with starting prices estimated between $1,299 and $1,399. These hikes are driven by the transition to a 2nm A20 chipset from TSMC and increased RAM capacity. The Pro models will act as the exclusive gateway for iOS 27's Apple Intelligence and Siri AI features, which require 12 GB of memory to run large language models locally. Other expected hardware upgrades include a variable-aperture primary camera and a second-generation C2 modem.

Looking further ahead, Apple is internally testing a special 20th anniversary edition of the iPhone for 2027. This device may feature a 7-inch borderless display, a 6,000mAh silicon-anode battery, and an A21 Pro chipset with 16GB of RAM. However, these ambitions face economic pressure as TSMC plans to raise chipmaking prices by 5–10% starting in January 2027, which may push the anniversary model's starting price above $1,400.