iPhone 18

Apple is deviating from its standard iPhone launch timeline in 2026 and 2027. Instead of introducing four new iPhones in September 2026, the iPhone 18 lineup will come out across fall 2026 and spring 2027.

The more expensive iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max launched in September as usual. We got Apple's three most expensive iPhones: iPhone 18 Pro, the iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the iPhone Duo. There was no iPhone 18.

Apple plans to introduce the standard iPhone 18, the iPhone 18e, and a second-generation iPhone Air in spring 2027. If you typically buy a standard iPhone model, you'll have to wait, because Apple wants to save its less expensive iPhone models for early 2027.

• Should You Buy an iPhone 17 Now or Wait for iPhone 18?

This roundup has information on the upcoming iPhone 18. If you want to know about the iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone 18 Pro, or iPhone Duo, we have dedicated roundups for them.

• iPhone Duo
• iPhone 18 and iPhone 18 Pro Max

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The standard iPhone 18 models are not expected to feature design changes, with Apple using the same 6.3-inch display size for the iPhone 18 and the 6.1-inch size for the iPhone 18e.

A20 Chip

The iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e could adopt Apple's upcoming 2-nanometer A20 chip, while Apple's more expensive iPhones got the A20 Pro.

The current A19 chip is built on a 3-nanometer process, and 2-nanometers is a long-awaited step down in node size. The chips are expected to feature performance and efficiency improvements, leading to increased battery life without compromising on speed.

RAM

Information is mixed on how much RAM the iPhone 18 will get. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said it is expected to have 9GB RAM, 1GB more than the iPhone 17, while analyst Jeff Pu believes Apple will upgrade it with 12GB.

If the iPhone 18 is limited to 9GB RAM, it will not support two new features in Apple Intelligence. The option to customize Siri's voice with settings for expressivity and pace requires at least 12GB RAM, as does the improvement to speech-to-text dictation. 12GB RAM or more is necessary because these features run on-device and not in the cloud, and 9GB RAM doesn't offer enough processing power.

Display

The iPhone 18 will have an improved display, and Apple is said to have unprecedentedly high requirements for brightness, which at least one supplier is struggling with.

Smaller Dynamic Island

It's possible that the standard iPhone 18 will have the same smaller Dynamic Island the iPhone 18 Pro models got.

Modem

The iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e will likely adopt the C2 modem like the iPhone 18 Pro and the iPhone Duo.

Pricing

Apple raised the price of its Macs and iPads in June 2026, and it raised the price of the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and iPhone 17. The iPhone 17 is now priced at $899, so the iPhone 18 will be at least that expensive.

Apple is allegedly "downgrading" the iPhone 18 in order to cut costs amid increasing RAM prices because it doesn't want to increase the price of the iPhone. Apple is implementing cost control measures in manufacturing processes, chips, memory, and more, making the iPhone 18 manufacturing cost more in line with the iPhone 18e manufacturing cost.

Apple is supposedly going to downgrade the display specifications, resulting in inferior screen quality. It's possible Apple will cut down on the iPhone 18's brightness. Apple may also downgrade the A-series chip, using a version with a 4-core GPU instead of a 5-core GPU.

The iPhone 18 and the iPhone 18e will share components, narrowing the gap between the two devices. Certain parts are rumored to be interchangeable between the two models.

The iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, and a second-generation iPhone Air are expected to launch in spring 2027.