Apple's iPhone 18 base model is reportedly delayed to early next year, with only the Pro series launching this fall, according to supplier Pegatron's earnings call.
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<img alt="A photo of a person holding the iPhone 17." data-caption="The iPhone 17’s successor might not arrive until 2027. | Photography by Allison Johnson / The Verge" data-portal-copyright="Photography by Allison Johnson / The Verge" data-has-syndication-rights="1" src="https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/DSC01498.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100" />
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The iPhone 17’s successor might not arrive until 2027. | Photography by Allison Johnson / The Verge </figcaption>
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<p class="wp-block-paragraph">According to an <a href="https://money.udn.com/money/story/5612/9687778"><em>Economic Daily News</em></a> report spotted by <a href="https://www.macrumors.com/2026/08/12/apple-skipping-iphone-18-launch-this-year/"><em>MacRumors</em></a>, executives for Apple supplier Pegatron confirmed during an earnings call that the iPhone 18 Pro series phones will launch this fall, but the base iPhone 18 won't arrive until the first quarter of next year. The more affordable <a href="https://www.theverge.com/news/817908/apple-iphone-air-second-generation-delayed">iPhone 18e and a new iPhone Air</a> are also rumored to launch around the same time, in line with rumors that have been circulating for more than a year. </p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Analyst <a href="http://mingchikuo.craft.me/9br1TonGnVzDPP">Ming-Chi Kuo</a> and <em>The Information</em> both reported last year that Apple was planning to <a href="https://www.theverge.com/news/660739/apple-may-stagger-next-years-iphones-to-make-way-for-a-foldable">only launch its premium iPhones</a> in fall 2026, and earlier this year <a href="https://www.macrumors.com/2026/06/15/no-iphone-18-this-year-apple-supplier-confirms/">another Apple supplier</a> said one of its custom …</p>
<p><a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/979231/apple-base-iphone-18-launch-delayed">Read the full story at The Verge.</a></p>
# It looks like Apple’s iPhone 18 really will skip the fall launch this year
Source: [https://www.theverge.com/tech/979231/apple-base-iphone-18-launch-delayed](https://www.theverge.com/tech/979231/apple-base-iphone-18-launch-delayed)
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A supplier’s earnings call supports rumors that Apple will stick to launching high\-end phones like the Pro series this fall\.
A supplier’s earnings call supports rumors that Apple will stick to launching high\-end phones like the Pro series this fall\.
by
Aug 12, 2026, 7:27 PM UTC


[](https://www.theverge.com/authors/stevie-bonifield)
Stevie Bonifield
is a news writer covering all things consumer tech\. Stevie started out at Laptop Mag writing news and reviews on hardware, gaming, and AI\.
According to an[*Economic Daily News*](https://money.udn.com/money/story/5612/9687778)report spotted by[*MacRumors*](https://www.macrumors.com/2026/08/12/apple-skipping-iphone-18-launch-this-year/), executives for Apple supplier Pegatron confirmed during an earnings call that the iPhone 18 Pro series phones will launch this fall, but the base iPhone 18 won’t arrive until the first quarter of next year\. The more affordable[iPhone 18e and a new iPhone Air](https://www.theverge.com/news/817908/apple-iphone-air-second-generation-delayed)are also rumored to launch around the same time, in line with rumors that have been circulating for more than a year\.
Analyst[Ming\-Chi Kuo](http://mingchikuo.craft.me/9br1TonGnVzDPP)and*The Information*both reported last year that Apple was planning to[only launch its premium iPhones](https://www.theverge.com/news/660739/apple-may-stagger-next-years-iphones-to-make-way-for-a-foldable)in fall 2026, and earlier this year[another Apple supplier](https://www.macrumors.com/2026/06/15/no-iphone-18-this-year-apple-supplier-confirms/)said one of its customers was postponing a phone launch to early 2027\.
Along with the iPhone 18 Pro, Apple’s[rumored “Ultra” foldable](https://www.theverge.com/tech/907856/iphone-fold-dummy-design-delay-production)is reportedly launching this fall\. The*EDN*report cites Pegatron execs saying that memory and chip shortages are causing the peak shipping seasons to shift, as its customers like Apple figure out how to spread out the parts they have and increasingly prioritize higher\-priced models that have larger margins\.
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- Stevie Bonifield
## The Verge Daily
A free daily digest of the news that matters most\.
Leaked photos and parts lists for the iPhone 18 Pro have surfaced on the dark web following a data breach at Apple supplier Tata Electronics, exposing component details and board schematics.
Leaked iPhone 18 Pro drop test videos from a Tata Electronics data breach were removed from X after being shared by leakers, but continue to spread on other accounts.
Apple is reportedly skipping the high-end M6 Pro and Max chips, instead fast-tracking M7 with major AI advancements, meaning the most powerful Macs may not see upgrades until late 2027 or 2028.
Apple plans to skip M6 Pro/Max chip variants to accelerate development of M7 chips for enhanced on-device AI, aiming for a 2027 release. The move responds to competition from Nvidia, AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm in AI processing.
Apple reported strong Q3 2026 earnings with iPhone sales up 22% and Mac sales up 29% despite a RAM shortage, but warned that supply constraints will worsen and memory costs will rise. The company also announced a new Upgrade program and is preparing for a more personalized Siri AI with the iPhone 18.