iPhone 18: Release Date, Foldable, A20 Chip & Everything We Know
Apple is rumoured to split the iPhone 18 line across two launches for the first time — Pro models and a foldable this September, the rest in spring 2027. Every leak, rated and updated.
The iPhone 18 generation is shaping up to be Apple's most unusual launch in years. Multiple supply-chain reports point to Apple splitting the lineup across two windows: the premium iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and Apple's first foldable arriving in September 2026, with the standard iPhone 18, the budget iPhone 18e and a second-generation iPhone Air following in spring 2027.
The headline silicon is the A20 chip, expected to be built on TSMC's 2nm process for gains in speed and efficiency. With external design changes rumoured to be minimal on the Pro, the chip and camera are doing the heavy lifting this cycle.
The most notable user-facing upgrade is a variable-aperture main camera — a physical lens element that lets you control depth of field and bokeh directly, rather than simulating it in software. It's the kind of hardware change Apple tends to lead its marketing with.
Then there's the foldable. Long-rumoured, it could ship alongside the Pro models in September, though some reports suggest availability may slip later. Apple hasn't confirmed a name — it could arrive as iPhone Fold, iPhone Ultra, or under another premium badge.
THE PRICE PROBLEM
For the first time in years, pricing is now a headline story rather than a footnote — and the culprit is memory. A global surge in RAM and NAND flash prices has pushed the cost of the memory inside a phone to record levels: on the iPhone 18 Pro, memory alone is reported to account for roughly 34% of the component bill, up from about 10% a year ago. Analysts peg the total parts cost of the iPhone 18 Pro at around 38% higher than the iPhone 17 Pro.
The knock-on for buyers looks unavoidable. Reports now indicate the whole iPhone 18 series will carry price increases, with the Pro and Pro Max tipped to start roughly $100 higher — a US Pro starting price near $1,199. Apple is said to have tried to absorb the hit to protect its margins, and may still eat part of the cost, but the scale of the memory spike (DRAM prices up several-fold over the past year) makes a straight pass-through to consumers the likeliest outcome. Exact figures stay unconfirmed until Apple announces.
Update timeline
- 2026-09-02Colour leaks conflict a week before the event: 'Fixed Focus Digital' says Dark Cherry, Sky Blue and Black with no Silver, while Sonny Dickson says Silver stays and Black is out. Both agree on a blue and a dark red. See our full report.
- 2026-08-25Reports confirm the iPhone 18 series will see price increases driven by surging memory-chip costs — memory now ~34% of the Pro's bill of materials, with the Pro tipped to start around $100 higher (near $1,199).
- 2026-08-02Report claims the iPhone 18 Pro is launching next month with around a dozen new features, headlined by the A20 chip and variable-aperture camera.
- 2026-07-20Rumours firm up that the standard iPhone 18 slips to early 2027, with Apple staggering the numbered lineup for the first time.
Related news
iPhone 18 Pro Colours: Black May Return and Silver May Be Dropped
A week before Apple's September 9 event, leakers can't agree on the iPhone 18 Pro's colours — one says Dark Cherry, Sky Blue and Black with no Silver; another says Silver stays and Black is out. Here's both sides.
iPhone 18 Prices Set to Rise as a Memory-Chip Cost Surge Forces Apple's Hand
It's now reported as confirmed: the iPhone 18 series will get price hikes. A brutal run-up in RAM and NAND prices has pushed memory to ~34% of the iPhone 18 Pro's parts bill, and the Pro is tipped to start around $100 higher.
iPhone 18 Pro Tipped for September as Apple Splits the Lineup in Two
Reports point to the iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max and a foldable arriving in September 2026 — while the standard iPhone 18, 18e and Air slip to spring 2027, the first time Apple has staggered a numbered lineup like this.
Sources
- iPhone 18: Rumors and Release Date
- iPhone 18 Pro Launching Next Month With These 12 New Features
- The iPhone 18 is rumored to be on track for an early 2027 launch
- iPhone 18 series prices confirmed to go up due to rising memory chip cost
- The iPhone 18 Pro will cost Apple 38% more in parts – but there's some good news
- iPhone 18 Pro series: Apple could raise prices, but would it hurt demand?
- iPhone 18 Pro Colors Apparently Include Black, But Skip Silver