Apple’s upcoming launches are always ones to watch. 2025’s iPhone 17 will be no different, and it’s at the top of my list of the best upcoming phones. But it’s the iPhones that are coming afterwards that seem more interesting right now.
Apple’s roadmap for the iPhone has looked the same for a while now – four new models, a September release, and the same “you won’t believe how slightly better this camera is” spiel. But, the tech giant has been teasing big things to come for a while. A leaked memo from Apple’s head hardware honcho said that “big things were coming.”
According to some reports from top analysts Wayne Ma and Ming Chi-Kuo, we now know exactly what’s coming – and the iPhone series is going to get a big shake up, with up to six new devices in 2027.
Folding dreams with iPhone 18
The 2026 iPhone 18 line-up is shaping up to be the real turning point. Apple plans to release an iPhone 17e in early 2026, like the iPhone 16e this year. Again, it’ll be a cheaper, mid-cycle model, though we’re short on details for now. The proper launch comes in September, and it’s a four-piece affair: iPhone 18 Air, iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the iPhone 18 Fold. Notice there’s no regular iPhone 18 (we’ll get to that later).
That’s right – we finally expect Apple’s folding phone to make its debut, marking one of the biggest design shifts since, the first iPhone. The iPhone 18 Air would carry the same ultra-thin vibes as the iPhone 17 Air, which is expected to launch this year. Meanwhile, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are expected to ditch the tired old Dynamic Island in favour of a sleek little corner hole punch. It’s not quite the full-screen dream, but it’s a step closer.
That’s just the beginning of Apple’s shake-up
If that’s a big change to the line-up, then 2027 is full-on ridiculous. Apple’s planning six iPhones that year, two in the spring and four in the autumn. The spring models? The iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e. Yes, that’s 18, not 19 – we expect Apple to shift the base models into spring permanently. It’s a major scheduling change that could give entry-level iPhones a bit of breathing room instead of being overshadowed by the Pro models every autumn.
Come September, we expect to see an iPhone 19 Air, iPhone 19 Pro, iPhone 19 Pro Max, and a second-gen iPhone 19 Fold. The Air would get a screen size bump, the Pros are rumoured to go full stealth mode with no camera cutouts at all, and the Fold gets its second-gen release (presumably fixing problems from the first one).
It seems that Apple’s goal is to spread excitement across two launch seasons and revive iPhone momentum after years of things looking pretty samey. This should spur on iPhone sales, and may even allow Apple to adjust its pricing strategy – whether or not that’s in customers’ favour remains to be seen.
