Apple’s iPhone release schedule is like clockwork, with the company releasing its new-gen iPhones every September – but that might not be the case for the iPhone 18.
While we’ll be seeing some models of iPhone 18 this year, the iPhone 18 allegedly won’t be one of them. Instead, Apple is said to be focusing on the Pro and long-awaited foldable models, with the iPhone 18 getting a little more time to ‘cook’ before it’s released in 2027.
With that said, here’s everything there is to know about the iPhone 18 right now, from release date and pricing rumours to the latest display leaks.
iPhone 18 in summary
- Set for release in Spring 2027
- Might cost more due to RAM shortage, but not base model
- Said to have a much brighter screen than the iPhone 17
When will the iPhone 18 be released?
One of the most interesting rumours we’ve heard about the iPhone 18 so far revolves around its release date – because for the first time ever, Apple might not be launching the iPhone 18 in September.
That’s not to say that Apple won’t launch any iPhones this September, but the regular iPhone 18 won’t be one of them. Instead, this year’s autumn iPhone event is said to focus on the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, along with the long-rumoured iPhone Fold.
The iPhone 18, on the other hand, is said to have been pushed back to Spring 2027, likely to be revealed alongside the cheaper iPhone 18e. The iPhone 16e launched in Spring 2025, and the iPhone 17e is similarly expected to debut sometime in the Spring this year, so the launch period is at least familiar to Apple.
It’d make a lot of sense too, especially on such a big year for Apple’s iPhone collection. This way, the regular iPhone won’t get overshadowed by the more exciting Pro and foldable models. And compared to whatever the iPhone 18e will offer, we imagine the iPhone 18 will look pretty good, rather than playing catch-up to the Pro models when they’re launched together.
How much will the iPhone 18 cost?
Brace yourselves for disappointment here; the iPhone 18 might cost more than the iPhone 17, and it’s mainly down to the current RAM shortage.
Driven mainly by AI data centres hoovering up as much RAM as they can get, there’s a shortage of RAM for use in pretty much everything else, from PC graphics cards to smartphone RAM – and that’s a problem when the iPhone’s AI features rely on at least 8GB of RAM.
To combat ballooning RAM prices, Apple is said to be raising the prices of the entire iPhone 18 range – but crucially, not the base models.
Instead, the additional component cost is being pushed to the higher-capacity options, meaning the 256GB iPhone 18 will likely come in at a similar £799/$799 to the iPhone 17, but the 512GB variant might cost more than £999/$999.
Latest iPhone 18 rumours
Aside from the rumours about a later release and a potentially higher price tag, there’s very little in the way of iPhone 18 rumours.
Most are focusing on the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Fold, which makes sense, given that they’re likely further along in production to get ready for launch later this year, while Apple has much longer to go before the iPhone 18 makes its debut.
That said…
Screen
If rumours from a Chinese leaker are to be believed, one of the key upgrades to the iPhone 18 experience could come in the display department – more specifically, a much brighter display.
The leaker claims that Chinese supplier BOE has little hope of manufacturing panels for the iPhone 18 because Apple’s brightness requirements are “unprecedentedly high”, suggesting the iPhone will see a considerable leap forward in terms of overall brightness.
With separate reports claiming that BOE is struggling to produce iPhone OLED panels and forcing Apple to instead rely on Samsung Display, there could indeed be something to the rumour – but the specifics of just how bright the next iPhone could get are yet to be seen.
