Report: Apple Eyes iPhone Release Schedule Shake-Up, Book-Style Foldable

Apple is planning a shake-up of its usual iPhone release schedule, ahead of the release of the much-rumoured first foldable iPhone, The Information reports.

Apple now plans to push the release of the standard iPhone 18 and the updated iPhone 16e model to spring 2027, but keep the more expensive Pro, Pro Max, Air, and foldable models as traditional fall 2026 releases, according to multiple unnamed sources involved in Apple’s supply chain.

The Information says the release schedule reshuffle will make the larger six-iPhone lineup more manageable, reducing the number of manufacturing workers that Apple needs to employ at one time.

Apple will reportedly trial the manufacture of these less expensive models in India, as part of efforts to avoid Trump administration tariffs by moving away from Chinese manufacturing. Apple CEO Tim Cook has been public about plans to move more production to India, telling investors earlier this week he expects “the majority of iPhones sold in the US will have India as their country of origin.”

The Information was also able to release some details about what the foldable iPhone could look like when it does land. The new foldable ‌iPhone‌ will reportedly have a “book-style” design with a 5.7-inch screen when folded and a display of roughly eight inches when fully open, similar to the Google Pixel Fold or the Honor Magic V2.

This would give the iPhone a much different visual appearance from the popular “clamshell” style flip-phone designs we’ve seen in popular existing folding phones like the Galaxy Z Flip series or Moto Razr+. 

In addition, the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max models will reportedly get under-display Face ID sensors, with only a small hole cutout in the top-left corner for the front-facing camera, creating a more uninterrupted display. 

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