Apple may change its iPhone launch cycle in 2027: iPhone 18 in Q1, iPhone 20 later
Apple could change its iPhone launch schedule in 2027, with the standard iPhone 18 expected in the first quarter and a new Pro generation arriving later in the year. The bigger question is what Apple will call that premium lineup. According to Omdia, the company may be able to use the iPhone 19 name and go straight to iPhone 20 for the iPhone’s 20th anniversary.
There haven’t been any official announcements for the name or release date of the new line of iPhones. Mark Gurman from Bloomberg reports that Apple is preparing a redesign that will focus on glass for its 20th anniversary next year. Meanwhile, reports citing Apple’s supply chain indicate the regular iPhone 18 could be available as early as March 2027, with the next iPhone launch seemingly at just six months away.
iPhone 18 could launch in early 2027
Apple’s 2026 iPhone strategy has already departed from its traditional September launch cycle. A report citing Pegatron’s earnings call on 12 August suggests that Apple will be bringing the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max to market in September, with the iPhone 18 potentially following in the first quarter of 2027. According to the report, there are also an iPhone 18e and an iPhone Air 2 scheduled for release in the same timeframe.
Bloomberg first reported on 11 August that Apple will release the base iPhone 18 and the new generation of the iPhone 18e in spring 2027, alongside the second-generation iPhone Air.
Will Apple call it iPhone 19 or iPhone 20?
The name is not confirmed yet. According to a report by Heo Moo-yeol, chief researcher at Omdia, Apple is expected to skip the iPhone 19 and launch the iPhone 20 Pro and iPhone 20 Pro Max in the second half of 2027. The report attributed the switch to “Apple’s 20th anniversary plans” and mentioned Apple’s take on iPhone X at the 10th anniversary.
What could 20th-anniversary iPhone look like?
According to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, Apple’s new 2027 Pro models are expected to feature a fresh design made primarily of glass. The front and rear glass are reportedly designed to curve towards the sides, with a thin metal band between the panels. The devices are said to have been developed in-house under the codenames ‘V73′ and ‘V74’.
There have been conflicting reports about the more ambitious all-glass design. According to supply-chain checks, Apple’s all-glass anniversary variant was cancelled due to poor production yields, Jefferies analyst Edison Lee said on 10 August.
According to Bloomberg, Apple’s overarching glass redesign plan was to be pushed to 2027. An even more glass-filled version was abandoned earlier in development, and the current version was progressing, Gurman said.
