Apple's September 9 event — titled 'Surprise and Shine!' — is expected to bring the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max as well as the company's first foldable device. But according to a growing consensus of leaks and analyst expectations, one familiar face may be missing: the base iPhone 18.
Citing supply-chain reports and analysts, Wired reports that Apple is prioritizing its premium models this year and is expected to hold the standard iPhone 18 back until spring 2027, potentially alongside an iPhone 18e and a second-generation iPhone Air. It would be the first time Apple has not launched a base model in its usual fall cycle.
The shift is widely attributed to the ongoing memory shortage, which has pushed up component costs across the industry. In June, Apple acknowledged it would raise prices to keep up with manufacturing costs. Analysts describe the strategy as 'premiumization': concentrating launch excitement — and revenue — on higher-margin devices in the fourth quarter, then filling out the lineup in the spring. IDC's Nabila Popal expects three premium 18-series models this fall, with mid-range and budget devices to follow in spring.
Apple's foldable, rumored to cost around $2,000, would land in a market where folding phones have become more expensive across Samsung, Google and Motorola. To cushion the price shock, Apple has expanded financing and trade-in programs and launched an iPhone leasing scheme in July.
'The days of the cheap smartphone are over,' Popal said.
