I hope you like iPhones.
Mark Gurman, Cupertino’s incomparable source of leaks, on Sunday gave a round-up of predictions about what’s next in Apple’s release schedule. It seems like the biggest change is in the schedule itself, because for the most part, Apple is “doubling down on its flagship product” for the foreseeable future.
Gurman believes that in the years leading up to and including 2025, Apple will release “four main iPhones — two Pro models and two mid-tier versions — in the fall,” along with the occasional budget release. Gurman says there will be a change in 2026 that will last indefinitely: Faster and more stable pace of iPhone releases.
The fall of 2026 will see three releases, Gurman says: the top-tier iPhone 18 Pro, the Pro Max, and the long-rumored foldable iPhone. He says that release will be followed by the non-Pro iPhone 18, 18e, and (probably) a new iPhone Air in spring 2027.
Gurman believes this orderly, more diverse pattern of iPhone releases will last for “years to come.”
The issue is not about product rumors, but about release plans, which are not new. Those who demand the absolute latest (if not necessarily the greatest) will barely have time to let the novelty wear off before they have to rush to an Apple Store once again. The massive, crowded releases in the autumn plans meant Apple had “fewer opportunities to spread revenue throughout the year,” says Gurman. The new plan could cause less headaches for Apple employees as well as workers at the factories it outsources.
“It could also prevent companies from abusing each other’s marketing for their premium and budget models,” says Gurman.