Apple might delay iPhone 18 release till spring to boost Pro and Ultra sales

Apple has reportedly ironed out the foldable iPhone Ultra's squeaky hinge kinks, and the announcement of the first bendy iPhone will be proceeding as planned.

According to supply chain insiders, Apple is now set to start mass iPhone Ultra production in July, as is typically the case with its fall crop of new phones that usually land at a September announcement.

The annoying noise that the iPhone Ultra's hinge was allegedly making during durability tests was apparently due to overspec tolerances during assembly that have now been dealt with. Given that Samsung Display managed to meet and even surpass Apple's quality yield requirements for the foldable panel, the iPhone Ultra should have its most critical two components ready for final assembly now.

Expected iPhone 18 release date

The efforts that went into the production of the first foldable iPhone, as well as the fact that it will be ready for unveiling in the usual September timeframe, mean that Apple will offer more iPhones to choose from than ever, so it might postpone the launch of the cheaper iPhones for the spring.

As per one supply chain exec interviewed for the report, Apple will only "focus on the Pro, Pro Max, and Ultra" during its September event, while "the launch of the standard model in the existing iPhone lineup will be delayed until next spring." Apple managed to catapult the iPhone 17 Pro Max into the top 5 ranking of the most popular phones last year, despite selling it for only a quarter. Two other Pro models are also present there, so its more expensive Pro line is enjoying plenty of market share momentum.

A delayed release of the cheaper iPhone 18 would carry that momentum over into 2026, keeping Apple at the top of the phone industry, so a reshuffled fall-spring iPhone 18 series release scheme makes sense. Moreover, while the iPhone Ultra is expected to be an expensive niche device and Apple has only ordered three million displays for the initial batches to Samsung, the iPhone 18 Pro series may witness a drastic price increase, too.

An iPhone 18 Pro price may be set as high as $1,399 to recoup the rise in chip costs, according to the latest rumors, so Apple will both keep a hefty margin and sell plenty to early adopters if it only offers the Pro and Ultra line of iPhones in the first few months after their release. Considering that Samsung's latest Galaxy Z Fold 7 foldable now goes for just $1,485 in an Amazon Prime Day deal, though, Apple will have to unveil a very convincing iPhone Ultra foldable if it intends to price it way higher than its chief competitor, as some indications show.