Different iPhone 18 and iPhone 18 Pro release dates to result in 20% reduction in iPhone 18 shipments in 2026
After years of releasing new iPhone models in the second half of the year, Apple is reportedly adopting a new release schedule for the iPhone 18 series. The company is expected to release the iPhone 18 Pro, the iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the iPhone Fold in H2 2026, while pushing the base iPhone 18 and the iPhone Air 2 to H1 2027. However, this release schedule is now rumored to be impacting overall iPhone 18 shipments in 2026.
According to a report out of Korea, Apple is expected to ship 20% fewer iPhone 18 series units in 2026 than in 2025. This is primarily due to Cupertino delaying the launch of the iPhone 18 and the iPhone Air 2 to H1 2027, which comprise of around 30% of the total volume. As such, Korean component makers, including Samsung and LG, are set to take a slight financial hit.
Samsung is reportedly producing 60 million OLED panels for the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the foldable iPhone. LG is set to produce only 40 million OLED panels in 2026 for the iPhone 18 Pro and the iPhone 18 Pro Max. Samsung is the only one manufacturing OLED displays for the foldable iPhone. This is a 20% reduction compared to 2025, when Samsung and LG produced 80 million and 45 million panels, respectively.
However, because the higher-priced iPhone 18 Pro and the iPhone 18 Pro Max are releasing on time, the revenue impact of the fewer iPhone shipments in 2026 is said to be small. The situation is also helped by the launch of the iPhone Fold.
iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max to bring few major upgrades
When the iPhone 18 Pro and the iPhone 18 Pro Max launch in H2 2026, the phones are expected to bring only a few major hardware improvements. The main iPhone 18 Pro/18 Pro Max hardware upgrades are reportedly the new A20 SoC, a variable aperture 48 MP main camera, and a smaller Dynamic Island.
Fortunately, chances are high that Apple will keep the price of the iPhone 18 Pro and the iPhone 18 Pro Max the same, prioritizing volume over sheer profit. The consumer tech market is currently suffering due to the increasing prices of DRAM and storage. Everything, from the desktop GPUs and TVs to laptops are set to get more expensive in the coming months.
So, it will be a major win for consumers if Apple does decide to slash profit margins to keep the prices of the base iPhone 18, iPhone Air 2, iPhone 18 Pro, and the iPhone 18 Pro Max unchanged.
Source(s)
ET News Korea, Teaser image source: Notebookcheck, Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash, edited
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