Rumors Are Heating Up
The rumor mill for this year’s iPhones is churning out more theories than we can cover. From the smaller Dynamic Island on the new iPhones to the highly anticipated iPhone Ultra, it seems that Apple rumors are a dime a dozen in this economy.
A Split Launch Strategy?
And there’s a new rumor to add to the bunch as industry insiders suggest that the iPhone 18 lineup might be split into different launch dates. It looks like for this year’s release, no base model will be offered, leaving the spotlight to the remaining members of the lineup, which consist of the following:
- iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max
- iPhone Ultra
- iPhone Air 2
What the Leaks Are Saying
According to known leaker Fixed Focus Digital, the evidence lies in the 17’s prolonged production. Now, as with any leaks or rumors we share on this website, you have to take every piece of information with a grain of salt because, as Lenny Kravitz famously said, “it ain’t over till it’s over.”
Strong Sales or Protecting The Next Big Thing?
While it may be indicative of a split launch date, it can also mean that the 17 is selling really well, and Apple is making a large number of units to meet demand. Counterpoint Research already hailed the 17 as the best-selling smartphone globally in Q1 of this year, so that theory isn’t really out of the ordinary.
It could also be that because the base 17 sold really well, Apple is taking steps to ensure that the spotlight won’t be taken away from its biggest project to date, the foldable iPhone Ultra. Another way of looking at it is that Apple doesn’t want to take any supply risks.
Delayed Base Model?
While we can expect the launch of the iPhones mentioned earlier, the base 18 is rumored to be released sometime early next year, which for many might seem disappointing.
Regardless of what we think, this is looking like Apple’s biggest shake up in over a decade. Quite apt considering the change in leadership after Tim Cook stepped down a few weeks ago.