If you want the most spectacular iPhone from a technical point of view, you usually go for the Pro models: These are superior to the model without a name suffix and to the iPhone Air, for example in terms of the built-in cameras and the processor. This year, however, the decision will not be so easy: In addition to the iPhone 18 Pro (Max), Apple will come up with a new type of device and present a foldable phone. This is likely to attract attention, especially with a large and almost wrinkle-free panel. If you want the product, you’ll probably have to be patient. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are coming in September, with the iPhone Fold following later
During a question and answer session with Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, Apple’s plans for the company’s first foldable smartphone were discussed. Gurman rules out a release at the same time as the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max: There is “no doubt” that the foldable will come onto the market a little later. However, the journalist leaves it open whether this will take a few weeks or even months. Recently, Barclays analyst Tim Long stated that the release would not take place until December (see here). This probably has no influence on the announcement: Apple is expected to present the iPhone Fold and the 18 Pro (Max) at the same September event.
Complex technology requires shift
It is difficult to produce foldable smartphones, as Gurman explains. Display technology is extremely complex. When Cupertino works on a new form for an iPhone, there is always a staggered release: This was observed with the introduction of the iPhone X, for example. Apple’s flagship model at the time was available in stores around six weeks after the introduction of the iPhone 8. By the way, the iPhone 18 without the name suffix is not scheduled to be launched until much later, namely in spring 2027.
