Rumor: Release of the iPhone Fold after the Pro models – will the iPhone 18 get a Plus version? | News

The release of the iPhone 17 (Pro) and iPhone Air followed a tried and tested pattern: pre-orders were possible in September and delivery took place in the same month. Apple made no differences between the models. However, the procedure could change for the next generation: The iPhone 18 without an additional name will probably not appear until 2027. And Apple’s new foldable smartphone will come onto the market this year, but according to a new rumor, it will come at a later date than the Pro models.

iPhone Fold: Release two months after the Pro models?
In an analysis for investors at Barclays, which is available to MacRumors, analyst Tim Long gives some previously unknown details about the launch of the upcoming iPhones. Long expects the iPhone Fold to be released in December – a fairly unusual move from Apple. As expected, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max would be on the shelves in September, while the foldable model would take longer to arrive. This release policy cannot be completely ruled out: in 2017, the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus debuted in September, while the iPhone X only hit store counters in November. There was also a staggered release in 2020: The iPhone 12 and 12 Pro were available from October, while the 12 mini and 12 Pro Max were only available a month later.

Will the iPhone Air 2 come next year – or the iPhone 18 Plus?
Long expects the unnamed iPhone 18 and 18e to be released in March 2027, which is in line with most existing rumors. An important addition is attracting attention: Cupertino will also be releasing either the iPhone Air 2 or iPhone 18 Plus in March. While there are various reports about a successor to the iPhone Air, no leaker has mentioned a new Plus model so far. Long’s statements should therefore be viewed with a certain degree of caution. Allegedly, the Plus models of the past few years met with comparatively low demand – but the iPhone Air does not seem to have anywhere near the sales figures of the iPhone 17 models.