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Apple Said to Split iPhone 18 Rollout as Foldable Ships in December

A Barclays analyst projects Apple will prioritize premium models and stagger releases as it prepares a costly first foldable iPhone.

Overview

  • Barclays' Tim Long forecasts the iPhone Fold will be announced in September but won’t ship until December 2026.
  • The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are expected in the usual fall window, while the base iPhone 18 is reportedly pushed to spring 2027.
  • Reports describe the foldable as ultra‑premium with a rumored $1,800–$2,500 price range, with manufacturing complexity cited as a possible factor in timing.
  • Rumored Pro upgrades include an A20/A20 Pro built on TSMC’s 2nm process, a 48MP main camera with variable aperture, more RAM, and a potential in‑house 5G modem.
  • The note also points to added lineup complexity with an iPhone 18e and either a revived iPhone 18 Plus or a new iPhone Air 2, though Apple has not confirmed any of these plans.