Apple to prioritize iPhone Fold over base iPhone 18 in 2026, report says

Even Apple is feeling the effects of the ongoing memory shortage in the tech world, and some analysts say the base model iPhone 18 could be a casualty.

According to a new report from Nikkei Asia, a prominent Asian business publication, Apple is changing up its iPhone release strategy for 2026. While we usually get three new iPhones (a base model, a Pro model, and a Pro Max model) in September of each year, it sounds like Apple is eschewing that and only releasing its premium models this year. That means we could get the two Pro models and the new, heavily rumored iPhone Fold in 2026, with the base model iPhone 18 waiting until early 2027.

If true, that would be a huge change to the usual iPhone release schedule.

Well-known Apple analyst and prognosticator Ming-Chi Kuo predicted the same thing a few weeks ago. The idea here, apparently, is to optimize whatever manufacturing resources Apple has available to it amidst the AI-driven RAM shortage affecting basically every tech hardware company right now. Apple would instead focus on its premium models that might drive higher demand than the base model iPhone 18.

With the more complex iPhone Fold added to the mix, analysts say it might just not be feasible for Apple to mass-produce all four new models for release this year, and the base model iPhone 18 is the odd one out.

Again, if this is true, it would mark a pretty big shift for Apple. The foldable iPhone will be the first truly new iPhone form factor in years (unless you want to count the ultra-thin iPhone Air), and evidently Apple cares about it so much that the regular iPhone 18 will have to sit on the bench for a few months.