Apple iPhone release day is a big event for some dedicated customers. Now the company plans to have two separate release events each year. Apple will begin releasing new models of its flagship iPhone products at least twice a year starting next year, according to a report from the Bloomberg Power On newsletter.
The report said Apple will release high-end iPhone 18 models, including a much anticipated folding model, on its usual fall timetable. However, it will hold back its base models, including potential iPhone 18e and iPhone Air products, for roughly six months, releasing them in the spring of 2027.
Don't miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.
Mark Gurman of Power On said in the report that this will allow Apple to spread its marketing and engineering efforts, as well as revenue, across the year and to be less reliant on one big annual iPhone launch. A representative for Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The changes have been rumored since before the release of this 2025 iPhone 17 and iPhone Air models, but the newsletter offers more concrete details on Apple's strategy, as well as insights into whether and when the company will follow up with the new Air model. According to Gurman, releasing the iPhone Air without the 17 numbering was intentional to keep it from being part of the annual cycle.
Apple is said to be entering an era of introducing dramatically different iPhone models, which include the Air, a rumored foldable and a high-end iPhone set to debut in 2027 that would feature a curved display and a front-facing camera hidden behind the screen.