No notch, no cutout, no compromise.
Every generation or so, a technology company reaches a crossroads where incremental refinement is no longer enough — where the market demands reinvention and the balance sheet demands urgency. Apple, long the architect of patient, singular annual reveals, is now preparing to release seven iPhone models across two years, spanning a budget device, a foldable, and a 20th-anniversary all-screen edition. The move reflects both the company's enduring capacity for ambition and a quiet admission that 4% revenue growth in a category that defines its identity is a signal worth heeding.
- iPhone revenue grew just 4% last year despite representing nearly half of Apple's total device sales — a number that concentrates minds at Cupertino.
- Apple is abandoning its signature single-launch cadence, staggering seven models across spring and fall windows from 2026 through 2027 to target multiple price points and form factors simultaneously.
- The foldable iPhone — horizontally folding, opening to a 7.7-inch inner display, and priced at a potential $2,400 — represents the most radical departure from Apple's design philosophy in the device's history.
- Under-display Face ID, mechanical aperture controls, and a completely notch-free anniversary edition signal that the hardware ambition behind this expansion is not merely commercial but genuinely architectural.
- Manufacturing is quietly shifting too — base iPhone models will be produced first in Bangalore before moving to China, marking Apple's most deliberate push yet to diversify beyond its traditional supply chain.
Apple is preparing to release seven new iPhones between spring 2026 and fall 2027, abandoning its long-held tradition of a single annual launch in favor of a staggered, multi-window strategy that targets everything from budget buyers to luxury early adopters. The roadmap, sourced from within Apple and its supply chain, represents the most aggressive iPhone expansion in the device's two-decade history.
The sequence begins in spring 2026 with the iPhone 17e, a budget model finally gaining magnetic wireless charging and a glass back. That fall, Apple plans a simultaneous release of three devices: the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, which eliminate the notch entirely through under-display Face ID technology, and the company's first foldable iPhone. The Pro models also introduce mechanical aperture controls for low-light photography. The foldable, manufactured by Foxconn in China, opens horizontally to a 7.7-inch inner display resembling a small iPad, with a 5.3-inch outer screen for daily use — and carries a potential price tag of $2,400, the most expensive iPhone ever made.
Spring 2027 adds the base iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e, both notable for being manufactured first at Foxconn's Bangalore facility — a first for base models and a meaningful step in Apple's effort to reduce its dependence on Chinese production. A redesigned iPhone Air 2 may also arrive in this window, though Apple paused trial production after underwhelming first-generation sales and is weighing a second camera and a lower price point.
The culmination arrives in fall 2027 with the iPhone 20, a 20th-anniversary edition wrapping curved glass around all four edges with no notch, no cutout, and an under-display selfie camera — the closest Apple has come to a truly uninterrupted screen.
The urgency behind this expansion is legible in the numbers: iPhone revenue grew just 4% year-over-year in fiscal 2025, even as the category accounts for nearly half of Apple's device sales. Facing a maturing smartphone market, intensifying regional competition, and AI features that have yet to compel mass upgrades, Apple is betting that more frequent launches and a wider range of form factors can reignite the upgrade cycle that has long anchored its dominance.
Apple is preparing to flood the market with seven new iPhones over the next two years, a departure from the company's traditional single-launch-per-year cadence that signals both ambition and anxiety about slowing growth. Between spring 2026 and fall 2027, the company plans to release models ranging from a budget iPhone 17e to a foldable device that could cost $2,400, according to a roadmap obtained by The Information from sources within Apple and its supply chain. The strategy represents the most aggressive iPhone expansion in the device's two-decade history, staggering releases across multiple windows rather than concentrating them in a single announcement event.
The first model arrives in spring 2026: the iPhone 17e, a budget offering that will finally add magnetic wireless charging and a glass back—features users have complained about missing from previous budget iterations. It will use Apple's C1X modem and A19 processor. Three months later, in fall 2026, Apple plans to release three devices simultaneously: the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, which will ditch the notch entirely in favor of under-display Face ID technology sourced from Canadian firm OTI Lumionics, and the company's first foldable iPhone. The Pro models will also introduce mechanical aperture controls for better low-light performance and use TSMC's advanced packaging to position memory closer to processors.
The foldable iPhone represents perhaps the most significant departure from Apple's design philosophy. Unlike competitors who fold vertically, Apple's device folds horizontally, opening to reveal a 7.7-inch inner screen that resembles an iPad, with a 5.3-inch outer display for everyday use. Foxconn is conducting trial production at its Guanlan facility in China, though the manufacturing process faces the defect rates typical of early foldable development. The device sources materials from Corning and Schott, with Lens Technology and Biel Crystal providing layered components. At a potential price point of $2,400, it would be Apple's most expensive iPhone ever.
Spring 2027 brings two more models: the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e. The base iPhone 18 removes the haptic feedback from the capture button to reduce costs, while the iPhone 18e continues supporting magnetic wireless charging. Both will be manufactured first at Foxconn's Bangalore facility before moving to Chinese production—a first for base iPhone models that signals Apple's effort to diversify manufacturing beyond China. This same window may also see the launch of a redesigned iPhone Air 2, though Apple paused trial production in November after disappointing first-generation sales. The company is considering adding a second camera and lowering the price, with Luxshare Precision potentially restarting production in March.
The final device arrives in fall 2027 as the iPhone 20, a 20th-anniversary edition that pushes the all-screen concept further than any previous iPhone. The design wraps curved glass around all four edges with only a narrow metal band at the midpoint housing buttons. The selfie camera sits beneath the display, delivering what Apple intends as a completely uninterrupted screen—no notch, no cutout, no compromise. This commemorative model represents the culmination of Apple's two-year vision.
The aggressive expansion strategy emerges from genuine pressure. iPhone revenue, which accounts for nearly half of Apple's $209 billion in device sales, grew just 4 percent year-over-year in fiscal 2025. The company faces slowing growth in a mature smartphone market, intensifying competition in key regions, and challenges in developing artificial intelligence features that might justify upgrades. By staggering releases and targeting multiple price points and form factors, Apple hopes to sustain momentum across different customer segments. The strategy gambles that more frequent launches and more choice will reignite the upgrade cycle that has historically driven the company's dominance.
Notable Quotes
The seven-device strategy addresses pressure on iPhone revenue, which accounts for nearly half of Apple's $209 billion in device sales.— Sources familiar with Apple's planning
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why is Apple abandoning the single annual event? That's been their signature move for twenty years.
Because the signature move isn't working anymore. iPhone revenue barely budged last year despite being half their business. They need to keep people thinking about upgrading more often, and a foldable or a notch-free design every few months does that better than waiting for September.
But won't that cannibalize sales? If I know a better model is coming in three months, why buy now?
That's the real risk, yes. But Apple's betting that different people want different things—budget buyers, Pro buyers, foldable enthusiasts, anniversary collectors. Spread across enough segments, the cannibalization might not matter.
The foldable at $2,400 seems like a statement. Who's that for?
The same people who buy the Pro Max. Apple's always had a tier for people who want the absolute newest thing, regardless of price. A foldable iPhone is that thing right now. It's also a way to say they're serious about the form factor, not just dabbling.
And the iPhone 20 with the all-screen design—is that the real anniversary gift?
It might be. That's the one that feels like a culmination. No notch, no cutout, just glass and screen. If they pull it off, it's the phone they've been trying to make since the original iPhone. The foldable is the experiment. The iPhone 20 is the statement.