Apple is expected to split the 2026 fall iPhone and shift to a twice-yearly release schedule to spread out income throughout the year, and keep a stranglehold on the smartphone market.

The iPhone roster is centered around the launch of four models in the fall, but Apple does introduce other variants at a different time in the year. If reports on the topic are accurate, Apple will be making a bigger shift to formalize that arrangement for a wider selection of devices.

According to Mark Gurman in Bloomberg's "Power On" newsletter, Apple is currently planning to bring out three high-end models in the fall of 2026. This will consist of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, as well as the probable iPhone Fold.

The iPhone 18 will instead shift to a launch in the spring of the following year, alongside an iPhone 18e update. At the same time, it may be an opportunity for Apple to introduce an updated iPhone Air.

The result is that Apple will formalize a schedule of premium iPhone models arriving in September as usual, then the letter-tiered models arrive six months later. This should result in between five and six iPhone model launches each year.

Gurman adds expectations for the pattern to continue for "years to come."

This is not the first time we have heard rumors along these lines. We have previously been informed of Apple continuing to ship its e-series iPhone in the spring. The discussion of a new iPhone launch cadence has also been raised by other reports over the summer, including a move of the base iPhone model to the early-year period.

Source: Appleinsider