iPhone rumors: News on series 17, 18, 19 and foldable conversion
New marketing strategies, allegedly no 17e – and a very special anniversary iPhone: The rumor mill has new information about Apple's phones.
(Image: Apple)
What's next for the iPhones? Apple is apparently planning a series of changes for this year and the next two years, both to the devices themselves and to its marketing strategy. This is reported by the IT news service The Information, which is published in Silicon Valley. The iPhone manufacturer is reportedly planning to make the standard models available at different times to the Pro and planned foldable devices. A special model for the 20th anniversary of the iPhone is also planned for 2027 – allegedly featuring an "all-screen design" without notches or camera holes for the first time.
Standard and Pro models separate – plus foldables
While all four iPhone 17 models are still planned for the fall this year, there will be a change of date from 2026. Accordingly, Pro devices (presumably two) and a new "book-like" foldable (5.7 inches closed, almost 8 inches open) are planned for the fall of next year, while a standard iPhone 18 will be released in the spring. At the same time, a new version of the iPhone 16e could go on sale – presumably as the 18e. An "iPhone 17e" for spring 2026 would therefore be off the table.
Apple's idea is reportedly to better manage its iPhone line-up as a whole – in terms of development, production and logistics. According to The Information, four models are planned for 2026/2027 in the fall (2026) and two in the spring (2027). That would be iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, 18 Air and Foldable in September, iPhone 18 and 18e in the following February or March. At the same time, Apple is trying to make its supply chain less dependent on China, which appears to be easier with this strategy. According to The Information, all cheaper iPhones are to be produced immediately in India, including the necessary test runs. Until now, these have always been held in the People's Republic.
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Hardware news for the iPhone 18, 19 and 17 Air
The Information also claims to have heard that Apple will implement devices with face recognition (Face ID) under the screen for the first time in 2026. Apple has been working on this under-display technology for many years, but has always been dissatisfied. According to the report, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max still have a "pinhole" camera at the top left for the selfie area, while the iPhone 19 Pro / 19 Pro Max (presumed name) has the camera completely under the screen. It remains to be seen what effect this will have on image quality. It is also unclear whether the Dynamic Island feature will die at the same time.
Meanwhile, Apple is planning to offer its battery case for the iPhone 17 Air. This is because the battery is smaller due to its thinness. Only "60 to 70 percent" of typical users would be able to get through the day with it, according to internal estimates. The figure for other iPhones is said to be 80 to 90 percent. The 17 Air is said to comprise around ten percent of the production capacity. How heavy – and how thick – the battery case will be, has not yet been revealed.
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