Apple is moving away from its tradition of a single autumn release by staggering the iPhone 18 lineup across two distinct launch windows. The premium Pro and foldable models are slated for September 2026, while entry-level models are deferred until early 2027.

Major Chinese handset manufacturers are pivoting away from volume-driven strategies due to a scarcity of DRAM components required for AI. The resulting supply squeeze has forced significant cuts to production forecasts for 2026.