The iPhone 17 lineup affords an enormous vary of updates and enhancements, plus it heralds the introduction of an all-new iPhone line, the iPhone Air. The brand new 17 sequence brings higher cameras, a brand new design, and higher processing, however not everyone seems to be offered on the 2025 iPhone lineup. What’s subsequent? The iPhone 18 sequence, after all.
There are already tons of rumors across the 2026 iPhones, prone to be headlined by the iPhone 18 sequence. A few of these rumors are years within the making, whereas others are comparatively new. All of them, nonetheless, level to a fairly large 12 months for the iPhone.
So, must you await the iPhone 18 sequence as a substitute of shopping for an iPhone 17 or iPhone Air? Right here’s what we all know concerning the iPhone 18 up to now.
Much more new iPhone fashions are coming quickly
The largest change for the iPhone 17 lineup comes within the type of a brand new gadget that doesn’t have the 17 branding in any respect. The iPhone Air is a very new mannequin within the lineup, constructed for individuals who want one thing as skinny as attainable to one thing with a protracted battery life and a number of cameras. That’s alongside Apple taking away the “Plus” mannequin.
However rumors point out Apple may make even greater adjustments in 2026. Not solely is the corporate prone to launch an up to date model of the iPhone Air — doubtlessly known as the iPhone Air 2 — but it surely’s additionally reportedly set to lastly debut its first foldable iPhone. That signifies that the 2026 iPhone lineup may look one thing like this:
That is what a foldable iPHonen
Credit score: Ian Moore / Mashable Composite; Apple
The foldable iPhone will reportedly be very skinny, with early rumors pointing to 4.5 to 4.8 mm when unfolded. Studies counsel it is going to have a 5.5-inch show on the entrance and a 7-inch show on the within. It can additionally come at a excessive worth. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has reported that the gadget will value over $2,000, making it much more costly than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7.
It’s value noting that it’s fully attainable that not all of those units will launch on the similar time. It wouldn’t be extraordinary for Apple to announce the iPhone Fold in September and launch it to the general public later in October. Not solely that, however some current experiences point out that Apple may find yourself delaying the base iPhone 18, releasing it in 2027 as a substitute of alongside the opposite fashions in 2026. I’d be very shocked to see this occur, nonetheless.
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Underneath-display Face ID
Apple could lastly put off the Dynamic Island fully, or at the very least make it a complete lot smaller, with new Face ID tech. Studies from The Data counsel that Apple is engaged on under-display Face ID tech that works kind of the identical as Face ID does immediately, however can work below the display screen as a substitute of requiring a cutout.
It’s unclear if Apple will put the whole Dynamic Island below the display screen (together with the digicam), or simply the sensors required for Face ID, protecting a small round cutout for the front-facing digicam. Underneath-display cameras have notoriously made for low-quality images, but it surely is sensible that corporations like Apple could be engaged on bettering the tech.
The Apple A20 chip
As traditional, Apple will virtually definitely launch a brand new sequence of chips for its newest iPhone fashions. The A20 sequence will observe on from the A19, and can probably be made up of a base A20 chip and an A20 Professional chip.
Studies from Apple analyst Jeff Pu point out that the brand new chips will likely be constructed on the identical TSMC 3nm course of that the A19 chips are constructed on, and whereas the efficiency enhancements could be comparatively minor, rumors counsel that the chip will provide a Chip on Wafer on Substrate (CoWoS) packaging, which makes for higher integration with reminiscence, the neural engine, and different platform elements. This may probably be a part of a push for higher on-device AI efficiency.
Higher cameras
Cameras are at all times a spotlight (ha) of recent iPhone releases, and whereas typically the enhancements are a bit minor, the iPhone 18 sequence could find yourself getting extra spectacular digicam enhancements. In response to a leak from Apple leaker @Jukanlosreve on Twitter, the iPhone 18 sequence will get a brand new three-layer digicam sensor from Samsung, which ought to make the digicam extra responsive, whereas on the similar time bettering dynamic vary and decreasing noise.
This may really be a fairly large change for Apple, contemplating the truth that Sony has lengthy equipped the entire digicam sensors within the iPhone sequence. In response to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the brand new sensor will likely be used for the 2026 iPhone’s ultrawide digicam.
To replace, or to not replace?
Clearly, the iPhone 18 sequence ought to be higher than the iPhone 17 sequence — telephone fashions enhance each single 12 months. However the query stays: must you improve now, or await subsequent 12 months?
It’s difficult. Principally, when you want a brand new telephone, then improve now. When you’re glad together with your iPhone 15 or 16 Professional or Professional Max, wait a 12 months and see what occurs. What you most likely shouldn’t do is assume that rumors are reality. Sure, a foldable iPhone has been rumored for a very long time, but it surely’s fully attainable that Apple finally ends up delaying the discharge of it for 2027 or past.
When you’re on the fence however want a brand new telephone now, you can at all times improve now and promote or trade-in your new gadget subsequent 12 months as soon as the iPhone 18 sequence is lastly revealed. 12 months-old iPhones often retain their worth decently effectively, and you might solely be out a number of hundred {dollars} when you maintain your gadget in good situation.
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