No Standard iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest (macrumors.com)
- Reference: 0180497507
- News link: https://mobile.slashdot.org/story/26/01/01/1816240/no-standard-iphone-18-launch-this-year-reports-suggest
- Source link: https://www.macrumors.com/2026/01/01/no-iphone-18-launch-this-year/
> Apple is [1]not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year , according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle.
>
> Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest standard model for over 18 months. This would mark the first time Apple skips an entire calendar year without releasing a new generation of its flagship non-Pro iPhone.
[1] https://www.macrumors.com/2026/01/01/no-iphone-18-launch-this-year/
Bring back the Mini! (Score:2)
There hasn't been a “must have” innovation in mobile phones for a long time. They're a solved problem, like laptops.
Start releasing different types that appeal to different segments on a multi-year cadence. Release a new Mini version every four years. Do the same for the Max on a different year, the dumb skinny fashion accessory one the year after that, and so on.
Re: (Score:2)
There might be something to this. You'll still have a new product launch each year for the people who watch keynotes and just want a reason to give Apple money. And for the people who buy technology to solve a need, there would be actual generational improvements in the product lines.
Re: (Score:2)
> There hasn't been a “must have” innovation in mobile phones for a long time. They're a solved problem, like laptops.
> Start releasing different types that appeal to different segments on a multi-year cadence.
Yes, please. And give one version touch ID and a physical home button. I still hate the gesture-based interface even after using it for a long time. It is way too easy to accidentally do things that you did not intend, and way too clunky to do things that you do intend, like swiping to kill an app or turning on the flashlight. The need to touch the screen right at the edge is problematic with cases, which makes the design even worse.
And Face ID still isn't half as reliable for me as Touch ID was, and wo
Re: (Score:2)
> If it has to be thicker for battery life reasons, that's fine. It's going in a case with a holster anyway, and getting clipped to a holster on my belt. Thickness doesn't matter. Features matter. Width matters. Height matters. Usability matters.
I thought I was the only one that still used a holster! I found my people!
Also, fully agree about the TouchID being superior to FaceID. I wish Apple actually did proper market research, and talked to those of us that are willing to buy a 'pro' iphone, but don't want a bloody tablet. Give me a good camera, storage, battery life, and a 5S or 6S form factor.. Hell, I'd accept a 7! And to your point, it can be a few mm thicker, that's fine!
Re: (Score:2)
> Also, fully agree about the TouchID being superior to FaceID. I wish Apple actually did proper market research, and talked to those of us that are willing to buy a 'pro' iphone, but don't want a bloody tablet. Give me a good camera, storage, battery life, and a 5S or 6S form factor.. Hell, I'd accept a 7! And to your point, it can be a few mm thicker, that's fine!
I'd also be okay with a 5s-sized foldable with a screen on the outside and a home button. Unfold if you want a bigger screen.
Shucks (Score:2)
I was hoping there was another apple product i was never gonna buy.
Nothing new (Score:2)
I have an iPhone 14 Pro, before that I had an SE2, and before that I had an X, and a 7, a 6S, and a 4S.
I like the camera of the 14 Pro. That's about the only thing that is better in my day to day experience compared to the SE2.
I compared it to the 15, then the 16. Heck, I bought my wife a 16 because it was supposed to have an improved SIRI. Nope, the AI crap has not panned out at all. My 14 Pro's camera is slightly better than my wife's 16. And when I compared it to the 16 Pro, and now 17 Pro, the cam
Good thing (Score:1)
Good to have a minor respite in the constant churn.
Re: Good thing (Score:2)
I see why you, of all people, feel relieved over this...Tim Cook can't beat you for not buying the phone that he didn't release.
But remember, that doesn't mean that he can't find another reason.