Analyst: Foldable iPhone May Launch in December, iPhone 18 Plus in 2025
â–Ľ Summary
– Apple analyst Tim Long suggests the base iPhone 18 model may launch in March 2025, a departure from the usual September timeline.
– Long also reports that shipments of a rumored foldable iPhone could begin in December 2024, following the Pro models’ September launch.
– Two other devices, including a lower-end iPhone 18e and either an iPhone 18 Plus or iPhone Air 2, are reportedly planned for a March release alongside the base model.
– The mention of an iPhone 18 Plus is notable but unconfirmed, as other rumors have pointed to a revamped iPhone Air instead.
– The report advises treating these claims with skepticism, as they are new and lack corroborating rumors, especially regarding the potential Plus model.
A notable shift in Apple’s release strategy could be on the horizon, according to recent analyst commentary. Apple analyst Tim Long, in a note for Barclays, suggests the standard iPhone 18 might debut in March of next year, breaking from the traditional September launch cycle. This aligns with growing industry chatter about a split schedule for upcoming models. More intriguing, however, are two specific predictions Long shared based on his supply chain sources.
First, he indicates that shipments for a long-rumored foldable iPhone could commence this December. This would place its arrival a few months after the anticipated September launch of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. Such a staggered release would not be without precedent; Apple followed a similar pattern in 2017 with the iPhone X arriving in November after the iPhone 8 series debuted in September.
Second, Long’s note mentions that Apple may introduce two additional devices alongside the base iPhone 18 next March. These would reportedly include a more affordable iPhone 18e and, notably, either an iPhone Air 2 or an iPhone 18 Plus. The mention of an iPhone 18 Plus is particularly unexpected, as no other credible rumors have pointed to the return of a Plus model next year. It remains unclear whether this is speculative or based on direct supply chain information.
Recent history makes the Plus model’s potential reappearance a topic of debate. Apple offered Plus variants with the iPhone 14, 15, and 16, but replaced it with the iPhone Air for the iPhone 17 generation last year. While Apple does not disclose per-model sales, industry analysts and market research have consistently suggested that both the Plus and Air models have underperformed compared to Apple’s Pro and standard flagship iPhones. If the Air model proved even less popular than the Plus, a strategic pivot back to a Plus branding for a larger-screen, non-Pro device is conceivable. The Air could have been a one-time experiment.
However, the complete absence of corroborating leaks about an iPhone 18 Plus at this stage makes the claim surprising. The consensus among other reports has centered on a redesigned iPhone Air for the following year. For now, given that these are the first claims of their kind, they should be viewed with a healthy degree of skepticism until further evidence emerges from Apple’s extensive supply chain.
(Source: MacRumors)
