// 9TO5MAC — MOBILE & WEB
No iPhone 18 announced today: Here’s why
Today at its September event, Apple unveiled iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo, but there was no base model iPhone 18 introduced. Here’s why.
Normally, it might be common to refer to today’s Apple event as the “iPhone 18 event.”
But in a move that likely surprised many, Apple didn’t announce an iPhone 18 today—at least not the base model.
Instead, the company debuted three high-end new iPhones only: iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and iPhone Duo.
This flagship lineup differs significantly from Apple’s prior pattern of shipping a new base iPhone at the same time as Pro models. But reporting dating all the way back to May 2025 predicted such a change was coming.
Per widespread reports, Apple’s three new iPhone models introduced today will be joined by three more debuts in early 2027:
So the base iPhone 18 hasn’t been canceled, it’s just shipping later than usual.
One theory is that since Apple wants to expand the iPhone lineup more than ever, with new models like the foldable Duo, it didn’t want to overcrowd the fall. Thus, splitting major iPhone launches into fall and spring cycles might be advantageous.
Another possible reason is that Apple saw the current memory shortage coming, and knew it would be a struggle to meet demand if it launched the base iPhone 18 at the same time as Pro and Duo models.
In any case, the iPhone 18 is still coming—just not until the early months of 2027.