Apple Prioritizes Premium iPhones, Delays Standard Model

Apple is reshaping its iPhone launch strategy for 2026, prioritizing production of three high-end models—including its first foldable—and delaying the standard iPhone 18 to the first half of 2027, Nikkei Asia reported Jan. 30. The shift reflects rising memory and materials costs and complex foldable manufacturing, while Apple's strong fiscal quarter—iPhone revenue $85.27bn and overall revenue $143.8bn—supports a premium-focused approach.