The iPhone line has been stuck in a rut for the past few years. Incremental improvements in performance and battery life are great, but last year's iPhones are very similar to the 2021 iPhones.
The situation began to change in 2025. A new strategy to create more affordable iPhones will appear this spring. iPhone 16e replacing the old SE line. Then in the fall, the iPhone 17 models (even more incremental improvements) were joined by the first truly new iPhone in years: the iPhone Air. But this is just the beginning: in 2026, the iPhone shake-up will really begin. Here's what Apple is planning for next year:
iPhone 17e
The successor to the iPhone 16e will be the iPhone 17e (naturally) in the spring. Last year, when Apple refreshed its budget phone lineup from the rarely updated “iPhone SE” to the numbered “iPhone 16e” edition, it made it clear that the “e” model would receive an annual update, and Apple was rumored to do just that.
The successor to the iPhone 16e may look more like the iPhone 17.
David Price / Foundry
The iPhone 17e will likely be an upgrade from the iPhone 16e: expect a 60Hz display and a single 48MP rear camera, an upgrade to the A19 processor and C1X modem, and double the starting storage (256GB). And we'll almost certainly get MagSafe support after it was oddly dropped from this year's model. But there could also be two possible major upgrades: the notch could be replaced with Dynamic Island, and the front camera could be upgraded to the new 18MP square-sensor front camera found in the iPhone 17 lineup.
We expect the new phone to cost the same $599 as this year's model. So it will still be difficult to recommend it over the standard iPhone 17, which starts at $799 and will still have several features missing from the 17e, including ProMotion and a second ultra-wide camera.
iPhone 18 pro
In the fall, Apple will introduce iPhone 18 profollowed by a larger Pro Max variant. Visually, they should look very similar to the iPhone 17 Pro, with a wide camera plateau on the back and three rear cameras, including a wide, ultra-wide and telephoto lens.
These are expected to have larger apertures on the telephoto lenses, while the Pro Max variant is said to get a mechanically adjustable aperture on the standard wide-angle camera. This should help users take photos in which both the foreground and background are clear in good lighting, as well as provide more light for night shots.
The new look of the iPhone 17 Pro will likely stick around for another year.
Britta O'Boyle
We've also seen a rumor that some Face ID sensors will find their way under the display, reducing the size of the dynamic island area or even reducing it to a simple hole-punch camera design. A report in December claimed that the camera would move to the left corner for the first time, which could mean that the Dynamic Island would disappear altogether. We also expect iPhone 18 Pro models to use Apple's next-generation C2 modem, as well as the N1 network chip or its successor.
Of course, next year, like every year, there will be a new chip, but the A20 could be a bigger boost than usual. It will reportedly use a new wafer-level multi-chip module (WMCM) packaging method that will move the chip's RAM into the SoC package itself, which could significantly improve performance and battery life.
iPhone foldable
However, the iPhone 18 Pro models won't be what everyone is talking about next year. According to rumors, next year Apple will finally introduce foldable iphone. We've been hearing that the iPhone Fold would arrive “in a couple of years” since at least 2018, but it looks like it will actually arrive in 2026.
The foldable iPhone is said to be a book-style foldable phone with a 5.3-5.5-inch screen when folded and a 7.7-8-inch display on the inside. It should be less than 10mm thick when folded and even thinner than the iPhone Air when unfolded. Most reports say that the internal display will be widescreen and not square like other foldable phones. Additionally, Apple has reportedly addressed the creasing issue and designed a “very durable” hinge.
Apple's foldable iPhone will reportedly be more widely available than offerings from Samsung and Google.
Luke Baker
Expect an A20 or A20 Pro and two rear cameras: wide and ultra-wide. There should also be a pair of front cameras: one for the folded iPhone and one for the open one. However, Face ID may not be a feature of either of them. The compact and ultra-thin design may require switching to Touch ID in the side button, as was the case on the iPad Air.
Above all, expect an attractive price. Most rumors suggest that Apple will charge over $2,000 for the iPhone Fold (or whatever it's called), with the $2,400 figure not being unrealistic.
But even with the sky-high price tag, it's still exciting that we'll finally get a look at what Apple has been working on all these years. So be sure to read our article about everything we know about the foldable iPhone for the latest rumors.
iPhone Air 2?
Will there be another iPhone Air? The rumors are mixed. Some say Apple has cut production of the Air this year and delayed the second-generation model, others say it will arrive in 2026, and a December 2025 report from The Information says it will launch in spring 2027.
So we don't know. The biggest question is: why doesn't the current version have a number? If Apple intended to release annual updates, why not call it the iPhone 17 Air?
A next-generation iPhone Air seems likely, but it's unclear whether it will be a small update with the A20 chip and some other minor improvements or a major update with second cameraone of our biggest complaints about current iPhone Air. If it's the latter, then it will most likely launch in 2027.
The iPhone Air 2 may have a second camera, but it won't arrive until 2027.
Eniron Copeman / Foundry
No iPhone 18 next year!
Of course, the first foldable iPhone will be That big news for Apple in 2026, but just as important is the iPhone release schedule shakeup. If the current leaks are accurate, there will be no iPhone 18 next year.
Instead, next fall Apple will release only the Pro models, the foldable iPhone, and the successor to the iPhone Air. The iPhone 18, the “base” model most popular among consumers, won't be released until next year. It will presumably join the iPhone 18e and launch around March 2027; a spring event for those who don't want to spend $1,000 or more on a new iPhone.
