Wait, What Happened to the iPhone 18?

Apple announced “the most powerful lineup of iPhones ever.” That’s great for pros, but what about the iPhone for everyone else?

Apple made waves yesterday during its annual iPhone-focused launch stream. As expected, the star of the show was Apple’s first foldable phone, the passport-shaped iPhone Duo, followed by new and upgraded flagship phones, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. The company also announced new AirPods and a pair of new Apple Watches.

But, hold on… Isn’t there something missing here? What happened to the plain ol’ iPhone 18?

As it turns out, Apple did not announce a new iteration of the standard iPhone. If you were planning to pick up a new one this Fall, it looks like you’ll need to go big or go home. (Or settle for an iPhone 17). This is a change of pace for Apple. It’s the first time the brand has not launched the standard and pro iPhones at the same time since it started making its high-end “Pro” phones in 2019.

There were rumors that this was going to happen ahead of the event, but I was surprised to see Apple actually follow through: The announcement of the new iPhone has always been major news. But without the most popular model, I imagine some folks may be a bit disappointed.

So does that mean there won’t an iPhone 18? Probably not. According to reports from The Information, MacRumors, and others, Apple will likely announce a second set of iPhones next spring. That would almost certainly include the iPhone 18, as well as other follow-ups like the iPhone Air 2 and/or budget-friendly Phone 18e. The entire iPhone 17 family has been popular, with surging sales in the past year, but the standard iPhone remains the most popular option: According to Counterpoint Research, it accounted for 6 percent of smartphone sales in Q2 2026. I can’t imagine Apple will leave standard iPhone fans high and dry for long. That said, I’ve contacted Apple to find out when and if they plan to announce an iPhone 18, just to be sure. I’ll update this story with the brand’s response when and if they get back to me.

I can only speculate as to why Apple would do this, but there are a few reasonable considerations here. First, Apple now makes six iPhones. That’s a lot of options. Promoting them all at once, and explaining why each of them is worth your time, would be a daunting task. That’s doubly true when the company also wants you to check out the new Airpods 5 and new Apple Watches.

It’s also worth noting that Apple seems to be holding its less expensive phones for next year. With the current AI-driven component crunch pushing tech prices upward, holding off on announcing a new, possibly higher-priced iPhone allows the more expensive Pro iPhones to take the heat. (At $1,199 and $1,299, respectively, the 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max both cost $100 more than the 17 Pro and Pro Max). No one’s ever happy about a price hike, but folks interested in the Pros or the Duo are less likely to skip an upgrade than standard iPhone buyers.

And, for what it’s worth, I’m not sure that price-conscious upgraders will feel like they’re missing out without a new standard-level iPhone 18 this fall, based on the new features coming to the iPhone 18 Pro. Apple seems to have made some impressive strides in compute performance, particularly with respect to AI. There’s also an upgraded “Dynamic Island”—that little black bar at the top where the front camera lives, which will now be able to show info from up to three apps at once. There are some interesting camera upgrades as well. But there’s no signature, game-changing feature. And I’m not sure what, if any, of these smaller upgrades will also be present in the standard iPhone if it arrives.

The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max will be available for pre-order from Apple on Saturday, September 12, and hit stores September 18, 2026. The iPhone Duo will be available for pre-order on October 16, ahead of an October 23 launch date. We’ll get them in for testing and have reviews coming soon. As for the iPhone 18? We’ll just have to wait for Apple to say more about what’s going on there.

Preorder iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max

Mike Epstein
Senior Commerce Editor, Reviews

Mike Epstein is a Senior Commerce Editor at Hearst Enthusiast Group, producing reviews for buying guides Popular Mechanics, Runner’s World, Bicycling, and Best Products. Prior to joining Hearst, he was a video game and technology critic for over 10 years, with bylines at IGN, Gamespot, Variety, Lifehacker, Kotaku, GamesRadar, Flavorwire and Digital Trends, among others. Now, he’s a jack of all trades, helping reviewers share everything they know about all kinds of technical gear, from snowblowers, to running shoes and bicycles, and every kind of gadget imaginable.