According to the latest industry news, Apple’s iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e production lines have been officially launched. This is the first time in Apple's history that it plans to release both standard and e-series models at the same time. It is reported that starting from the iPhone 18 series, Apple will completely adjust its release strategy that has been maintained for many years. The previous classic annual update rhythm will be transformed into two updates a year. This release model is designed to respond to market demand more quickly and deeply optimize the supply chain.
According to the new schedule, Apple plans to split the product launch into two phases. This fall, the market will first welcome the top-end iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the high-profile and landmark folding screen flagship iPhone Fold.
In March next year, Apple will successively release the iPhone 18 standard version, the more user-friendly iPhone 18e, and the new thin and light series iPhone Air 2. This phased release strategy completely breaks the tradition of new products being launched in the autumn.
Industry analysts believe that the postponement of the iPhone 18 standard version is mainly to give Apple greater flexibility in purchasing decisions. This move can effectively avoid the super cycle of dramatic price fluctuations in core components such as memory.
By purchasing parts and releasing finished products globally in batches, Apple can more accurately reduce hardware costs. This will not only maintain the brand's high profit margins, but also enable it to gain more flexible pricing initiative in the fierce market competition.
In terms of hardware configuration, iPhone 18 is expected to be equipped with the new A20 bionic chip. This top-level processor will be manufactured using TSMC’s most advanced 2nm process, and its performance output and energy efficiency are expected to once again refresh the industry record for mobile chips.
In addition to the cross-generation upgrade of the core processor, iPhone 18 is also very interesting in display and imaging. The new phone is not only equipped with a 120Hz high refresh rate screen as standard, but will also be equipped with a 48-megapixel high-definition dual-camera system. The overall competitiveness of the standard version model will be significantly enhanced.
