iPhone 18 series: Apple still to release three iPhones

With 2026’s big iPhone launch behind us, we’re already looking ahead to 2027 and the announcement of the remaining iPhone 18 models: the base iPhone 18, the budget-friendly 18e and the upgraded Air 2.

To recap: this year, Apple changed its usual launch pattern and staggered the release dates of the iPhone line.

Apple announced its high-end models, the iPhone 18 Pro, the Pro Max and the foldable iPhone Duo, at its “Surprise and Shine” event on Wednesday, 9 September.

All three phones are now available to buy. But if you’re hoping for one of the more budget-friendly new models, you’ll need to hang on a few more months.

Here’s everything we know so far about the iPhone 18 models, including the new phones to come.

When will the iPhone 18 line be released?

Half of Apple’s iPhone 18 line-up is still to come, with the iPhone 18 base model, the 18e and the Air 2 all projected for a release in spring 2027, somewhere between January and March.

The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max were released on Friday 18 September, and the foldable Duo was released on Friday 23 October. Be aware, however, that if you haven’t pre-ordered a Duo, you may not simply be able to walk into an Apple Store and grab one from the shelf. Demand has been high and stock is limited. Still, with numerous reports of Duo models cracking in the same spot on the screen, perhaps due to a defective hinge in some batches, you might end up being glad you waited. Read our review to find out what a non-defective Duo is like to use.

You can also read our review of the iPhone 18 Pro and buy it and the Pro Max from Apple, retailers such as Currys in the UK or Best Buy in the US, or from your preferred network provider. There are four storage tiers available, which have a big effect on the price. Read on for more details.

How much will the iPhone 18 cost?

The high-end models have been released and so their prices are known. They represent a jump of £100/$100 from the equivalent models last year. For the first time, there’s also a 2TB storage option for all phones. Here’s what you’ll pay for each one:

iPhone 18 Pro:

• £1,199/$1,199 (256GB)
• £1,399/$1,399 (512GB)
• £1,799/$1,799 (1TB)
• £2,399/$2,399 (2TB)

iPhone 18 Pro Max:

• £1,299/$1,299 (256GB)
• £1,499/$1,499 (512GB)
• £1,899/$1,899 (1TB)
• £2,499/$2,499 (2TB)

iPhone Duo:

• £1,999/$1,999 (256GB)
• £2,199/$2,199 (512GB)
• £2,599/$2,599 (1TB)
• £3,199/$3,199 (2TB)

iPhone 18, iPhone 18e and iPhone Air:

Apple has not yet announced what these models will cost. For reference, here are the starting prices of last year’s models, when they were released:

• iPhone 17 (256GB) – £799/$799
• iPhone 17e (256GB) – £599/$599
• iPhone Air (256GB) – £999/$999

Since then, however, Apple increased the prices of phones in the iPhone 17 lineup by £100/$100. We’re therefore expecting a similar price rise for the iPhone 18, 18e and Air 2 when they’re announced next year. Here are our current price predictions:

• iPhone 18 (256GB) – £899/$899
• iPhone 18e (256GB) – £699/$699
• iPhone Air 2 (256GB) – £1,099/$1,099

Still, depending on market conditions and RAM prices, it’s possible that the phones will face yet another price hike.

What specs and features will the iPhone 18 have?

iPhone 18 base model (expected in spring 2027)

Recent rumours have suggested that the iPhone 18 will actually be downgraded, in one respect, from the iPhone 17. Apple is expected to revert to using Samsung’s M12+ material for the regular iPhone 18’s display, as well as that of the iPhone 18e.

Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 uses Samsung’s M14 material in its display. The key difference between M12+ and M14 screen technology is its luminous efficiency. That relates to how much energy a screen needs to emit a certain amount of light. The iPhone 18, then, would be less energy-efficient than its predecessor, although this will be offset to some degree by Apple’s new 2nm A20 chip. But that, in turn, means the A20 chip will need to work harder in this model.

However, an earlier rumour that Apple is expected to boost the RAM of the iPhone 18 base model to 12GB – 4GB up from the iPhone 17 – seems to have been confirmed. This will bring it in line with the high-end models and, crucially, allow it to run AI models on the phone itself, without resorting to the cloud for most functions.

Bear in mind, however, that even the iPhone 18 Pro still performs some functions off-model.

The iPhone 18’s screen brightness is expected to increase from the iPhone 17’s 1000 nits of typical maximum brightness up to 1600 nits in HDR, with a peak brightness of 3000 nits.

Expected iPhone 18 base model specs:

• 6.3-inch OLED panel
• 2nm Apple A20 chip
• Dual rear camera setup (48MP main and 48MP ultra wide) and a rumoured 24MP selfie camera on front
• Apple’s C2 cellular modem and Wi-Fi 7 / Bluetooth 6 support
• iOS 27 with integrated Apple Intelligence and Gemini-powered Siri features

While demand for the iPhone 18 Pro has apparently been soft, as it presumably lost sales to the all-new foldable Duo, Apple is reportedly expecting high demand for the base model and is planning a large production run. It could be a good call. Last year’s iPhone 17 base model was our pick of the line-up for its quality and value for money, so if its successor is equally good, it’s probably the best option for most people.

iPhone 18e (expected in Spring 2027)

For the first time, the “e” model won’t debut alone in the spring. Instead, it’ll be the most budget-friendly of the bunch. Some of the compromises you can expect are limited access to Siri AI and a 60Hz refresh rate, which has once again been confirmed in the latest specs leak.

Here are its expected specs:

• 6.12-inch LTPS OLED display (remaining at 60Hz)
• Runs on 2nm A20 chip
• Apple C2 modem
• Rumoured to feature a 24-megapixel front-facing selfie camera
• Dynamic Island a possibility for the first time
• Keeping its single 48-megapixel main fusion rear camera

iPhone Air 2 (expected in Spring 2027)

The iPhone Air 2 is expected to retain its titanium build but resolve some key complaints against its predecessor with an upgraded battery. It’s also thought to add a second, ultrawide lens to the 48Mp Fusion main sensor of its predecessor. These upgrades will be achieved while retaining the ultra-slim design.

In terms of colour options, Space Black, Cloud White, and Light Gold are projected to return but the Sky Blue colourway will be replaced by an option that’s closer to lavender.

It’s expected to get the standard A20 chip.

Perhaps most surprisingly, according to leaker Jon Prosser, the Air is set to become the new standard iPhone, eventually replacing the iPhone base model. If this does occur, we don’t expect it to happen in 2027. This rumour hasn’t yet received much confirmed but it does make sense, in that it explains why the Air wasn’t retired when it failed to take off in a big way.

Regular tipster Digital Chat Station has allegedly leaked the display specifics of the Air 2. It’s expected to have a 6.55-inch LTPO 120Hz display, but with a standard Dynamic Island

iPhone Pro and Pro Max (out now)

You can read our full iPhone 18 Pro review to find out what it’s like to use in day-to-day life and if we recommend it, but here are its key features and upgrades.

The Pro and Pro Max are available in four colour options: Burgundy, Glacier (icy blue), Silver and Black. Outwardly, their design is very similar to last year’s redesigned models, except that the back panels are now colour-matched to the rest of the phone, instead of being tonal. We think it’s a big improvement.

What’s new this year:

• A20 Pro chipset and upgraded C2 modem
• Smaller Dynamic Island with improved functionality
• Enhanced vapour chamber
• Improved battery life with up to 43 hours of video playback
• Improved Apple Intelligence

iPhone Duo (out now)

The iPhone Duo comes in two colour options: Star White (white with silver trim) and Night Sky (dark blue with matching trim). You can read our review to find out what it’s like to use in day-to-day life, but here are its key specs and features:

• 5.4-inch outer panel, 7.6-inch inner display. Both Super Retina XDR
• A20 Pro chipset and upgraded C2 modem
• Revamped iOS to make the most of the screen potential
• Up to 31 hours of video playback when using the inner display, 44 hours using the outer display
• 48Mp fusion camera, 12Mp Center Stage selfie camera
• IP68 rating for dust and water
• Apple Intelligence
• MagSafe charging
• Weight: 254g
• Four storage options from 256GB to 2TB

What key high-end iPhone features are missing?

• No Face ID. Instead, there’s a Touch ID button on the right-hand side
• No telephoto lens
• No Action button

Software

The iPhone 18 series will run on iOS 27, offering new features and capabilities tailored to the hardware.

The key visual change is that you can control the appearance of the Liquid Glass interface that was introduced in last year’s iOS 26, and which met with a mixed reception.

But the big upgrade overall is the launch of Siri AI. We don’t think it’s yet on a par with Google Gemini as far as agentic AI assistants go, but it certainly has new capabilities. All iPhone 18 models are expected to get Apple Intelligence, but it’s believed that the iPhone 18e won’t be able to access all of the Siri AI capabilities.  

Sources: Mark Gurman for Bloomberg (1) | (2) | DigiTimes | Ming-Chi Kuo | 9to5Mac (1) | (2) | (3) | Apple Magazine | Vietnam Net | GSMArena (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) | (5) | (6) | (7) | (8) | MacRumors | Google | Sonny Dickson on X | Digital Chat Station on Weibo | (2)

That’s what we currently know about the iPhone 18 series. You can find out more detail on the iPhone Duo foldable, read our iPhone 18 Pro review and get our top buying recommendations in our round-up of the best phones we’ve tested.