Apple cancels launch of iPhone 18 base model this year:Higher chip cost forces delay; likely to unveil foldable Pro models

Apple will not launch the standard iPhone 18 at its annual event on September 9. Only three premium devices-the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the company’s first foldable iPhone-are expected to be unveiled at this event. The reason for this is the rising cost of memory chips. According to market research firm TrendForce, the price of 256GB memory chips has increased by about 400% over the past year. The overall manufacturing cost of the 256GB iPhone 18 Pro has risen by approximately 38% compared to the previous model, the iPhone 17 Pro. Memory chips became expensive; raising prices would have hurt sales The company can somehow manage this cost pressure in the Pro models because Pro customers are willing to pay a higher price. However, in the base model, the increase in cost would have directly impacted either the company’s profit margins or the customers. For this reason, Apple has postponed the launch of the base model. 18-month gap between two standard iPhones Apple introduces a new base iPhone every September, but this time, one will have to wait until early 2027 for the iPhone 18. As a result, there will be a gap of about a year and a half between two base models. This will be the longest wait in Apple’s history. Which products will be excluded from the September 9 event? Apple wants to keep the focus of the event solely on foldable phones and Pro models to avoid distractions. Therefore, several devices may be held back for later months: First keynote of the new CEO John Ternus era The biggest highlight of this event is the change in leadership. Long-time Apple CEO Tim Cook stepped down on September 1st. He is being succeeded by John Ternus, the former Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, who is taking over as the new CEO. This will be Ternus’s first keynote since becoming CEO, and the eyes of the entire world will be fixed on Apple Park to watch it. Preparing to rollout Siri AI Beta for everyone At this event, Apple may announce the release of its new ‘Siri AI Beta’ for general users, which the company first showcased at WWDC 2026. This is also hinted at by Apple’s invitation poster. The event’s artwork features a neon glow effect, which looks exactly like the glow of the new Siri AI. Experts believe that with this update, Apple will present a strong claim in the smartphone AI race. Software update rollout after the event Following the September 9 keynote, Apple will announce the rollout dates for its new software. This includes iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, tvOS 18, watchOS 11, and visionOS 2. Typically, these updates go live within a week of the event.