Nächstes Jahr kannst du kein iPhone 18 kaufen, denn Apple möchte, dass du mehr Geld bezahlst und ein teureres Modell kaufst.

Next year, you may no longer be able to buy an iPhone 18.

This doesn't mean that the iPhone 18 is being cancelled. Rather, starting from the next product generation, Apple will significantly adjust the release rhythms of the standard - iPhone models (number series).

According to a report from ET News:

In September next year, Apple will only release the high - end models iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max and iPhone 18 Air;

In contrast, the standard model iPhone 18 will be released in spring 2027 together with the iPhone 18e.

If this is true, this would be the biggest adjustment to the release strategy since the introduction of the strategy of four models per generation in 2020:

Firstly, the rhythm will be extended and releases will be more frequent to ensure that a new model hits the market every six months - this can be understood as a response to Android manufacturers who are constantly releasing new models.

Secondly, similar to the iPad and the Mac, the "iPhone" will become a large family with clearly defined product lines: Pro (Max), Air, standard model, e (entry - level) as well as the foldable series, which will be introduced next year.

01

There was a time when you didn't have to think much when buying an iPhone: Since only one model came out each year, there was only a choice between storage capacity and color.

But obviously, two fists can't fight four hands. Users' demands for smartphones are becoming more and more diverse. One iPhone can't satisfy the needs of users who prefer large and small screens at the same time, and it can't be sold to consumers who have a limited budget but desire Apple products either.

Under the careful leadership and precise planning of CEO Tim Cook, who has a good business sense, Apple has further segmented the SKU range of the iPhone product line so that a wider price range is covered.

ifanr has already analyzed that the most successful iPhone generations were exactly those that had more models in the same generation and showed significant changes in form:

For example, the iPhone 6 & 6 Plus, the iPhone 8 (Plus) & iPhone X

as well as the iPhone 12 series, which established the strategy of four released mobile phones each time

Actually, manufacturing an "affordable" iPhone doesn't conform to the company's product philosophy. But in the face of competitive pressure, Apple had to change its strategy.

The iPhone 5c, which came out at the same time as the iPhone 5s, was a not - very - successful exploration: Both the core and peripheral devices were a whole generation behind compared to the flagship model of the same generation.

Naturally, the flagship iPhone 5s was equipped with a 64 - bit processor and was the first model with Touch ID, which made it a groundbreaking product - the coldness of the market for the iPhone 5c was completely predictable.

The first iPhone SE finally established a versatile formula for an entry - level iPhone: In form, it's one generation behind the current iPhone models, the peripheral devices are somewhat reduced, but the processor should be the latest. The overall configuration may lag a bit, but not by generations.

The best example of this strategy is the iPhone 16e that we've seen this year: Peripheral devices such as MagSafe and DP - video output have been removed, which Apple considers "unnecessary for consumers in this price segment". In the past quarter, it accounted for 11% of iPhone sales in the US.

After all this, in the "tough" foreign markets where most mid - and low - end mobile phones are of poor quality, a slightly more expensive but still the cheapest member of the iPhone family is extremely competitive.

02

Since the more expensive iPhone models have sold poorly in recent years, it's actually a good strategy to increase revenues by annually updating the entry - level models. A blogger has already revealed the specifications of next year's iPhone 17e: The notch will be converted into the Dynamic Island, the rest remains the same, and it will still follow the approach of the "cheapest iPhone".

Starting next year, the standard iPhone will be classified into the same product line as the entry - level iPhone. The message is clear: The difference in positioning between the standard iPhone and the iPhone Pro will be even greater.

From the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro to the gradually evolving iPhone 14 and the iPhone 14 Pro with the "Dynamic Island", the difference between the standard model and the Pro model is becoming more and more obvious and is gradually becoming a reference point to emphasize the product strength of the Pro model.

After all this, Apple's sales strength still lies in the Pro series, which brings higher profit margins for Apple.

The iPhone 14 might be the generation with the biggest difference between the standard model and the Pro model

The iPhone 16 and the iPhone 17 have somewhat reduced this difference: The former has upgraded the processor by two generations due to AI, and at least numerically, the A18 is the same as the A18 Pro of the iPhone 16 Pro. According to multiple reports, the iPhone 17 will finally get a high - frequency display, which makes the iPhone 17 Pro lose an important configuration advantage.

Although the iPhone 16 Pro still had the most sales this year, data from the Consumer Intelligence Research Partners in the first quarter of this year shows that the share of mid - range models, represented by the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 16e, has increased, while the share of Pro models has decreased.

According to the latest reports, the new Air product line will get a stripped - down version of the A19 Pro processor of the iPhone 17 Pro series and will probably cost around $900, maybe even $899, just below the $999 iPhone 17 Pro.

03

The logic is obvious: Apple wants to avoid having multiple iPhone models with large price differences released at the same time, which would lead to mid - range models encroaching on the market of flagship models.

In September next year, Apple will still offer four iPhone models. You just have to decide whether you want the light but somewhat restricted iPhone 18 Air, the more expensive but all - around iPhone 18 Pro, spend a little more for the iPhone 18 Pro Max or spend much more for the new foldable iPhone 18 Fold.

I think that this year's iPhone 17 Air was just a trial run. Next year's iPhone 18 Air will be more mature in technology and form and could further replace the current "standard model".

For those who had to choose between the standard iPhone and the iPhone Pro, the question is no longer whether they should spend more to buy a high - end model, but that the low - price model is no longer available. They'd better directly choose the iPhone 18 Air or iPhone 18 Pro during next year's Christmas shopping.

For those who have a limited budget and are price - sensitive, they wouldn't consider the more expensive Air and Pro series anyway and are willing to make do with their current phone for a few more months and then buy a lower - priced standard model.

The standard iPhone 18 will actually become the "iPhone 18e Pro" and only exist formally.

This means that in the next few years, Apple not only has two big aces in the form of the foldable iPhone and the "20 - year - anniversary" iPhone up its sleeve, but also by further restructuring the product sales strategy, it will convert some standard - iPhone users to the more expensive Air and Pro models and still retain users with a tight budget with two entry - level models.

It seems that Apple's revenues and profit margins, especially in the iPhone segment, will reverse the downward trend of the past two years in the next few years.

This article is from the WeChat account "ifanr" (ID: ifanr), written by Someone who discovers future products. 36Kr has obtained permission for publication.