See you next year with the foldable iPhone. Apple's release roadmap for the next two years has been exposed, with the number of flagship phones increasing from five to seven.

Recent news indicates that Apple plans to significantly expand its iPhone product line in the next two years.

According to a report on Tuesday, the 16th (Eastern Time), by the fall of 2027, Apple will launch at least seven new iPhone models, a significant increase from the current five. This is one of Apple's boldest attempts in smartphone design.

The core new product in this round of iPhones is Apple's first foldable iPhone, which is expected to be released in the fall of 2026. The media quoted multiple people directly involved in the relevant project as saying that when unfolded, the width of this foldable device will be greater than its height, presenting an appearance similar to a small iPad. One year after the release of the foldable phone, in the fall of 2027, Apple also plans to launch a 20th - anniversary edition of the iPhone. It will feature a curved glass shell on both the front and back, presenting a true full - screen borderless design. The screen will extend to the edge of the device, eliminating the traditional black border.

The expansion of the product line comes at a time when Apple is seeking to boost its most important business. The iPhone business accounts for nearly half of Apple's total revenue, but its growth has stagnated in recent years, and the consumer replacement cycle has lengthened. In Apple's previous fiscal year ending on September 27 this year, the annual sales of the iPhone increased by 4% year - on - year to $209 billion, partly due to the design upgrades of the iPhone 17 series.

An Apple spokesperson declined to comment on the above news, but stock market investors responded quickly. After the news broke, Apple's stock price, which had fallen more than 0.8% to a new daily low in early trading on Tuesday, turned up at the beginning of the mid - session, then quickly returned to a downward trend, turned up again before the end of the session, and finally closed up nearly 0.2%, temporarily leaving behind the closing low since November 21 set on Monday.

Foldable iPhone with a 7.7 - inch unfolded screen to debut next fall

According to Tuesday's news, Apple's first foldable device, with an internal code name of V68, is progressing as planned and is expected to be released in the fall of 2026. The media said that this is one of Apple's most complex phone projects to date. Previous reports said that to ensure on - time delivery, Apple postponed the originally planned foldable iPad for the same period earlier this year and redeployed engineers to the foldable iPhone project.

Different from the foldable phones of Samsung and Google, the aspect ratio of Apple's product when unfolded horizontally will be similar to that of Apple's largest - sized iPad. In the folded state, the outer screen size is about 5.3 inches, and the inner screen can reach 7.7 inches when unfolded. Like the iPhone 18 Pro series, the front - facing camera will be embedded in the upper - left corner of the device, equipped with sensors such as light and distance sensors.

The foldable iPhone uses complex multi - layer display materials provided by special glass companies such as Corning and Schott of Germany. The latter has supplied materials for Samsung's foldable phones. Apple suppliers such as Lens Technology and Biel Crystal are responsible for the production of different parts. People directly involved in the project said that there is currently a relatively high defect rate in display production, but this is normal at this stage. Foxconn, Apple's long - term assembly partner, is leading the trial production at its Guanlan factory in China.

The commercial prospects of this device face several limiting factors. Apple may adopt a high - end pricing strategy, similar to the pricing of foldable products by Samsung and Google. The outer screen size is smaller than the 5.4 - inch iPhone Mini, which may limit its appeal. However, people involved in the project reminded that the display size may still be adjusted.

According to other media reports, Apple's most ambitious goal is to eliminate the visible creases commonly found in existing foldable devices. The report said that this device is designed to be the first truly crease - free foldable phone in the market, using a complex hinge design that includes liquid metal components and a customized stress distribution system.

On Monday, there was news that the foldable iPhone will use side - fingerprint Touch ID and will not use 3D face recognition or 3D ultrasonic fingerprint, all for the sake of thinning the body, and the hinge design is "strong".

iPhone 18 Pro series to feature under - display Face ID

According to Tuesday's report, Apple also plans to release the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max in the fall of 2026, with internal code names V63 and V64. These two models will place the Face ID sensor under the display, using materials provided by the Canadian company OTI Lumionics. This will eliminate the black oval area that has appeared at the top of the iPhone display since 2022, and the front - facing camera will be moved to the upper - left corner of the display.

OTI Lumionics declined to comment on the above news.

The rear cameras of these models will add a mechanical aperture or aperture blades to control the amount of light entering the lens. This will support a new camera image sensor, which can capture more light at night while avoiding overexposure of daytime photos. The appearance of the device will be similar to that of the iPhone 17 Pro series.

Apple also plans to adopt TSMC's new chip packaging technology to place the memory chip closer to the iPhone's core processor. This packaging technology called Wafer - Level Multi - Chip Module (WMCM) can support more advanced AI functions and quickly respond to user commands without relying on cloud servers. Cloud - based AI is usually slower for users and more costly for Apple's operations.

Affordable models and product line supplementation strategy

Apple plans to release the iPhone 17e (internal code name V159) in the spring of 2026, which is a progressive upgrade of the iPhone 16e. According to Tuesday's report, the iPhone 17e will be equipped with a glass back cover to support wireless charging, which is one of the features that consumers miss the most on the iPhone 16e. The phone will be equipped with Apple's latest self - developed modem C1X.

This series of product expansions reflects Apple's strategy to cover a wider range of consumer budgets. The company has steadily expanded its product lineup over the years to address the growth stagnation caused by the lengthening replacement cycle. By adding innovative forms such as foldable screens and models with more price ranges, Apple is trying to reactivate the growth momentum in its most important business line.

Significant adjustment to the release rhythm in spring 2027

Apple plans to release the iPhone 18 (internal code name V67) in the spring of 2027, which is of breakthrough significance in the release strategy. Tuesday's report said that this will be Apple's first time to release a brand - new base model in the spring, at least half a year later than the Pro models of the same generation. At the manufacturing level, Apple will try to have Foxconn mass - produce it first at its factory in Bangalore, India, and then produce it in China.

The functional upgrades of this model are relatively limited and may even be a step backward. For example, Apple plans to remove the tactile feedback and touch - sensing functions of the shooting button at the lower - right edge of the device. This button allows users to take photos and videos without touching the screen. This may bring cost savings to Apple.

Also to be released at the same time is the iPhone 18e (internal code name V69), which is a new budget model and will be equipped with wireless charging. Apple will also try to mass - produce it first in Bangalore and then replicate the production in China.

20th - anniversary edition iPhone to achieve full - screen

Apple plans to release the iPhone 20 (internal code name V72) in the fall of 2027 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the iPhone's launch.

According to Tuesday's report, the device uses a curved glass shell on the front, back, and four sides, and the screen will eliminate the black border that usually appears at the edge of smartphone displays. The metal frame only retains a narrow strip at the mid - point of the device edge, and the buttons are located there. Apple plans to place the front - facing camera under the display, making it the first iPhone to achieve a full - screen without any openings. It is not yet clear whether the display itself will bend along the edge.

According to other reports this week, Apple will deploy full - screen technology in stages. Under - display Face ID will be first implemented on the iPhone 18 Pro, the under - display front - facing camera will make its debut on the foldable iPhone, and then these two technologies will be integrated on the 20th - anniversary edition iPhone. It is said that Apple has developed the industry's first 24 - megapixel under - display camera for the inner screen of the foldable phone, equipped with six plastic lenses, with significantly improved light transmittance and image quality compared with the existing design.

iPhone Air 2 postponed to spring 2027

The second - generation iPhone Air, with an internal code name of V62 and a tentative name of iPhone Air 2, is expected to be postponed to the spring of 2027 for release.

The media said that Apple started collaborating with manufacturers to develop the iPhone Air 2 last summer, aiming to release it together with the iPhone Pro and the new foldable phone in the fall of 2026. However, people directly involved in the R & D of Apple and its suppliers revealed that Apple suddenly canceled the trial production last month.

Due to the poor sales of the first - generation iPhone Air, Apple decided to redesign the product. Apple is considering adding a second camera and reducing the retail price to enhance its appeal to consumers. Luxshare Precision's factory in Kunshan, China, is leading the trial production, and it is expected to restart the trial production as early as March next year.

Other product lines advancing simultaneously

An early version of iOS 26 recently obtained by the media shows that Apple is developing multiple other products. The AirTag 2 is codenamed B589, the new - generation Apple Studio Display is codenamed J427 and J527, and the new Apple TV is codenamed J355. The smart home product line includes two home hub variants (J490 and J491), namely the version with a base and the wall - mounted version, as well as an unknown home accessory codenamed J229 and a desktop robot J595. The HomePod mini 2 is codenamed B525.

In terms of wearables, Apple is developing a lighter and cheaper Vision Air headset (N100), a cheaper Vision Pro (N109), and AI smart glasses (N401), which are regarded as competitors to Meta's Ray - Bans. The Apple Watch Series 12 (N237 and N238) and the Apple Watch Ultra 4 (N240) are also in development.

The Mac product line includes a low - cost MacBook (J700) equipped with the A18 Pro, multiple models of MacBook Pro and MacBook Air with M5 and M6 series chips, as well as the M5 Mac Studio and Mac mini. For the iPad, the 11 - inch and 13 - inch versions of the M4 iPad Air and the iPad 12 are all in development. Some of these devices will be released earlier in 2026, and other products will be launched successively at the end of 2026 and later.

This article does not constitute personal investment advice and does not represent the views of the platform. The market is risky, and investment requires caution. Please make independent judgments and decisions.

This article is from the WeChat official account "Wall Street Insights". Author: Li Dan. Republished by 36Kr with permission.