Apple's two-year iPhone plan: nine models, a foldable, and AI glasses by 2027
Apple is about to release more iPhones in two years than most people own in a decade. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, appearing on the TBPN show, laid out a nine-model roadmap spanning 2026 and 2027 — one that stretches from a $1,999-plus foldable down to a budget "e" model, and ends with the biggest iPhone redesign since the iPhone X.
Fall 2026: three flagships at once
The first wave arrives in autumn 2026: iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the long-rumored foldable iPhone Ultra. The Ultra is expected to carry a price tag somewhere between $1,999 and $2,500, putting it squarely against Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold series. First-generation Apple foldables typically face supply constraints, so early stock may be tight.
Spring 2027: the affordable wave
A second launch follows in early 2027, covering the base iPhone 18, a budget iPhone 18e, and an updated ultrathin model likely called the iPhone Air 2. These fill out the lower tiers of Apple's lineup, giving buyers a wider spread of options than the current Pro-or-nothing dynamic.
The anniversary play
Apple is skipping the iPhone 19 name entirely. Instead, the 2027 flagship is called iPhone 20 — a deliberate nod to the brand's 20th anniversary. The iPhone 20 is set to be a genuine redesign: a quad-curved OLED display that wraps all four edges, a slimmer Dynamic Island cutout, and under-display Face ID. The display is being supplied by Samsung, though MacRumors curved display notes a production compromise — a magnesium-silver cathode used in 2027 causes some brightness loss, with a fix not arriving until 2028.
.@markgurman каже, що 2027 рік стане найбільшим роком випуску продуктів для Apple за всю історію.
— TBPN (@tbpn) 18 червня 2026
Ось що, за його словами, вийде:
Весна 2027: iPhone 18, iPhone Air 2
Осінь 2027: iPhone 20 (ювілейний iPhone), iPhone 20 Pro Max, другий складаний телефон Apple pic.twitter.com/wkpnPKzqVc
Cameras everywhere — including your ears
2027 also brings two new product categories. Apple is developing AR smart glasses and a version of AirPods with built-in cameras (code-named B798), both designed to extend Siri's visual intelligence — letting the assistant see what you see and offer context-aware responses. Neither product comes with a disclosed privacy framework yet, which will matter when regulators on both sides of the Atlantic start asking questions about camera-equipped devices used in public spaces. Per Digital Trends, the camera AirPods are targeting a fall 2027 release.
What it means
Nine iPhone SKUs across two years is a significant expansion. It gives Apple more coverage across price points but also more complexity for buyers trying to figure out which model fits them. The foldable Ultra and the iPhone 20 redesign are the headline acts — but the real test will be whether Apple can deliver both a working curved display and AI wearables on schedule, without the production delays that have tripped up ambitious hardware before.
