Apple Planning Largest-Ever Upgrade to iPhone

Apple is reportedly planning its largest-ever transformation to its iPhone.

This overhaul applies to both the flagship products themselves and their traditional release schedule, Bloomberg News’ Mark Gurman wrote in a report Sunday (Nov. 16).

According to the report, Apple plans to introduce a trio of high-end models — the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and a new foldable — next fall. Six months or so later, the company will launch the iPhone 18, iPhone 18e and potentially an updated iPhone Air. Gurman said he expects this pattern to repeat for years to come, with Apple rolling out five and six new models every year.

He also argued the iPhone Air is “essentially a technology exercise and a prototype en route to the foldable iPhone,” as it will use many of the same components and technology. It is less about getting customers used to thinner devices than readying Apple’s supply chain.

Meanwhile, the report added, Apple is changing its release schedule. In recent years, the company has launched four main iPhones in the fall, with a lower cost SE or “e” model being introduced in the earlier part of the year.

Starting next year, Gurman wrote, Apple will stop compressing so many releases into the fall, allowing it to enjoy steadier revenue throughout the year and place less pressure on workers and manufacturers.

Apple’s market capitalization topped the $4 trillion mark last month, driven in part by stronger-than-anticipated demand for the new iPhone 17. It became the third public company to reach that milestone, following Nvidia and Microsoft, both of which reached it in July.

In other Apple news, PYMNTS wrote last week about a major shift in the company’s App Store strategy, which could set a precedent for how mobile software is developed and monetized.

The company has debuted a program that halves the standard 30% fee it takes from app developers on in-app sales for a category of software called “mini apps.” This program offers developers of mini apps — which run inside other standalone apps rather than as separate downloads — a reduced commission rate of 15% in exchange for using Apple’s tech to construct their apps.

“This could change how people use their phones,” PYMNTS wrote. “Instead of having multiple apps scattered across the phone, users might have just a few traditional apps that include many mini apps. This can make phones less cluttered and give users more features in fewer places.”