New iPhone 18 leaks: Release dates, pricing, battery updates and everything else you need to know about the new lineup

People are very excited because the new folding iPhone Ultra is coming, and it’s going to be one of Apple’s biggest and most awaited events in a long time.

The 2026 iPhone event is coming soon, and we’ll see the newest Apple phones. There are lots of rumors and leaks sharing what might happen. Many think there will be a new folding iPhone called the iPhone Ultra, which might come out with the new iPhone 18. We saw clues about this in the new iOS 27 beta software.

Nikkei says that Apple plans to release at least five new iPhones between late 2026 and early 2027. This includes a new foldable iPhone along with updates to the four iPhones they already have. Apple has also started making more foldable iPhones and has told its suppliers to prepare to make 10 million of them this year, which is more than they expected before.

Here’s what we think we know about the iPhone Fold, iPhone 18, 18e, and Pro models, as well as the iPhone Air 2, and when they might come out. This also includes guesses about how much they might cost, especially since even Apple seems to be feeling the pinch from high RAM prices.

Apple’s rumored 2026 iPhone lineup

We don’t know all the details yet because Apple will only tell us in September. But here are the iPhones we think we’ll see at the fall event. Not all of these phones will be ready right away in September; some might come out in late 2026 or early 2027. Usually, Apple doesn’t talk about new products before they are officially announced.

iPhone Fold, aka iPhone Ultra

If the rumors are true, the iPhone Fold might be Apple’s newest and coolest phone in years and could be called the iPhone Ultra. People are also guessing what its foldable part will look like: Will it open like a book or fold up like an old flip phone?

Instead of the usual flat, rectangular phone like the original iPhone, the leaked model shows a shorter, thicker design. Some rumors from MacRumors say the phone will have a 5.5-inch screen when closed and about 7.8 inches when open, with a wider shape like an iPad. This would make it similar to the new Huawei Pura X Max Wide foldable phone.

The phone has a little bump on the back with two cameras. Since the phone is very thin—only 4.5mm thick when open—there isn’t enough space for the special camera system that recognizes your face. Because of that, the phone will use a fingerprint sensor called Touch ID instead of Face ID, which might seem like a step back.

Since Samsung is really good at making foldable screens, they will probably supply the screen for the phone. There will be two screens: a small one on the outside to use when the phone is closed, and a bigger one on the inside for when the phone is open. The phone’s outside will be made from strong metals called titanium and aluminum, according to MacRumors. It will also have a special hinge made of liquid metal and a cooling system called a vapor chamber to keep it from getting too hot.

There are many rumors about how long the battery will last. Some people said earlier this year that the foldable iPhone would have the biggest battery of any iPhone so far, with some saying it could be 5,000 mAh. Now, a person on Weibo says the phone will have at least a 4,800 mAh battery. It is also said that the battery might have two parts: one with 1,921 mAh and another with 2,962 mAh inside the phone.

This time, don’t expect bright colors to be available. Instead, Apple might only have two colors: a silver or white one, and a dark blue called indigo, similar to the iPhone 17 Pro’s Deep Blue. That might be a letdown for people who like bright, colorful phones. Recently, a person named Ice Universe shared a picture on Weibo that could be a white iPhone Ultra (see the picture below).

iPhone 18 Pro

People think the iPhone 18 Pro might have new colors and features. It will look very similar to the iPhone 17 Pro, with the same screen size. But it will be more powerful, with special screen technology to help the battery last longer and work better. It is also believed to have a new A20 chip inside, making it faster and more efficient than the A19 chip in the iPhone 17.

This year, the camera is supposed to get a big improvement. It might have a new type of lens that can change how wide or narrow the opening is, helping it take better pictures. Also, the small screen part called Dynamic Island might become smaller, and the button used to control the camera could be simpler without touch or vibrations.

This year, the colors might be light blue, dark cherry, dark gray, and silver. It looks like they will also use the shiny aluminum finish that the 17 Pro has. The back part with the Ceramic Shield might also get a frosted, matte look.

There is a new leak from Digital Chat Station that says Apple might be trying out different battery sizes for the iPhone 18 Pro in China and the U.S. It looks like they are similar to last year’s iPhone 17 Pro. The Chinese iPhone could have a battery that holds 4,056 mAh, and the U.S. iPhone might have a battery with 4,288 mAh.

iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e

A person on Weibo says that Apple might be making the iPhone 18 less fancy to save money. They might change parts like the chips and memory to make it similar to the older ’18e’ model. This is strange for Apple, but they probably have the same problems as other tech companies because it costs more to get parts like RAM and storage for big AI computer places.

Some experts say the new iPhone 18 and 18e might have 9GB of RAM, which is more than the 8GB in older models. Usually, new phones have at least 2GB more RAM, so this is a small increase. The extra RAM will help the iPhone run smarter AI features in iOS 27.

iPhone Air 2

People are talking about whether there will be an iPhone Air 2 or an iPhone 18 Plus. But many rumors say there might just be another slim phone. This new phone could have a longer-lasting battery, a faster chip, and maybe a special cooling part called a vapor chamber to keep it from getting too hot.

The biggest change coming to the iPhone Air 2 is that it will have a second camera on the back to take wide-angle photos. The first iPhone Air didn’t have this second camera, which was a little disappointing. Also, the first iPhone Air had a shorter battery life compared to its thicker brothers.

iPhone release dates

If the early news is correct, Apple might change when they release new iPhones. They could do two big releases: one in September for the fancy, expensive iPhones, and another one in late winter or early spring for the cheaper iPhones.

September 2026: Apple might show the iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max, and Ultra, says MacRumors. But a new rumor says the foldable phone might start taking orders later than the iPhone 18 because they are still making some of them.

March 2027: the new iPhone 18e is probably going to come out in the first part of the year, just like the iPhone 17e did before. But what’s different this time is that the regular iPhone 18 might also be released at the same time, according to MacRumors. Usually, Apple releases the regular iPhone later, but this time they might release it together with the more advanced Pro models.

The iPhone Air 2 that was mentioned before is also expected to be shipped around now.

iPhone 18 and iPhone Fold pricing

The technology world is having a hard time because the prices for parts that store data and memory are going up a lot. This is because more and more data centers for AI are being built, which need these parts. Tim Cook, the boss of Apple, told a newspaper that they are trying to keep prices low for customers, but it’s becoming too hard. Less than a week later, Apple raised the prices of iPads and Macs very quickly.

• MacBook Air: Up $200 to $1,299

• MacBook Pro: Up $400 to $1,999

• MacBook Neo: Up $100 to $699

• iPad A16: Up $100 to $449

• iPad Air: Up $150 to $749

• iPad Pro: Up $200 to $1,199

Apple hasn’t said if they’ll make iPhones more expensive yet, but most people think they will soon. The only question is whether Apple will do it this summer or wait until the new iPhones come out in September.

It’s hard to guess how much new products will cost before they are announced, especially this year. Apple might charge a lot for the new foldable iPhone because it’s very new and special. Some experts say it could cost more than $2,000, which is almost $1,000 more than the iPhone 17 Pro with 256 GB. For comparison, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 costs $1,100 but is on sale for $900, and the Pixel 10 Pro Fold costs $1,799 but is on sale for $1,499.

Nobody knows for sure what the rest of the iPhone line will cost. The WSJ says the new iPhone Pro might be around $1,299, which is more than the current $1,099. If other models get a similar price increase of about 18%, the iPhone Ultra could cost between $2,200 and $2,500.

Will Apple raise prices only on their fancy foldable, Pro, and Air phones, while keeping the basic iPhone 18 and 18e around $799 and $599? Only time will tell. But Cook didn’t sound hopeful when he said in the Journal: “I’ve never seen anything like it in any area in over 40 years.”.

What Apple products are coming in 2027?

Apple is making new AirPods that have cameras on them, according to Gurman. But these cameras won’t take pictures or videos. Instead, they will help Siri understand what you’re looking at. These special earbuds are expected to be ready by late 2027.

Gurman says that Apple is making new and better iPad Pro tablets, and four of them are likely to come out in spring of 2027. They will have the same screen sizes as the current iPads, which are 11 inches and 13 inches.

Gurman says that early next year, there will be a new version of the basic MacBook Pro. It will have a 14-inch screen and might even have a touch screen.

The new launch will have a special foldable phone, maybe called the Ultra 2, and a new iPhone to celebrate its 20th birthday. Someone named Gurman said these will be the biggest new products so far. The new iPhone will have a big screen that almost covers the whole front and glass that curves around the sides.