After five years of incremental updates, Apple’s full-scale overhaul began in September with the debut of the all-new iPhone Air and a redesigned iPhone 17 Pro lineup.

According to Bloomberg, the transition will continue through a three-year roadmap: Apple’s first foldable iPhone is expected in fall 2026, followed by a brand-new premium iPhone in 2027 featuring a curved glass display and under-display camera technology.

The newly released iPhone Air - launched alongside iPhone 17 Pro - is expected to account for 6% to 8% of total iPhone sales, similar to the iPhone 16 Plus it replaces.

But fundamentally, the iPhone Air serves as an experimental step toward Apple’s future foldable phone.

It uses many of the same materials, miniaturization techniques, internal components, battery design, and software optimizations that will be applied in the foldable iPhone.

The second-generation iPhone Air will primarily focus on adopting a new 2nm chip, rather than introducing major structural changes. This chip upgrade is expected to address one of the first-gen Air’s biggest weaknesses: battery life.

Breaking the fall cycle

For more than a decade, Apple has followed a predictable pattern of launching its flagship products in the fall. This approach streamlined planning and marketing, and it helped ensure Apple’s financial performance aligned with Wall Street’s forecasts.

However, it also became a burden. Launching too many products at once compressed revenue into a narrow window, overwhelmed marketing efforts, and strained the company’s engineering teams and suppliers.

The problematic rollout of Apple Intelligence in 2024 illustrated the pitfalls of this strategy.

Starting in 2026, Bloomberg reports Apple will adopt a staggered release model. In fall 2026, it will release three high-end models: iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the foldable iPhone. Then in spring 2027, Apple will launch iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, and potentially the iPhone Air 2.

Apple aims to maintain this cadence for the foreseeable future - releasing five to six models annually.

The new release schedule is designed to stabilize revenue throughout the year, reduce pressure on staff and manufacturing partners, and avoid internal product cannibalization between budget and premium models.

It also gives Apple more frequent opportunities to respond to competitors like Samsung Electronics, which often launches devices year-round.

This shift is mirrored in Apple’s software approach. While major OS updates have traditionally arrived in the fall, smaller spring updates are becoming more important. For instance, a new Siri version is expected with iOS 26.4 in spring 2026.

Du Lam