Apple decided to not launch its complete lineup of iPhone 18 series this year and this information started circulating months in advance. The reason for the staggered launch was presumed to be memory prices and supply chain issues, but a new report now sheds light on another possible cause.
According to Japanese publication Semiconportal, one of the reasons why the iPhone 18 will launch next year is Samsung. Last year, Apple announced that it would be working with Samsung to source camera sensor chips for future iPhones. That’s because the deal with its original supplier, Sony, was coming to an end this year. With the new deal in place, prototypes for the new camera sensors from Samsung started production in spring 2026, which pushed mass production to fall.
To make sure Apple had enough supply for the iPhone 18 series, it made the decision to stagger the launch and push the base iPhone 18 to next year. That should theoretically give the Cupertino giant enough time to build sufficient supply to meet its expected internal targets.
Of course, the soaring memory prices and difficulty in maintaining consistent supply were also a major contributing factor to this strategy. And, understandably, moving from one supplier to another would introduce some operational delays. Another notable aspect of this strategy is that these chips are said to be manufactured at Samsung’s factory in Texas, which falls in line with Apple’s American Manufacturing Program (AMP).
