Apple is apparently preparing its supply chain for an uptick in new iPhone sales next year, according to a new report by Nikkei. The company has apparently targeted sales of about 95 million iPhone 18 models in 2026, noting that the new lineup won’t arrive until the fall.
While the new foldable model will draw interest, Apple is expecting sales to be up across all iPhone 18 models. The company seems to be indicating that it expects a halo effect, where people are enticed into upgrading based on the flashiness of the shiny new folding iPhone, but some will ultimately opt to upgrade to a traditional slab iPhone 18 regardless.
95 million for the 2026 iPhone 18 launch compares to 85 million for the 2025 iPhone 17 launch, or an increase of about 10%. The fall lineup is expected to include the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone Air 2 and the new iPhone Fold.
Of course, Apple’s early figures act as guideline estimates for supply chain partners to prepare their downstream resources appropriately. Apple will not hesitate to quickly change order volumes based on real consumer demand, either upwards or downwards.
Nikkei also says that Apple is planning to launch trial production of the iPhone Fold at a plant in Taiwan. After scaling up the resources and performing quality checks on produced units, Apple will then look to replicate the production line in a factory in India.
As a reminder, almost all iPhones sold in the United States now originate from assembly lines in India, as Apple shifted around its supply chain to accommodate the administration’s tariffs policy. Meanwhile, iPhones sold internationally mostly originate from China factories.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Comments