This week brought a surprising report saying Apple plans to rebrand all its software platforms with year-based naming. So, iOS 26 will launch this fall (think car models) rather than iOS 19. Could iPhone hardware be the next subject of change? Apple’s leaked roadmap may offer a clue.
iPhone release schedule shake-up coming
Earlier this month, reporting from Wayne Ma and Ming-Chi Kuo offered an expansive preview of Apple’s roadmap for upcoming iPhone models.
That roadmap contained several surprises, one of which was a schedule shake-up.
Starting next year, Apple is expected to stop releasing its new base model iPhone in the fall.
So what could be called the iPhone 18 will actually ship the following spring, about six months later. And the fall models will include:
- iPhone Air
- iPhone Pro
- iPhone Pro Max
- and iPhone Fold
This change isn’t simply a one-off.
Rather, Apple is expected to start shipping six new iPhones every year: two lower-cost models in the spring, and four higher-end options in the fall.
But in this scenario, the entry models will always ship after the Pro, Air, and so on.
Moving the iPhone to year-based branding
As I’ve thought about this change in light of the iOS 26 news, it strikes me that year-based branding could be a perfect fit for this new annual rhythm.
Let’s leave aside the question of whether Apple will change iPhone naming as early as this year. I could see it happening, but perhaps Apple wants to wait and see how the OS change is received.
At a minimum though, making the change next year would make a lot of sense.
Next fall in September 2026, Apple could launch:
- iPhone Air 27
- iPhone Pro 27
- iPhone Fold 27
- and so on
These advanced new iPhones would give off ‘ahead of their time’ vibes, similar to new car models.
But then six months later, around March 2027, we would get:
- iPhone 27
- and iPhone 27e
Thus, the high-end, premium iPhones get the benefit of feeling ultra-advanced, since they’re launching months before the new year begins.
Top comment by Kaplag
Everyone is coming at this whole OS rebranding to years might mean phone rebranding to years like it simplifies things.
That's only for the first year where the OS and the model of phone would have the same number. But Phones support multiple years of OS updates.
So your iPhone 26 in 4 years will be be running iOS 30.
Apple should drop numbers, not change them to years. Because, as I've been saying well before all of these Gurman rumors, that releasing a totally new form factor of iPhone with different specs from all the other phones but then adding the same number in front is weird and verbose. iPhone 17 air? What makes it a 17 if it's the first generation of Air? The iPhone16e was already shamefully dumb of a name. What makes that a 16? It's an iPhone 14 body with a new processor and it was the first "e" device ever. I don't know what's gotten into Apple's marketing team but hopefully someone has knocked some sense into them and they cut all the nonsense with naming.
Then early in that new year, the entry iPhones will sport names that match their release timing.
iPhone rebrand: wrap-up
There’s certainly no guarantee that Apple has any interest in rebranding the iPhone like it’s doing with its software. It could be content to keep up the current 17, 18, etc. branding.
But if a year-based change is in the cards, the new annual release cadence could be a perfect match.
Do you think Apple will change the iPhone to year-based branding? Let us know in the comments.
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