Apple this year released only the iPhone 18 Pro models alongside its first foldable iPhone. Reports say the standard iPhone 18 will now launch in spring 2027 due to memory chip shortages, and a new report suggests Apple also delayed the base model to secure camera sensors from Samsung.
Last year Apple announced it would source camera sensors for future iPhones from Samsung. Reports claimed that Apple would start buying 48MP or 200MP camera sensors as part of that agreement.
Samsung’s role in the delay
A new report says prototyping of Samsung’s new camera sensors for iPhones reportedly began in spring 2026, with mass production planned for fall 2026. Because of that timeline, Apple supposedly pushed the standard iPhone 18 launch to spring 2027 to build up a sufficient supply of Samsung’s sensors, according to the report.
Chip manufacturing partnership
In August 2025 Apple announced it was working with Samsung to introduce an “innovative new technology for chip manufacturing.” These chips will be manufactured at Samsung’s semiconductor plant in Austin, Texas, though both companies have kept the exact technical specifications a secret.
