Apple is planning to overhaul its iPhone naming system with the 2027 lineup. According to research firm Omidia, the 2027 lineup may be called the iPhone 20 series instead of iPhone 19. Speaking at a conference in Seoul, Omdia’s chief researcher Heo Moo-yeol said Apple will realign its iPhone release schedule and rebrand the lineup as part of the device’s 20th anniversary. The company is reportedly planning to skip the “iPhone 19” name entirely — similar to how it skipped “iPhone 9” when it launched the iPhone X in 2017.As per the report, Apple is expected to release the iPhone 18e and iPhone 18 models in the first half of 2027. In the second half, the company will launch the iPhone Air, iPhone 20 Pro, iPhone 20 Pro Max, and a second-generation foldable iPhone.The change, the report says, is part of Apple’s broader plan to move to a twice-a-year launch cycle, helping sustain sales throughout the year instead of relying on the fall release window. To prepare for this shift, Apple may cut iPhone panel orders by 20 million units in 2026, as demand temporarily slows before foldable iPhones enter production.Industry analysts, including Ming-Chi Kuo and reports from ETNews, have also suggested that the iPhone 17 series will be the last to follow Apple’s traditional September launch timeline. A recent report in South Korea’s ETNews said that Apple has informed some of its suppliers that the iPhone 18 will not be part of the September 2026 iPhone lineup. Instead, the iPhone maker is rumoured to bring only higher-end models in the fall of 2026.
