Apple plans five new iPhones through 2027, raises foldable target to 10M units amid memory shortage

Apple plans to launch at least five new iPhone models between H2 2026 and H1 2027, and has raised production targets for its first-ever foldable iPhone to 10 million units this year (up from 7–8 million), according to Nikkei Asia. The company has already secured components for roughly 80 million smartphones across new models for H2 2026, with total 2026 production expected to exceed 220 million units.

Apple is absorbing memory and component shortages better than rivals like Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo—which have cut annual targets below 100 million units—because of its superior bargaining power with suppliers. A supplier executive told Nikkei that this gives Apple motivation to launch iPhones in spring 2027 and capture market share from Chinese competitors. Apple is also negotiating with Chinese chipmakers ChangXin Memory Technologies and Yangtze Memory Technologies (both flagged by the Pentagon) to source memory chips for devices sold in China.

The aggressive roadmap reflects rising memory costs driven by AI data center demand and comes after Apple raised prices on MacBooks and iPads last week. For consumers, this means Apple will deliver a steady stream of new hardware options through 2027. For the supply chain, it signals Apple's willingness to secure farther-out capacity and even diversify geographically—a signal that memory constraints will persist through 2026–27.