No iPhone 18 Base Model This Year? Why Apple Delayed It, Expected iPhone 18 Price in India & Launch Date

Apple's latest iPhone 18 Pro series has already taken the spotlight and has become the talk of the town but there is one major phone from the lineup that is still missing which is the standard iPhone 18.

There is a shift in pattern this year as Apple did not launch the Base model of iPhone 18 series along with the iPhone 18 Pro & iPhone 18 Pro max variant.

The iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone 18 Duo which are the fold model were launched on September 9th with sales expected to begin from September 18. However, the standard iPhone 18 is reportedly being held back for a separate launch in 2027. iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone 17 Pro: What's New? Price, Camera, Battery and Specs Compared

However it should be noted that Apple has not officially confirmed the iPhone 18 base model launch date, price or specifications, several industry rumours and leaks have already started speculating what consumers could expect.

So, when will the iPhone 18 launch in India, how much could it cost and what specifications could it offer? Here's everything we know so far.

iPhone 18 Launch Date: When Will Apple Launch the Base Model?

The biggest change this year is Apple's launch strategy; for the first time, the company is not launching the entire iPhone 18 family at the same time. The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max have already been introduced, but the standard iPhone 18 was not part of the September 9 launch event.

The base iPhone 18 is expected to launch in Spring 2027, according to ongoing rumours, which hint at a March 12th launch, although this date has not been confirmed by Apple.

According to 9to5 Mac, in the next phase of launch Apple is expected to unveil three more models, iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, iPhone Air 2. The reason behind the delayed launch is not clever yet however as per the 9to5 Mac's report, "since Apple wants to expand the iPhone lineup more than ever, with new models like the foldable Duo, it didn't want to overcrowd the fall. Thus, splitting major iPhone launches into fall and spring cycles might be advantageous."

"Another possible reason is that Apple saw the current memory shortage coming, and knew it would be a struggle to meet demand if it launched the base iPhone 18 at the same time as Pro and Duo models." the report further added.

iPhone 18 Base Model Expected Price in India

The iPhone 18 base model price in India is currently not announced. However, as estimates put it, the expected iPhone 18 price is Rs. 79,900 for the 128GB model.

Other rumours suggest that Apple could keep the 12GB RAM + 256GB storage configuration around Rs. 88,990 to Rs. 89,999

iPhone 18 Expected Specifications

The iPhone 18 specifications have not been officially revealed. However, leaks and reports have already suggested many possible upgrades. The standard iPhone 18 is rumoured to feature a 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display.

Under the hood, Apple is expected to use the A20 chipset, although the exact configuration and performance compared is still a mystery.

The base iPhone 18 could also receive a significant memory upgrade towards 8GB to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of starting storage.

The A20 chip could be one of the biggest upgrades coming to the standard iPhone 18 since the new iPhone 18 Pro models have moved to the A20 Pro, built on a 2nm process. The iPhone 18 base model is expected to use the regular A20 chipset.

As per rumours, the iPhone 18 is expected to support up to 80W wired charging, along with 25W wireless charging.

Again, these are rumoured specifications, and Apple has not confirmed any specifications yet of the upcoming iPhone 18 base model.