Apple supplier adds weight to reports that base iPhone 18 will slip to 2027

Reports that Apple plans to delay the standard iPhone 18 until early 2027 have been circulating for months, and now they are getting backing from an unusual source, one of Apple’s key suppliers. At Largan Precision’s annual shareholders meeting, chairman Lin En-ping said a major American customer had pushed back the launch of one of its products to the first quarter of 2027. He said that move would affect component ordering schedules and increase the company’s manufacturing activity toward the end of the year.

Lin did not name Apple, but the connection to the latest iPhone rumors is hard to miss. Largan is Apple’s main camera lens supplier, which makes its comments especially notable, since suppliers almost never speak publicly about future product timetables, even indirectly. The statement does not confirm any Apple plans, but it gives additional weight to the market speculation.

Several recent reports have claimed that Apple intends to split the iPhone 18 launch into two separate windows. Under those reports, the Pro models and Apple’s first foldable iPhone would arrive in late 2026, while the base iPhone 18 would not ship until early 2027.

If that timeline proves correct, it would mark a significant change in Apple’s launch strategy. The company is said to be considering a fall and spring release cycle for iPhones, a move that could help it manage production more efficiently across its expanding lineup and spread sales more evenly through the year.