Chatter around the iPhone 18 series has been in full swing, with the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max expected to make some qualitative upgrades this year. There’s even an iPhone Fold expected to join the iPhone 18 series. That said, the vanilla iPhone 18 might not make it to the stage at this year’s Apple September event – instead, it could be reserved for 2027. And Apple may downgrade it!
Based on information from a new leak, which emerged from China’s Weibo, Apple is exploring ways to reduce the manufacturing cost on the next-gen iPhone 18. The Cupertino-based tech brand wants to keep the base price of the iPhone 18 unchanged from what the iPhone 17 costs, and Apple seems to have no other solution than going for a quiet specifications downgrade.
The leakster, carrying the ‘Fixed Focus Digital’ name, has shared some details on the vanilla iPhone 18 and how it could shape up eventually. It is said that the changes aim to align the iPhone 18 more closely with the cheaper iPhone 18e variant, which is also expected to be released in early 2027.
iPhone 18 to be a downgrade?
Apple is reportedly set to implement cost-cutting measures on its upcoming base iPhone 18 model, including downgrades to the display specifications and processor.
In recent posts, the leaker stated that the iPhone 18 will feature “certain manufacturing downgrades” as a deliberate cost-cutting strategy. Further updates specify that the display will see reduced quality, with the manufacturing process itself described as “taking a step backwards.”
For context, the current generation iPhone 17 offers a 6.3-inch display supporting ProMotion technology (120Hz refresh rate) and peak brightness up to 3,000 nits. The leaker suggests these premium features could be scaled back to achieve savings on manufacturing. Apple could tune down either the maximum brightness or the phone’s refresh rate to 60Hz, similar to its predecessor.
There’s bad news on the chip side, too. The iPhone 17 uses an A19 processor with a five-core GPU in the standard model, compared to a four-core version in the iPhone 17e and a six-core version in Pro models. The leaker indicates Apple may reduce the GPU cores in the iPhone 18’s chip from five to four this year, and potentially rename the A-series chip to hide the extent of the downgrade.
Rather than raising the device’s price, the company is opting for these component adjustments to maintain its current price point.
iPhone 18, iPhone 18e rumoured for spring 2027 launch
The leaker has doubled down on the claims with newer posts, stating that the specification downgrades for the standard iPhone 18 “have now been confirmed” from multiple sources. Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for both the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e is reportedly scheduled for June. The models are set to launch simultaneously in spring 2027 under Apple’s revised timeline.
Apple’s renewed strategy for its entry-level models could blur the lines between the standard iPhone 18 and the budget-oriented iPhone 18e, although there could still be compelling reasons to get the vanilla model.
Currently, the differences between the iPhone 17 and 17e include the Dynamic Island versus notch, display size and technology, brightness, front and ultra wide cameras, and battery life. It remains to be seen whether these differentiators will persist in the next generation.
Note that this is an unconfirmed leak and Apple is yet to acknowledge any of the information presented here.