For the first time, Apple split its annual iPhone rollout into two phases, unveiling the premium iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max in September and postponing the launch of the base iPhone 18, the lower‑priced iPhone 18e and the iPhone Air 2 to the following spring.
Pre‑orders for the Pro models opened on Sept. 11 and the handsets became available to customers yesterday, according to Apple’s own timeline.
Initial demand was modest, but former Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, now a managing partner at Deepwater Asset Management, said that within 24‑48 hours pre‑order activity picked up, resulting in delivery lead times that are about 15 % longer than those recorded for last year’s launch.
Munster interpreted the longer lead times as a sign that some buyers who would normally choose a base‑model iPhone are upgrading to the higher‑priced Pro variants, a trend that could boost Apple’s premium‑segment revenue.
He also warned that Wall Street’s forecast for fiscal‑2027 iPhone revenue – $274.4 billion – is likely understated by roughly 10 %, projecting that the iPhone line could generate as much as $301.84 billion by the September 2027 fiscal year‑end.
The foldable iPhone Duo, Apple’s first device in the category, will open for pre‑orders on Oct. 16 at 5 a.m. PDT (8 a.m. EDT) with shipments slated for Oct. 23. Munster expects the Duo to claim about 35 % of the global foldable‑phone market in its first year, a share he believes is conservative.
He placed the global foldable market at roughly 13 million units over the past four quarters, led by Huawei with a 50 % share, while Samsung, Motorola and Honor each hold 10‑15 % and the remaining manufacturers split the rest. Samsung’s dominance, once around 60 %, has eroded amid rising competition.