The base iPhone 18 will not launch until spring 2027, and a new supply-chain report says Samsung's camera sensors are a key reason for the delay. Apple is switching its iPhone camera sensors from Sony to Samsung, and the new sensors need more time to reach mass production, according to the report.

The claim comes from Japanese trade publication Semiconportal, reported on Thursday 12 November by Notebookcheck and SamMobile. Apple has not confirmed the report, and the delay itself was already widely expected, but the report gives a new explanation for why the standard model is being held back.

Why Samsung, and why now

Apple announced last year that it would work with Samsung to source camera sensor chips for future iPhones, because its long-running deal with Sony, its sole sensor supplier for a decade, was coming to an end this year. The two companies announced in August 2025 that they would develop new chip manufacturing technology together.

According to Semiconportal, prototyping of Samsung's new iPhone camera sensors started in spring 2026, which pushed mass production back to the autumn. Waiting until spring 2027 gives Apple time to build up a steady stockpile before opening orders for its highest-volume phone. Reports say Apple will buy 48MP or 200MP sensors from Samsung under the agreement.

Where the sensors will be made

The sensors are to be manufactured at Samsung's semiconductor factory in Austin, Texas, which fits with Apple's American Manufacturing Program, the company's push to make more of its components in the United States. Samsung already makes most of Apple's displays, and the camera sensor deal extends a partnership that has grown steadily over the past year.

Earlier reports had blamed the staggered launch mainly on memory prices and supply-chain problems. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported in September that Apple would split the iPhone 18 launch in two, with the Pro models arriving first and the standard iPhone 18, the iPhone 18e and the iPhone Air 2 following in spring 2027. Gurman describes the standard iPhone 18 as mostly an iPhone 17 with a new A20 chip.

What it means for buyers

For anyone waiting for the standard iPhone 18, the delay means the cheapest new iPhone will arrive months after the Pro models. The wait may bring a better camera: the new Samsung sensor is a three-layer stacked design, which is expected to improve responsiveness, reduce noise and widen dynamic range.

Some caution is still needed. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in September 2025 that Samsung's mass production for Apple could slip into 2027, and the new report's autumn 2026 production date has not been confirmed by Apple or Samsung. What is clear is that the iPhone 18 launch will be split, and that Samsung's role in the iPhone camera is growing either way.

Sources: Notebookcheck; SamMobile