Leaker Maps 6 iPhone Models for 2027 as Apple Splits Launches Across 2 Seasons

Q: As rivals push 240Hz screens, is Apple creating too wide a technology gap within its own iPhone line?

Yes — within Apple’s own lineup, the gap is becoming unusually wide, even if Apple is right not to chase 240Hz. The issue is less that rivals are moving to 165Hz, 185Hz or even 240Hz, and more that Apple’s lower-cost iPhone 18e is still expected to stay at 60Hz in 2027 while the rest of the iPhone 18 family gets 120Hz LTPO ProMotion and Always-On display. That creates a visible split in everyday use: scrolling, animations and touch response feel noticeably less fluid at 60Hz, and buyers also miss the battery-saving benefits of LTPO’s variable refresh rates. Apple’s strategy appears deliberate. Reports say standard LTPO panels will not reach the “e” line until at least 2028, partly because Apple plans to reserve newer “LTPO+” panels for premium models such as Air and foldable iPhones first. From a supply-chain and margin perspective, that is consistent with Apple’s habit of staggering advanced hardware. But the market context makes the decision harder to defend. At similar prices, many Android phones already offer 120Hz, and some brands are pushing much higher numbers. While 240Hz is arguably more marketing than meaningful daily benefit — most users see diminishing returns beyond 120Hz, and battery and thermal costs rise — 60Hz now looks dated. So Apple is probably sensible to ignore the 240Hz race, but keeping the budget iPhone at 60Hz for another cycle risks making the internal iPhone hierarchy feel too rigid and the entry model too compromised.

3 articles · Updated · 9to5Mac · Jun 29

Six iPhone models are now tipped for 2027, with Digital Chat Station listing iPhone Air 2, iPhone 18, iPhone 18e, iPhone 19 Pro, iPhone 19 Pro Max and a foldable iPhone Ultra 2.
Three of them—the Air 2, iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e—are expected by March 2027 after Apple reportedly pushes the base iPhone 18 cycle out of the usual fall window.
September 2027 would then bring the iPhone 19 Pro pair and Ultra 2, with the Pro models tied to a 20th-anniversary redesign and the foldable already in mold testing.
Display details in the leak suggest limited changes for the early models: Air 2 keeps a 6.55-inch 120Hz LTPO OLED, iPhone 18 a 6.3-inch 120Hz panel, and iPhone 18e a 6.12-inch 60Hz screen.
That 60Hz iPhone 18e panel aligns with earlier reports that Apple's lower-cost model may again miss ProMotion and Always-On features, underscoring a bigger lineup but uneven upgrades.