iPhone 18 Trial Production Reported to Begin in February Ahead of Spring 2027 Launch

Apple is believed to be kick-starting the trial production of its iPhone 18 shortly after the Chinese New Year. The Cupertino company is believed to be eyeing small-scale manufacturing once supply chain factories return to operating.

According to Weibo-based leaker Fixed Focus Digital, Apple is targeting a late February date to begin its trial production for the iPhone 18 series. This is roughly the time workers return after the Lunar New Year.

The trial production phase means a small assortment of finalized devices is manufactured to ensure the production lines are able to fulfil the orders and meet the bar for quality. This helps alleviate any unexpected issues that could arise before Apple and its manufacturing partners move into the mass production phase.

The leaker also states that the production lines for iPhone 18 Pro devices are already established. If indeed correct, this would reflect that Apple’s designs for the Pro-level devices are ready and firmly locked in.

Reports of the iPhone 18 Pro models indicate that Apple is maintaining the overall design of the iPhone 17 Pro. This includes the triple camera array and its refreshing housing layout.

Most importantly, Fixed Focus Digital suggests that Apple is splitting up its iPhone launch. It’s currently believed that the Pro-level iPhone 18 devices will roll out during September 2026 with the company’s first foldable iPhone. The base iPhone and iPhone 18e are then expected to be released during Spring 2027.

Early reports claim that iPhone 18 could simplify the Camera Control button by removing the capacitive sensor while maintaining the pressure-based inputs. This could reduce manufacturing costs while securing the features available. It’s also believed that iPhone 18 could be upgraded to 12GB of RAM in 2026 and be built on TSMC’s 2nm chip technology with the A20 processor.