iPhone 18 staggered launch Samsung camera sensors, Digi Mart USA News: Apple has not launched its full iPhone 18 lineup this year, and a new report offers one possible reason beyond the memory price and supply chain pressures that had been widely cited. According to Japanese publication Semiconportal, part of the reason the base iPhone 18 will launch next year is Samsung.
Apple announced last year that it would work with Samsung to source camera sensor chips for future iPhones. The change was needed because its deal with original supplier Sony was coming to an end this year.
Prototypes of the new Samsung camera sensors began production in spring 2026, which pushed mass production into the fall.
To secure enough supply for the iPhone 18 series, Apple reportedly chose to stagger the launch and move the base model to next year. According to the report, this gives Apple more time to build enough supply to meet its internal targets.
The source also notes that soaring memory prices and difficulty maintaining consistent supply were major factors in the strategy, and that moving to a new supplier would introduce operational delays.
The report adds that the chips are said to be manufactured at Samsung’s factory in Texas, which aligns with Apple’s American Manufacturing Program (AMP). The report has not been independently verified.
