iPhone 18 Production Rumored to Begin Late November

On 15 October 2026 a Weibo tipster said production of the standard iPhone 18 is scheduled to begin at the end of November, with Apple reportedly preparing a substantial number of units. Apple launched the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max in September.

Production schedule and reported stock

The tipster posted on Weibo that the iPhone 18 will enter production at the end of November. Based on the tipster's assessment of stock volume alone, Apple is preparing "quite a lot" of units, the post said. No specific quantities or factory allocations were provided.

Earlier tipster claims and apparent contradictions

A few days earlier the same tipster had claimed expected iPhone 18 stock would be lowered while Apple shifts focus to the iPhone 18 Pro Max and a foldable device. That statement appears to conflict with the recent reference to comparatively large stock, although the tipster did not clarify the basis of the comparison.

Launch timing and rumored specifications

The tipster said an end of November production start fits with a spring release and expects the iPhone 18 to launch in March alongside an iPhone 18e. Past rumors attributed the following specifications to the standard iPhone 18:

• 6.3-inch OLED display with 120Hz refresh rate
• A20 chipset
• 9GB of RAM

Apple has not confirmed the production timing, launch date, or any of the reported specifications.