[DigitalToday reporter Yoonseo Lee] Expectations have emerged that Apple could launch six new iPhone models in 2027.

On June 29 (local time), IT outlet 9to5Mac reported that tipster Digital Chat Station claimed the 2027 iPhone lineup would be split into three models in the first half and three in the second half of the year.

The key is a staggered launch schedule. Apple could first introduce only three models this fall — iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone Ultra — while the base iPhone 18 and iPhone Air 2 could be delayed to early 2027. Adding the iPhone 18e would complete the early 2027 lineup.

In a Weibo post, Digital Chat Station mentioned the first three models could be released in early 2027, no later than March. It then said the remaining three models would be unveiled in September, and suggested the Pro and Pro Max among them could adopt a 20th anniversary design. That would mean Apple could move away from its existing fall-only release pattern and change how it manages its lineup over the year.

For the first-half models, expectations emerged that changes to screen size and display specifications would be limited. The iPhone Air 2 and iPhone 18 are expected to keep the same screen size and technology as their predecessors. The iPhone 18e was also reported to follow the same approach.

In particular, the possibility was raised again that the iPhone 18e may not support ProMotion. In that case, it would keep the same 6.12-inch, 60Hz configuration as the iPhone 17e. The front could switch to Dynamic Island instead of the current notch.

The scope of changes to the iPhone 18e may also be limited. Another view was that Apple could minimize changes to the iPhone 18e to avoid a larger price increase amid a memory crunch.

This leaked information shows both the direction of the second-half 2027 models and constraints on the first-half budget lineup. In the second half, a 20th anniversary iPhone would take center stage, while in the first half Apple would broaden the lineup with models that keep existing specifications.

That narrows the key questions to two. One is whether Apple will actually separate the launch timing of the base and Air models to early the following year. The other is whether the iPhone 18e will keep its low-cost character while making only partial changes to the front design, or whether it will also keep its display technology and focus on defending its price. For now, the biggest change is seen as the possibility that 2027 could be a turning point in how Apple manages its iPhone lineup.

Ultimately, the core of the 2027 iPhone lineup is whether Apple will stagger launch timing and restructure the product range. If Apple shifts the base, Air and e models to the first half and places the Pro, Pro Max and Ultra in September, the existing fall-only unveiling strategy would also change. With the possibility raised that a 20th anniversary iPhone will be at the center of the second-half lineup, 2027 could be the year Apple's iPhone launch strategy enters a new phase.