Apple Plans Aggressive iPhone Launch Schedule and Foldable Device Push Amid Supply Shortages

Apple plans to launch at least five new iPhone models between the second half of this year and the first half of 2027, while increasing production plans for foldable devices, as it looks to vie for a greater slice of the market amid an industrywide component supply shortage, Nikkei Asia reported Thursday.

The U.S. tech giant has instructed suppliers to prepare to produce about 10 million foldable iPhones this year, up from an earlier forecast of 7 million to 8 million units, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.

Ahead of launching its first-ever foldable device, Apple has already secured components for about 80 million smartphones spread across new models for the second half of 2026, according to Nikkei Asia.

Apple's total smartphone production for 2026 is expected to exceed 220 million units, the report said. Its scale and purchasing power in sourcing memory and components remain significantly stronger than most of its peers, even as shortages driven by AI-related demand ripple through the industry.

This has allowed Apple to navigate supply shortages better than Chinese rivals such as Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo, which have each slashed their annual production targets to below 100 million units, Nikkei Asia reported.

"Compared with Apple's bargaining power, the Chinese smartphone makers are in a weak spot in terms of getting more supplies of memory chips or increasing the prices," an executive at a supplier for both Apple and Xiaomi told Nikkei Asia. "It gives Apple a good motivation to launch the iPhones in spring and take more of their share."

Apple's efforts to secure components come as a global memory shortage driven by demand from artificial intelligence data centers pushes up costs across the industry.

Bloomberg reported Thursday that Apple is in talks to source memory chips for devices sold in China from Chinese manufacturers ChangXin Memory Technologies and Yangtze Memory Technologies, both of which are included on a Pentagon list of companies alleged to support Beijing's military. Apple has not confirmed the discussions, and Bloomberg reported that negotiations remain ongoing.

Apple is reportedly seeking to broaden its supplier base as memory shortages strain production across the consumer electronics sector.

Apple plans to introduce at least two new iPhones in the first half of 2027, including the standard iPhone 18 and a new iPhone Air, according to Nikkei Asia.

The aggressive product roadmap comes after Apple implemented price hikes for its MacBook and iPad lineups last week as memory and storage costs surged.

Apple did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.