Summary created by Smart Answers AI
In summary:
- Macworld reports that the iPhone 18 Pro has reportedly entered test production according to Weibo leaker Fixed Focus Digital, whose predictions vary in accuracy.
- This development timing is in line with Apple’s typical production testing phase, indicating normal progress towards the device’s eventual release.
- There is speculation that the standard iPhone 18 or the rumored iPhone Fold could also be included in this early testing phase.
It’s February and we’re still more than six months away from the launch of Apple’s flagship phones. But according to a new report, the company is making solid progress towards the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro, with the device just entering test production.
Leaker Fixed Focus Digital, who has a mixed record but has some solid predictions to his credit, claims in a Weibo post this week (spotted by MacRumors) that the 18-series phones are “already in mass production testing,” adding that “the iPhone 18 Pro production line has also started.” (Both quotes via Google Translate.)
The leak does not cite the source of these claims, referring only and vaguely to “current information”. One would assume they have access to resources in Apple’s supply chain, which is so vast and complex that a few leaks are almost inevitable. But it also wouldn’t be impossible to guess and have a decent chance of being right.
Because, while it may seem early (after all, we don’t even have the iPhone 17e yet), it’s pretty standard timing. Apple’s journey to a shipped hardware product has a series of stops along the way, passing through Engineering Validation Test (EVT), Design Validation Test (DVT), and Production Validation Test (PVT) before actual mass production begins. February is roughly the time when we would expect DVT to transition to PVT.
The more interesting question is how the standard iPhone 18 fits into all of this. Fixed Focus’ initial reference to the “iPhone 18 series,” rather than the iPhone 18 Pro specifically, as in the second installment, seems to indicate that the iPhone 18 is included in mass production testing. In fact, every Apple news site I’ve seen covering this story has taken it to mean a leak, which would put us in a situation where Apple is already production testing the iPhone 18, even though it’s not expected to come out until spring 2027.
That’s not impossible — the iPhone 18 could be in an earlier stage of verification like EVT — but the vagueness of the prediction combined with the potential confusion caused by translating the post from Chinese makes me wonder if that’s not what’s intended. Is it possible that Fixed Focus is instead including the iPhone Fold in the “18 line” of iPhones, given that it will launch alongside them and is effectively part of this generation? Is it even possible that the leaker thinks the device will be called iPhone 18 Fold?
Regardless, we’ll have plenty more opportunities to observe the progress of the new phones as we head into the big reveal. For all the latest news and rumours, bookmark our regularly updated iPhone 18 superguide. And of course, if you can’t wait until September, check out our roundup of the best iPhone deals to make sure you’re paying the lowest possible price in the current range. Wait until we see the iPhone 17e before buying.