The iPhone 18 generation will now enter the production test period.
Apple’s supply chain regularly conducts reviews of the iPhone 18 family, with the iPhone 18 Pro now in low-run test production ahead of the usual fall release.
Apple is a typical company that has spent many years honing its manufacturing capabilities and supply chain processes. If the report is to be believed, he is still sticking to his usual schedule.
In a post on Weibo on Monday, Instant Digital claims that the iPhone 18 Pro series of devices have entered production testing alongside the iPhone 18. The account also says that production lines for the iPhone 18 Pro series have also started.
The account adds a bit more detail about the models, namely that the materials used in production haven’t changed much and that the general specs are similar to the previous models, the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro.
Just in time
Instant Digital has a rather mixed record of Apple leaks on Weibo, with occasional accurate claims accompanied by speculation unsupported by other reports.
That said, their Weibo post is probably correct, mainly because it’s a relatively easy piece of information to speculate or guess about. Longtime Apple watchers can come up with an educated guess along the same lines.
When it comes to Apple’s production planning, iPhone lines typically enter the production testing process at the beginning of the year. The iPhone 17 underwent technical verification testing (EVT) at the end of April, which would be one of the first non-prototype stages before series production begins.
This is not full-scale mass production, as is usually the case at the end of summer, when assemblers fill their factories with new hires for the busy period of the annual supply chain cycle. However, this may be the period when component suppliers prepare parts to be shipped to Apple’s assembly partners in the coming months.
Although the iPhone 18 Pro is certainly expected in the fall of 2026, alongside the iPhone Fold, the standard iPhone 18 is said to arrive much later. Splitting the iPhone schedule, launching the iPhone 18 in the spring, will help ease production pressures from the usually hectic fall.
When it comes to product details, this is information that can also be easily guessed.
Apple tends to make a big design change and then reuse it for a few years with minor tweaks before finally reworking the look again. With the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro getting major overhauls in late 2025, it’s doubtful that Apple will make another major design change a year later.