No iPhone 18 in September: Is it worth waiting?
The obvious reaction after the keynote is: I’ll simply wait until the standard iPhone 18 arrives. The thought is reasonable; it just takes considerably longer than most people assume. Apple unveiled the Pro models on September 9. There was no iPhone 18 without “Pro” in its name.
What Apple showed
- Externally, the Pro remains as it was. Aluminium unibody, 6.3 and 6.9 Inch. New are the colours Burgundy, Polar, Silver and Black. Cosmic Orange is no longer available.
- The camera is the real innovation, and it applies to both Pro models. The 48 MP main camera now features a variable aperture from ƒ/1.48 to ƒ/4.0. It is joined by a 48 MP Ultra Wide, 48 MP telephoto and optical zoom of up to 8×.
- Inside is the A20 Pro with a vapour chamber. Apple states up to 43 hours of video playback for the Pro Max, six hours more than the 17 Pro Max. The Dynamic Island has become smaller and displays up to three Live Activities simultaneously.
- For the first time, a foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, starting at CHF 1'999.–. It unlocks via Touch ID in the side button instead of Face ID, has neither a telephoto camera nor a variable aperture and works only with eSIM. Pre-orders start on 16 October, with availability from 23 October.
- No standard model. iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e were not part of the keynote.
- The iPhone 18 Pro starts at CHF 1'199.–, while the Pro Max starts at CHF 1'299.–, around one hundred francs more than the launch prices of the 17 Pro generation. You can pre-order from 12 September at 2 p.m., with delivery starting on 18 September. iOS 27 will be released as early as 14 September.
When is the regular iPhone 18 coming?
The regular iPhone 18 will not arrive in September 2026. It is expected in spring 2027, together with the iPhone 18e, around six months after the Pro models.
On 9 September, Apple presented exclusively the Pro version and the foldable model and gave no date for the standard models. According to reports, this marks the beginning of a permanently split model cycle: Pro models in autumn, standard models in spring. Anyone waiting for a standard model today is therefore waiting for a device that has not yet been announced.
What this means if you don’t want a Pro
There are two options: wait until spring 2027 or buy a previous-generation model now.
Waiting six months means spending six months with the device you have now. If its battery is already noticeably weaker or the display is cracked, waiting is not a neutral decision but half a year of compromise. There is also this: even in spring 2027, the iPhone 18 will be a new device at its new-device price. The price that makes you wait does not yet exist on that day.
When waiting, also consider what can happen in the meantime. A battery replacement or display repair on your old device is money you spend shortly before buying a new one. And the trade-in value of your current iPhone will be lower in spring 2027 than it is today, because another model year will then have passed.
One detail on the margins of the keynote is more relevant than it sounds: Apple has also raised the prices of older iPhone models at the same time. The gap between a new device and a refurbished device has therefore become larger, not smaller.
The alternative is a refurbished previous-generation model. This option has an obvious drawback, and it needs to be stated: with the Pro models, you pay for a Pro. You do not necessarily need a Pro’s camera module and casing if you actually had a standard device in mind. The selection of colours and storage also depends on what has just arrived, because every device is a unique item from the trade-in process. Anyone who deliberately wants a standard model will also find a refurbished iPhone 17 or iPhone 16 at Revendo.
The advantage is the same in both cases: the device is available today, tested and covered by a warranty, and costs less than a new 18 Pro.
Which Pro is worth it now, and which isn’t
This calls for plain speaking, because not every previous-generation variant is a good deal.
A new iPhone 18 Pro costs CHF 1'199.– in the 256 GB version. A refurbished iPhone 17 Pro with the same storage currently starts at CHF 1'011.– at Revendo. That is a difference of 188 francs for a device that is one year old. Honestly, we would not recommend the 17 Pro to you at that price. The devices have only recently started arriving through trade-ins, so stock is correspondingly limited and the price correspondingly high. Anyone who definitely wants a 17 Pro will get a better deal in a few months.
It becomes interesting one generation further back. A refurbished iPhone 16 Pro starts at CHF 610.–, around half the price of the new 18 Pro. You do give up some features: the A18 Pro instead of the A20 Pro, the older main camera without a variable aperture, and 128 instead of 256 GB of storage in the most affordable version. If you do not need a brand-new camera system but want a fast, well-built iPhone with a Pro display, this is the calculation that works.
And if you stick with a new device: the variable aperture is a genuine innovation, not a marketing detail. It lets more light reach the sensor when it is dark and, conversely, allows greater depth of field when several people on different planes should be in focus. Anyone who uses this gets something for the surcharge. Those who take Schnäppchen in everyday life will rarely notice the difference.
Revendo provides a 1-year warranty on every refurbished device, extendable to 3 years, plus a 14-day right of return. You choose the condition grade yourself, from «Bargain» to «New».
The calculation becomes truly interesting as soon as you include your current iPhone. One example: for an iPhone 13 with 128 GB in «Very good» condition, fully functional and with a battery capacity above 85 percent, Revendo currently pays CHF 129.– by bank transfer. As a shop voucher, the amount is CHF 142.–. Against a refurbished iPhone 16 Pro, that leaves CHF 481.– for you to pay yourself.
Will an iPhone 16 still receive updates?
Yes, and this year the answer is unusually clear. iOS 27 will be released on 14 September and runs on all devices from the iPhone 11 onwards. Not a single model is excluded from support. An iPhone 16 will therefore receive the current system without restrictions, as will an iPhone 13. Based on experience, Apple provides its iPhones with updates for around seven years, but this is not a firm promise.
There is one point worth mentioning, because it could otherwise lead to disappointment later: not every announced feature will be usable at system launch. The new Siri AI will initially run as a beta and exclusively in English. This affects not only older devices but also the brand-new 18 Pro. Anyone buying a new device today because of Siri AI is buying a feature they initially cannot use in German.
Sell your old device
Promotion: CHF 50.– bonus on your iPhone trade-in
With the code BONUS50, you will receive an additional CHF 50.– on the trade-in value of your iPhone until 2 November 2026. The CHF 129.– in the example above becomes CHF 179.–, reducing the remaining amount for a refurbished iPhone 16 Pro to CHF 431.–.