Staggering the iPhone 18 launch is saying the quiet part out loud

It’s a sign of just how far ahead Apple needs to plan iPhone launches that we’re already hearing rumors about the iPhone 18 — months before the iPhone 17 is out. It’s a lot of work finalizing a smartphone’s design, in no small part because of the need to gauge the market, set priorities, and line up supply and manufacturing. All the more so when a lot of production needs to be moved out of China to cope with a trade war.