Press reports published by “Nikkei Asia” and Bloomberg stated that 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 its production plans for foldable devices. This is an attempt to boost its market share amid a global shortage in component supplies affecting the technology sector.

Nikkei Asia’s report, citing informed sources, stated that the American tech giant has instructed suppliers to prepare for the production of around 10 million foldable iPhones this year, compared to previous expectations ranging from 7 to 8 million units.

The report added that Apple has already secured components needed to produce about 80 million smartphones distributed among new models for the second half of 2026, in preparation for launching its first-ever foldable device.

It is expected that Apple’s total smartphone production for 2026 will exceed 220 million units. The company's purchasing power and negotiating influence to secure memory chips and components are much stronger than most of its competitors, despite the severe shortage wave caused by the AI-related demand surge sweeping the sector.

This influence has allowed Apple to handle the supply shortage crisis better than its Chinese competitors such as Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo, which have reduced their annual production targets below 100 million units according to the newspaper.

Nikkei Asia reported that an executive at a supplier of Apple and Xiaomi said, "Compared to Apple's negotiating power, Chinese smartphone manufacturers are in a weaker position to secure additional memory chip supplies or raise prices. This gives Apple a strong incentive to launch iPhones in the spring and capture a larger market share."

Apple’s efforts to secure components come at a time when global shortages of memory chips, driven by increasing demand from artificial intelligence data centers, are driving up costs across the entire technology sector.

In related news, Bloomberg reported that Apple is in talks with Chinese chipmakers CXMT and YMTC to supply memory chips for devices sold within China. Both companies are listed on the Pentagon’s Entity List for supporting the Chinese military. Apple has not confirmed these discussions, which Bloomberg said were still ongoing. The company aims to diversify its supplier base as memory shortages continue to pressure production in the consumer electronics sector.

Regarding future launch schedules, Apple plans to introduce at least two new iPhone models in the first half of 2027, including the standard "iPhone 18" and a new model called "iPhone Air," according to Nikkei Asia.

This ambitious product map comes after Apple raised the prices of its MacBook and iPad devices last week as a result of sharp increases in memory and storage costs. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CNBC.