iPhone 18 Pro

With no iPhone 18 planned until spring 2027, Apple's fall 2026 iPhone launch will include the 6.3-inch iPhone 18, the 6.9-inch iPhone 18 Pro, and the new foldable iPhone that will be around 5.5 inches when closed and approximately 7.8 inches when open.

Apple's high-end iPhone Fold will get most of the attention in 2026, but there are some useful upgrades planned for the iPhone 18 Pro models, including Apple's first 2-nanometer chip with performance and efficiency improvements.

There won't be much in the way of design updates, but the Dynamic Island could get smaller, battery life might get longer, and the rear camera could get a big update.

With the iPhone 18 lineup, Apple is going to change the timing for new iPhone releases. The more expensive iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max iPhones will launch in the fall of 2026 as usual alongside the new foldable iPhone, but the more affordable iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e models won't come out until spring 2027. Customers who want to upgrade during the standard fall timeline will need to opt for one of the more expensive iPhone models, while those who want a better deal will have to wait.

The iPhone 18 Pro models are expected to feature the same general design as the iPhone 17 Pro models, offering a triple-lens rear camera system with camera plateau. Rumors suggest that the Ceramic Shield area for MagSafe charging could be "slightly transparent," but it is not clear what that means.

The front of the device could look different, with either a slimmed-down Dynamic Island or no Dynamic Island at all. Apple could potentially adopt just a hole punch cutout at the top left corner of the display for the camera.

The iPhone 18 Pro Max could be slightly thicker than the iPhone 17 Pro Max, measuring in at 8.8mm, up from 8.75mm. Such a small difference won't be noticeable to most users, but it is expected to increase the weight of the device, pushing it over 240 grams. The iPhone 17 Pro Max weighs 233 grams.

The iPhone 18 Pro models may not have a two-tone look like the iPhone 17 Pro models. Apple has reportedly updated the back glass to minimize the color difference between the glass and the aluminum frame for a more unified appearance.

Colors

Rumors suggest that Apple is testing a deep red finish for the iPhone 18 Pro models and the iPhone Fold.

Sizing

Apple isn't expected to change the sizes of the iPhone 18 Pro models, and they will feature the same 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes as the current models.

No Under Display Face ID

While there were some rumors suggesting the iPhone 18 Pro models would under-display Face ID, with the TrueDepth camera hardware located under the display, more recent information suggests the technology is not ready.

Dynamic Island Rumors

While there's no under-display Face ID coming, Apple does plan to shrink the size of the iPhone 18 Pro's Dynamic Island, so it will take up less space.

Concept render of iPhone 18 Pro with smaller Dynamic Island (credit: Filip Vabroušek)

Leaker Ice Universe has provided a mockup of the alleged size of the iPhone 18 Pro's Dynamic Island. He claims the Dynamic Island will be 35 percent narrower than the iPhone 17 Dynamic Island, with a widget of around 13.5mm, down from 20.7mm.

iPhone 18 Pro with a smaller Dynamic Island (mockup via Ice Universe)

Chinese leaker Digital Chat Station claims the iPhone 18 Pro won't have a smaller Dynamic at all, with the slimmed down Dynamic Island delayed until the iPhone 19.

The Main camera in the iPhone 18 Pro could have a variable aperture, which would provide users with more control over how their photos look. iPhone users would be able to manually adjust how much light gets to the sensor, cutting down on overexposure and providing new customization options for lighting and depth of field.

At least one of the iPhone 18 Pro models could feature a new three-layer stacked image sensor developed by Samsung. The advanced image sensor would make the camera more responsive, plus it could cut down on noise, increase dynamic range, and more.

The Main and Telephoto lenses in the iPhone 18 Pro models could feature a larger aperture, allowing for more light in poor lighting conditions.

Apple is testing an updated telephoto camera with a larger aperture. A wider aperture would let in more light for less noise, improved shutter speed, and better background separation.

Apple is allegedly considering a teleconverter to go along with the variable aperture lens planned for the iPhone 18 Pro. Teleconverters are optical elements that can be added to lenses to increase the effective focal length and improve zoom reach, but at the cost of light intake. It's not clear how this system would be used in a smartphone.

The iPhone 18 Pro models and the foldable iPhone will use Apple's A20 chip. The A20 will use TSMC's 2nm process for power and efficiency improvements.

The transition to 2nm will allow for more transistors in each chip, which will boost performance. The A20 chips could be up to 15 percent faster and 30 percent more efficient than A19 chips.

The A20 chip will be packaged with TSMC's Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module (WMCM) technology, but it's not clear if this change will be limited to the higher-end models.

With WMCM, the A20 chips will have RAM integrated directly onto the same wafer as the CPU, GPU, and Neural Engine, rather than the RAM being adjacent to the chip and connected via silicon interposer. The update to WMCM could bring faster performance for Apple Intelligence and longer battery life, while also cutting down on the size of the A20 chip to allow more space inside the iPhone for other components.

The A20 chip that Apple has planned for the iPhone 18 models could be much more expensive than prior-generation A-series chips because of the 2-nanometer technology. Apple supplier TSMC has apparently told Apple that 2nm chip pricing will be at least 50 percent higher than 3-nanometer processors because of the cost of manufacturing and equipment. The high cost could see the 2-nanometer chips restricted to higher-end iPhone 18 models.

Though some rumors suggest that Apple will only make high-end versions of its 2-nanometer chip, other rumors say Apple is planning both 2nm A20 and A20 Pro chips. The iPhone 18 could get the A20, with the iPhone 18 Pro to get the A20 Pro.

Apple's next-generation C2 modem chip is expected in 2026, and it is expected to be more capable than the current C1 and C1X. The C2 could feature mmWave 5G connectivity, and it will be closer in performance to the Qualcomm modem chips that it will replace.

Apple's C2 modem could add support for 5G satellite connectivity, allowing Apple to use NR-NTN, or New Radio Non-Terrestrial Networks. The NR-NTN standard can relate to direct phone-to-satellite links as well as the use of satellites as backhaul for carrier networks to extend coverage into remote areas.

The addition would perhaps allow the iPhone 18 Pro models to offer full internet access over satellite, supplementing 5G networks for increased coverage when standard networks are unavailable.

Apple is planning to allow third-party apps to access a satellite connection, plus Apple Maps and the Photos app could work over satellite.

The iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a bigger battery and it will continue to have some of the best battery life in a smartphone. It is rumored to feature a 5,100 to 5,200 mAh battery, with additional efficiency improvements coming with the 2-nanometer A20 Pro chip.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo does not believe that Apple will raise the price of the iPhone 18 Pro models, with the company instead absorbing the added memory costs to gain market share.

The iPhone 17 costs $799, the iPhone 17 Pro costs $1,099, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max costs $1,199.

The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will launch in September 2026.

For rumors about Apple's first foldable iPhone, we have a dedicated iPhone Fold roundup.

For details on what to expect from the spring 2027 iPhone 18 model, we have an iPhone 18 roundup.