It is now mid-July, and that means the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are now just two months away. The devices are expected to look similar to the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, but there will still be many year-over-year changes, with rumored features including a smaller Dynamic Island, 5G via satellite, and more.
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and a foldable "iPhone Ultra" in the first half of September, and the devices should be released in the second half of the month. The regular iPhone 18, a lower-end iPhone 18e, and a second-generation iPhone Air will reportedly be announced around March 2027.
Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models, as of July:
- Smaller Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that Face ID's flood illuminator will be moved under the screen on the iPhone 18 Pro models, paving the way for a smaller Dynamic Island on the devices.
- LTPO+ Displays: The next Pro models are expected to have the same overall design as the iPhone 17 Pro models, including 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras. However, the displays will reportedly use so-called LTPO+ display technology, which should contribute to longer battery life.
- Variable Aperture: The main 48-megapixel Fusion camera on both iPhone 18 Pro models is rumored to have a variable aperture, which would allow users to control the amount of light that passes through the camera's lens and reaches the sensor. This would provide greater control over depth of field. However, given that iPhones have smaller image sensors due to smartphone size constraints, it is unclear exactly how meaningful this improvement would be.
- A20 Pro Chip: Apple's next-generation A20 Pro chip is expected to use TSMC's first-generation 2nm process, whereas the A19 Pro chip is 3nm. With a 2nm architecture and a new packaging design, the A20 Pro chip should deliver solid year-over-year performance and power efficiency gains.
- C2 Modem: Apple's custom C1 cellular modem for 5G and LTE debuted in the iPhone 16e last year, and that was followed by a C1X chip in the iPhone Air. Apple says the C1X modem is up to twice as fast as the C1 modem, and the most power-efficient modem in an iPhone ever. The improvements should continue with Apple's third-generation C2 modem in the iPhone 18 Pro models.
- 5G via Satellite: With the C2 modem, the iPhone 18 Pro models will reportedly support 5G via satellite for web browsing without Wi-Fi or cellular connectivity.
- N2 Chip: Most of the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air are equipped with an Apple-designed N1 chip that enables Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread. Apple says the N1 chip also improves the overall performance and reliability of features like Personal Hotspot and AirDrop. iPhone 18 Pro models are expected to have Apple's next-generation N2 chip, but it is not yet known what improvements would come with this upgrade.
- Dark Cherry: The special color for the iPhone 18 Pro models will reportedly be Dark Cherry, alongside Light Blue, Dark Gray, and Silver. The existing Cosmic Orange and Deep Blue colors are expected to be discontinued.
- Simplified Camera Control: Apple is expected to simplify the Camera Control button on the iPhone 18 Pro models, by removing touch sensitivity and haptic feedback. The redesigned button will only have pressure sensitivity.
- Redesigned Rear Ceramic Shield: The rear Ceramic Shield area for MagSafe is rumored to feature a more frosted and seamless appearance on the iPhone 18 Pro models compared to the current two-tone design.
- Larger Battery (iPhone 18 Pro Max): According to alleged Chinese regulatory database filings, the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have nearly a 10% larger battery compared to the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
- Thicker Design (iPhone 18 Pro Max): It has been rumored that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will be thicker than both the iPhone 17 Pro Max and the iPhone 18 Pro.
Bookmark our iPhone 18 and iPhone 18 Pro roundups to stay up to date with more rumors.
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