iPhone 18 Pro Rumours – Under‑Screen Face ID, Variable Aperture, and More

Apple typically announces new iPhones each September, but leaks suggest the iPhone 18 Pro may arrive in two waves. Reports indicate the 18 Pro (and Pro Max) will debut in Fall 2026, possibly alongside a foldable iPhone, with the standard iPhone 18 models following in Spring 2027. Sources say this split rollout will let Apple spread out its product cycle and highlight the flagship Pro models. Even at this early stage, rumours hint at radical changes: a truly edge‑to‑edge screen with Face ID sensors moved under the glass, next-generation chips, and camera hardware far beyond the iPhone 15–17 series.

Under‑Screen Face ID and All‑Screen Design

One of the headline features is under-display Face ID. Multiple sources say the iPhone 18 Pro will eliminate the current top-centre “Dynamic Island” notch entirely. Instead of a visible pill-shaped cut-out, the 18 Pro’s front camera and TrueDepth sensors would sit under the panel, leaving only a tiny hole for the selfie camera. Analyst Ross Young has predicted this move, noting Apple’s 2026 phones will likely use the “tech necessary to place Face ID under the display”. In effect, Apple would finally deliver on Jony Ive’s long-held dream of a truly all-screen iPhone.

This design would mark a stark departure from the iPhone 15–17 era, which all rely on the Dynamic Island (or notch) to house Face ID. In the Android world, under-display cameras have appeared on foldables: for example, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold4/5 hide a low-resolution selfie cam beneath the main screen. (Google’s Pixel phones still use punch‑hole or pop-up front cameras, not under-display.) If Apple succeeds, the iPhone 18 Pro would be among the first mainstream phones with full under-screen biometrics, offering a cleaner front surface with fewer interruptions.

Variable‑Aperture Camera and Imaging

Another major camera upgrade under discussion is a variable-aperture main lens. Industry analysts (notably Ming-Chi Kuo) report that the iPhone 18 Pro’s 48 MP primary camera may be able to adjust its physical aperture. Current iPhone Pro models (15 Pro, 16 Pro, etc.) all use a fixed ƒ/1.78 aperture, so this would be Apple’s first foray into mechanical aperture control. In practice, a variable aperture works like a DSLR: it can narrow the lens in bright light to reduce overexposure or widen it in low light to capture more photons. This could improve dynamic range and give photographers more control over depth of field on an iPhone. Of course, iPhone sensors are small, so the bokeh effect is still modest, but even moderate flexibility can help in tricky lighting.

Notably, variable apertures are not new to smartphones: Samsung’s Galaxy S9/S9+ introduced a dual-aperture (ƒ/1.5 and ƒ/2.4) back in 2018. A few modern Android flagships also offer this feature. Including it in the 18 Pro would bring iPhone photography on par with these legacy Samsung camera tricks, but with Apple’s own implementation. Rumours also mention a new high-speed image sensor for the 18 Pro (possibly a custom multi-layer Samsung sensor). Together with better image processing, these changes could significantly boost photo quality and low-light performance. We expect the physical camera bump to remain prominent (still housing multiple lenses), but perhaps flatter or recontoured to accommodate the new optics.

In short, compared to the iPhone 15/16 camera system, the 18 Pro’s setup would be a big leap. It would replace the fixed aperture that has been standard on Apple’s 48 MP lens with a dynamic mechanism, and it may use new components (sensors and apertures) unknown in earlier models.

Performance Upgrades: A20 Chip and Connectivity

Under the hood, Apple will likely continue its A-series roadmap. The iPhone 18 Pro is expected to use the next A20 Pro chip. Reports say the A20 Pro will be manufactured on TSMC’s cutting-edge process – possibly a refined 3 nm node, similar to the A19 Pro. (Some rumors even speculate about a 2 nm jump by 2026, though at significant cost.) The A20 may not be a dramatic speed leap over the A19; analysts note it’s on the same fabrication node, so raw CPU/GPU gains could be modest. However, Apple plans advanced packaging (CoWoS) for A20, improving memory bandwidth and on-chip AI performance. In practice, this means the iPhone 18 Pro should handle heavier machine learning tasks and Apple’s next-generation “Apple Intelligence” features more efficiently, even if peak clock speeds rise only slightly.

Connectivity will also get a boost. Notably, Apple will reportedly add its own “C2” 5G modem to the iPhone 18 Pro. The C1 modem debuted in the iPhone 16e, but it lacked mmWave support in the US. The new C2 chip is expected to bring mmWave 5G compatibility back to iPhones, meaning the 18 Pro should hit the fastest 5G bands without relying on Qualcomm’s modem. This continues Apple’s goal of reducing Qualcomm dependency. Other connectivity improvements may include Apple’s first in-house Wi‑Fi 7 chip (as has been rumored in industry chatter). Overall, the 18 Pro should have at least parity with the iPhone 15 and 16 series in wireless features, and possibly exceed them with these new chips.

Battery Innovations

Battery life is a perennial concern for slim smartphones, and rumours hint that Apple is working on breakthroughs here too. A well-known leaker reports that Apple and Samsung are developing next-gen battery chemistries – for example, silicon-anode (silicon-carbon) batteries – which could arrive around 2026. If true, the iPhone 18 series could finally see a “big battery breakthrough.” Such batteries allow higher energy density without massive bulk. For comparison, Chinese phones like the Honor Magic 6 Pro already use silicon-carbon batteries (the Magic 7 Lite has a 6,600 mAh silicon-anode cell with 66W charging). Apple’s engineers have reportedly experimented with replacing graphite anodes with silicon-based materials to boost capacity. If the tech is ready in time, the iPhone 18 Pro could significantly improve on iPhone 15/16 battery life – possibly matching or exceeding the endurance of thicker Android flagships – while staying thin. No official details exist yet, but the hint of advanced batteries suggests Apple is serious about competitive range and charging speeds.

Release Timeline and Pricing

All signs point to a September 2026 unveiling for the iPhone 18 Pro models. The split release plan (Fall 2026 for Pro, Spring 2027 for non‑Pro) is based on supply-chain leaks. AppleInsider notes that Apple tends to stick to this annual schedule, so a fall 2026 announcement aligns with history. Pricing details are, of course, speculative this far out. AppleInsider cautions that pricing won’t be known until the iPhone 17’s prices are set. However, analysts warn that cutting-edge components could drive costs up. For example, one report calculated that switching to 2 nm chips (if Apple did so) might add around $35 to the bill of materials per handset. Such cost increases – if passed to consumers – could mean the iPhone 18 Pro launches at a higher price than today’s flagship. Apple tends to keep base prices in the same ballpark (around $999 for a Pro model), but given the rumours of new tech, observers will be watching closely for any price hikes when the official specs come out.

Competition and Comparison

In many ways, the iPhone 18 Pro’s rumoured changes reflect trends from rival phones. Samsung’s Galaxy S and Fold series have experimented with similar ideas. For instance, Samsung first delivered a dual-aperture camera in the Galaxy S9, and its Z Fold phones use under-display cameras on the main screen. (Samsung’s latest Fold5, for example, hides a 4 MP selfie cam under the display.) Google’s Pixel line takes a different approach: it emphasizes AI-enhanced images and chips (Google’s Pixel 9 Pro is built around the Tensor G4 and computational photography), but Google also recently adjusted its strategy. In August 2024, Google surprised many by launching the Pixel 9 series early – a full month ahead of the usual schedule – to leapfrog the iPhone 16 launch. That move underscores how fierce the competition is: Apple’s rumoured plan to split the iPhone 18 release may be a direct response to rivals’ timing and tactics.

Overall, the iPhone 18 Pro is shaping up as possibly Apple’s boldest redesign in years. Under-screen Face ID and an all-glass front would leave behind the notch/Dynamic Island heritage of the iPhone 15–17 era. The addition of a variable-aperture camera and new chips would represent significant hardware upgrades. Whether Apple can deliver all these features on time remains to be seen, but if even some prove accurate, the iPhone 18 Pro will mark a clear departure from earlier models. Fans and tech observers will be comparing every spec to both the immediate past iPhones (15/16/17) and the latest Android flagships (Samsung, Pixel, etc.) to see if Apple maintains its technological lead or simply catches up.