Images of third-party clear cases for the iPhone 18, iPhone 18 Pro, and iPhone 18 Pro Max suggest it’s possible that Apple will return to a more familiar MagSafe ring design, and move away from the controversial opaque white panel introduced on last year’s iPhone 17 Pro cases.
The images circulated on Chinese social media and were spotted by MyDrivers. Where the iPhone 17 Pro’s clear case drew widespread criticism for replacing the traditional circular MagSafe magnetic array with a large opaque white rectangle that covered most of the case’s back panel, the cases shown here revert to a more open horseshoe or ring MagSafe design, leaving the majority of the case truly transparent.
If the design accurately reflects plans for Apple’s proprietary case, it would represent a significant course correction from a design that many buyers said made Apple’s “clear” case a misnomer. Accessory makers typically produce cases ahead of Apple’s announcements using anticipated details from the supply chain.
The iPhone 17 Pro clear case redesign proved to be very polarizing at launch. The iPhone 17 Pro’s Apple logo has moved to a lower position on the rear panel to be centered in the new rectangular glass section below the camera tray. As reported before the device’s launch, this location would have been obscured by the traditional circular MagSafe design, prompting Apple to replace the ring entirely with a large opaque white rounded rectangle bearing a centered Apple logo. The result covered most of the bottom three-quarters of the case, and discussions and reviews on forums described the white panel as a “dealer” for some buyers who wanted to show off the color of their phone.
The open horseshoe design suggested by the iPhone 18 Pro cases takes a different approach than some other third-party cases, with a break in the ring at the bottom allowing the Apple logo to remain visible through the case without requiring the large opaque panel. The third-party cases shown in the images are clearly attempting to mimic Apple’s first-party accessories, and given the backlash to Apple’s clear cases last year, it wouldn’t be surprising if the company chose to switch to this design.
Beyond this detail, the replica cases reflect design details consistent with existing rumors about the new models. The standard iPhone 18 body features a cutout suggesting a vertical dual-camera layout, in line with reports that the base model will retain a broadly similar rear design to its predecessor. Both the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max cases feature large horizontal camera tray cutouts consistent with the design established on the iPhone 17 Pro models.
The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are expected to be announced alongside the first foldable iPhone in the fall. The iPhone 18 is expected to follow in the spring with the iPhone 18e and iPhone Air 2.
