iPhone 18 Pro launching in two months with these 12 new features

It’s now mid-July, which means the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are only two months away. The devices are expected to look like the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, but there will still be plenty of 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, with the devices expected to go on sale in the second half of the month. The standard iPhone 18, a low-end iPhone 18e, and a second-generation iPhone Air would be announced around March 2027.

Below, we’ve rounded up 12 rumored features for the iPhone 18 Pro models, in July:

• Smaller dynamic island: The Face ID illuminator is rumored to be moved below the screen on the iPhone 18 Pro models, paving the way for a smaller dynamic island on the devices.
• LTPO+ displays: The upcoming Pro models are expected to have the same overall design as the iPhone 17 Pro models, with screen sizes of 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch and a “tray” housing three rear cameras. However, the screens would use so-called LTPO+ display technology, which should help extend battery life.
• Variable aperture: The 48-megapixel Fusion main 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 lens and hits the sensor. This would allow better control of depth of field. However, given that iPhones have smaller image sensors due to smartphone size constraints, it’s unclear how significant this improvement would be.
• A20 Pro chip: Apple’s next-generation A20 Pro chip is expected to use TSMC’s first-generation 2nm process, while the A19 Pro chip is 3nm. With a 2nm architecture and new package design, the A20 Pro chip is expected to deliver strong performance and year-over-year power efficiency gains.
• C2 modem: Apple’s custom C1 cellular modem for 5G and LTE debuted on the iPhone 16e last year, followed by a C1X chip on the iPhone Air. Apple claims that the C1X modem is up to twice as fast as the C1 modem and is the most energy-efficient modem ever in an iPhone. The improvements are expected to 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 would support 5G via satellite for web browsing without a Wi-Fi or cellular connection.
• N2 chip: Most iPhone 17 and iPhone Air models feature 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. The iPhone 18 Pro models are expected to feature Apple’s next-generation N2 chip, but it’s not yet clear what improvements this upgrade would bring.
• Black cherry: The special color of the iPhone 18 Pro models would 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 iPhone 18 Pro models, removing touch sensitivity and haptic feedback. The redesigned button will only have pressure sensitivity.
• Redesigned ceramic rear shield: The Ceramic Shield rear area for MagSafe would have a more frosted and transparent appearance on the iPhone 18 Pro models compared to the current two-tone design.
• Larger battery (iPhone 18 Pro Max): According to purported documents filed in China’s regulatory database, the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a nearly 10% larger battery than the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
• Thicker design (iPhone 18 Pro Max): The iPhone 18 Pro Max is rumored to be thicker than the iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone 18 Pro.

Bookmark our iPhone 18 and iPhone 18 Pro roundups to stay up to date with more rumors.