The next flagship iPhone is shaping up as more than a routine refresh, with a wave of leaks pointing to a radical redesign and a major jump in core hardware. From a cleaner front face with under display sensors to a new A‑series chip and upgraded memory, the iPhone 18 Pro is being framed as the device where Apple finally rewrites both the look and the internals of its most important product. I see a pattern emerging across multiple reports that suggests Apple is preparing a once in a decade overhaul rather than another incremental step.
Under‑screen Face ID and a reworked Dynamic Island
The most dramatic change on the front of the iPhone 18 Pro is expected to be the move to under display biometric hardware, with leaks describing Screen Face ID components hidden beneath the glass. That shift would allow Apple to shrink or even eliminate the current cutout, a move that lines up with broader chatter about big changes to the Dynamic Island. Earlier reporting already flagged that the current notification hub might be rethought, and the ability to bury sensors under the panel is exactly the kind of hardware shift that would make a new UI treatment possible.
Rumors about this front redesign have been building for months, with one detailed roundup of Pro Display Sizes and under panel sensors suggesting Apple is finally ready to move beyond the layout introduced on iPhone 14 Pro. Separate coverage of the broader iPhone 18 family has also highlighted that Other leaks expect Dynamic Island to evolve rather than disappear, which would fit with Apple’s habit of iterating on major interface ideas instead of ripping them out overnight.
Bigger displays, slimmer bezels and a new glass back
Alongside the hidden sensors, the iPhone 18 Pro line is tipped to grow slightly in size, with reports detailing new Pro Display Sizes that stretch the screen without making the phones dramatically taller. That change is expected to be paired with thinner borders, which would give the front of the device a more immersive look once the Face ID hardware moves under the panel. One analysis of the wider iPhone 18 lineup has already framed these tweaks as part of a broader push to make the Dynamic Island feel less like a cutout and more like a fluid part of the display.
The back of the phone may change just as much. One tipset has suggested that the glass rear on the upcoming models could adopt a more transparent finish, hinting at a design language that leans into the device’s internal engineering rather than hiding it. Another leak, credited to Richard Priday, has described the iPhone 18 Pro as entering sample production with the biggest external change in nearly a decade, which lines up with separate reporting that the camera array could shift toward a new layout in the top left corner. A separate piece on the redesign, attributed to ITP Staff January, reinforces that expectation of a more radical exterior.
A20 Pro chip, 12 GB RAM and a custom modem
Inside, the iPhone 18 Pro looks set for one of the largest performance jumps in years, anchored by a new A‑series processor. Multiple reports say the phone will ship with an Processor branded A20 Pro, built on an N2 process and described as a WMCM design that links multiple chiplets via a silicon interposer. A separate breakdown of Apple’s foldable plans notes that the same A20 Pro silicon is expected to power a first generation iPhone Fold, which underlines how central this architecture is to Apple’s 2026 roadmap.
Memory and connectivity are also in line for big upgrades. One industry table of iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max and Fold specifications highlights Some of the key changes, including 12 GB LPDDR5 DRAM across the high end models, a notable jump from the 8 GB ceiling on current Pro phones. Another leak focused on the internal bill of materials points to An Apple C2 modem inside the Pro units, a sign that Apple is still pushing to control more of the 5G stack rather than relying solely on external suppliers.
Battery, cameras and the quiet structural changes
Beyond the headline chip and display tweaks, several leaks point to less visible but equally important structural changes. A detailed rundown of 12 new features for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max notes that Apple is expected to rework the internal layout to accommodate a larger battery, which would be a welcome shift after several generations where endurance gains came mostly from efficiency. A separate leak on the broader launch, focused on iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max and pricing, frames the Design changes as most obvious on the front, but also flags battery and camera tweaks as part of the package.
On the imaging side, coverage of Apple’s 2026 lineup has suggested that the Pro models will continue to differentiate with more advanced sensors, with one report on the iPhone 18 family noting that Digital photography features remain a key selling point. Another leak on the Pro display, which points out that Apple brought a significant design change to the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max but left the panel itself relatively static, hints that the 18 series will finally marry a new screen with upgraded optics. Forum chatter that recaps the rumored 12 features, shared by a macrumors bot, reinforces that the camera stack is expected to evolve alongside the rest of the chassis.
Launch timing, foldable overlap and what it means for buyers
On timing, the consensus is that iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will still land in Apple’s usual autumn window, with one analyst, identified as Pu, expecting the Pro and Pro Max to appear during Apple’s standard September launch. A separate breakdown of the 18 Pro Max release window lists the Device family’s Announcement and Market release as tracking closely with previous years, suggesting Apple is not planning a radical calendar shift even as the hardware changes accelerate. One regional analysis of Apple’s 2026 plans goes further, describing how Apple is expected to launch the Pro models in fall 2026 alongside a foldable iPhone and an updated Air tier.
The foldable itself is central to how I read Apple’s strategy. One detailed spec sheet lists a 5.3 inch outer display for the iPhone Fold, the same A20 Pro, N2, WMCM Processor and 12 GB LPD5 DRAM as the Pro phones, and a matching Front camera configuration. Another overview of rumored features asks What Apple’s first foldable will mean for the rest of the lineup, while a separate analysis notes that Specifically the company may adopt a two stage release model Under which iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and an iPhone Fol ship first, with more budget models arriving later. Put together, the leaks suggest that buyers weighing an upgrade in 2026 will be choosing not just between sizes, but between a thoroughly reworked slab style Pro and a first generation foldable that shares its core silicon.
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