Apple is making several major technological upgrades to the iPhone 18 Pro series, slated for release in 2026, and these improvements may make the wait worthwhile. TMEXO has learned that the following are eight major upgrade highlights that have been revealed so far:
Design Language Continuity and Minor Adjustments
The iPhone 18 Pro series is expected to continue the design language of the iPhone 17 Pro, maintaining the same horizontal "bar" protrusion design for the rear camera system, with the three lenses arranged in a triangle. The display size will also remain unchanged, with the Pro version at 6.3 inches and the Pro Max version at 6.9 inches. Notably, the ceramic shielding layer of the MagSafe charging area may adopt a "semi-transparent" design, the specific effect of which remains to be seen.
Evolution of the Dynamic Island
Rumors regarding under-display Face ID technology remain divided. Some reports suggest that the iPhone 18 Pro will eliminate the Dynamic Island, replacing it with a single-hole camera in the upper left corner of the screen; while display analyst Ross Young believes that a smaller version of the Dynamic Island may be retained; Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also supports this view, stating that the new model will use a slimmer version of the Dynamic Island rather than removing it completely.
Refinement of Chip Manufacturing Process
The A20 Pro chip will be manufactured using TSMC's third-generation 3nm process, the same node as the A19 Pro chip in the iPhone 17 Pro. This means that the raw performance improvement of the CPU and GPU may be relatively limited. However, the chip will use more advanced CoWoS (Chip-on-Wafer-Side) packaging technology, enabling tighter integration of the processor, unified memory, and neural engine, which is expected to significantly improve the performance of AI-related tasks.
Breakthrough in Self-Developed Modem
The iPhone 18 Pro will feature Apple's second-generation self-developed C2 modem, replacing Qualcomm's solution. The C2 is expected to bring faster speeds, higher energy efficiency, and support for US mmWave 5G—features lacking in the C1 and C1X chips. This move is an important part of Apple's long-term strategy to reduce its reliance on Qualcomm.
Camera Sensor Innovation
Samsung is developing a new three-layer stacked image sensor (PD-TR-Logic) for the iPhone 18 series. This technology improves camera response speed, reduces noise, and increases dynamic range by integrating three layers of circuitry. If this comes to fruition, it will be Samsung's first entry into the iPhone camera supply chain after Sony's long-standing monopoly.
Professional-Grade Variable Aperture
The iPhone 18 Pro's main camera is expected to introduce a variable aperture system for the first time, allowing users to manually adjust the aperture size, much like a professional DSLR camera. This will provide better control over depth of field, resulting in sharper subject focus or softer background blur. Ming-Chi Kuo predicted this feature as early as November 2024.
5G Satellite Internet Breakthrough
Apple plans to add 5G network support via satellite, rather than terrestrial base stations, to iPhones as early as next year. This upgrade will enable future iPhones to obtain full internet connectivity via satellite, not just limited emergency functions. If Apple achieves its 2026 goal, the first devices to support this feature will likely be the iPhone 18 Pro series and the long-rumored foldable iPhone.
Simplified Camera Control Buttons
Apple is planning to simplify the camera control button design on the iPhone 18 series to reduce costs. The current version uses both capacitive and pressure sensors, while the new design will remove the capacitive sensing layer, retaining only pressure sensing. This change is not to reduce functionality, but to save costs, as the existing solution is considered very expensive and results in costly after-sales repairs. It's worth noting that Apple also plans to change the iPhone release cycle next year, adopting a two-phase launch strategy: the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and foldable iPhone will be released in September 2026, while the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e will have to wait until spring 2027.
