Key takeaways<\/h3>\n\n- Features:<\/strong> Dynamic Island could be smaller and cameras might have a variable aperture — plus, there are rumors of a bigger battery. However, some components could be downgraded due to memory component shortages.<\/li>\n
- Colors:<\/strong> Apple could launch light blue, dark cherry and dark gray versions or variations thereof.<\/li>\n
- Price:<\/strong> After Apple hiked prices on Macs, iPads, HomePods and the Apple TV, it’s looking like iPhones won’t be immune to higher costs.<\/li>\n
- Release date:<\/strong> Apple might split the iPhone 18 launch between fall 2026 and spring 2027.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Apple never directly reveals details about upcoming hardware at its Worldwide Developers Conference<\/span><\/a><\/span>, which happened at the beginning of June, but that hasn’t stopped the flow of rumors about the iPhone 18 lineup that’s just a few short months away.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The iPhone 18 lineup is shaping up to be one of Apple’s most consequential in years and also one of its most complicated. The Pro and Pro Max models are expected to arrive in September, joined for the first time by Apple’s long-rumored foldable device, widely referred to as the iPhone Fold or iPhone Ultra<\/a>, which is expected to start above $2,000.<\/p>\nThe standard iPhone 18, iPhone 18E and a second-generation iPhone Air, meanwhile, are reportedly being pushed to spring 2027, a significant departure from the all-in-one-fall-event model Apple has followed for years. If you’ve been waiting to upgrade to a standard iPhone, that shift changes the calculus considerably.<\/p>\n
Previously, the\u00a0iPhone 17<\/span><\/a><\/span> series impressed us with its surprisingly\u00a0feature-packed base model<\/span><\/a><\/span>, the incredibly slender\u00a0iPhone Air<\/span><\/a><\/span>, the boldly redesigned\u00a0iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0and the entry-level iPhone 17E<\/span><\/a><\/span>. We’re hoping the iPhone 18 lineup will surprise us, too.\u00a0<\/p>\nThe company is only a year or so away from the 20th anniversary of the original iPhone’s launch<\/span><\/a><\/span>. While the company sells more phones in the US than rival\u00a0Android phones<\/span><\/a><\/span>, Apple is consistently behind Samsung in global sales and just ahead of Chinese phone-makers like Xiaomi. A lot is at stake for Apple with the next iPhone, including building interest in a possible foldable device, such as the rumored iPhone Fold<\/span><\/a><\/span>. <\/p>\nSome of the hottest rumors include Dynamic Island shrinking, along with the possibility that the iPhone 18 and 18 Pro will have the same RAM as the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. Also, word is that Apple could split the launch of its iPhone 18 lineup, with the premium models coming out this year and more entry-level models following next year. Here’s a look at all the rumors and leaks we’ve uncovered about the potential iPhone 18 series. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Latest rumors <\/h2>\n iPhone 18 design differences <\/h3>\n\n <\/p>\n![\"Two](\"\")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n <\/div>We had CNET’s creative director show us what a light blue-colored iPhone Pro might look like.<\/p>\n<\/span> Jeffrey Hazelwood\/CNET<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nWe’re hearing there likely will be three models: the base iPhone 18, the iPhone 18 Pro and the iPhone 18 Pro Max. There also may be iPhone models<\/span><\/a><\/span> not in this series, like a second-generation Air or the much-rumored folding iPhone. That could mean a total of six iPhone models that are in the works if you include the also-rumored 18E. <\/p>\nDesigns for the iPhone tend to remain the same year after year, and current rumors suggest this trend will continue. The screen sizes of the three handsets look to be the same as before — 6.3 and 6.9 inches, respectively — with minor design differences in the camera bumps on the back. A Weibo tipster<\/a>\u00a0also appears to hint that Apple’s brightness requirements are incredibly demanding, which might result in OLED supply issues. This leads some to suspect it has a much brighter screen.\u00a0<\/p>\nThe base iPhone 18 is rumored to have a smaller camera bump compared to its predecessor, while the Pro and Pro Max will retain the wider “plateau” to accommodate their three rear cameras.\u00a0<\/p>\n
According to a leak from the Chinese social media site Weibo, the Pro model could get a “subtle transparent finish” on the rear glass panel. A Chinese leaker<\/a> reportedly said that the iPhone 18 Pro could have a more unified design versus the two-tone look it has now. Some rumors<\/a> also suggest that it could have a heavier, thicker build.<\/p>\nIt might also come in three new colors<\/a>: light blue, dark cherry and dark gray. Earlier rumors pointed to a coffee brown color<\/a>; however, that option appears to have been scrapped, according to supposed\u00a0dummy units<\/a> shared by Sonny Dickson on X.\u00a0<\/p>\nOther rumors suggest that changes may be coming to the iPhone’s Dynamic Island. Gurman<\/a>\u00a0and Weibo user Digital Chat Station<\/a>\u00a0suggest that Apple may reduce the size of the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 18 models. This could result in a small pinhole cutout for the camera, as the Face ID sensors may be located beneath the display. <\/p>\n
Apple never directly reveals details about upcoming hardware at its Worldwide Developers Conference<\/span><\/a><\/span>, which happened at the beginning of June, but that hasn’t stopped the flow of rumors about the iPhone 18 lineup that’s just a few short months away.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The iPhone 18 lineup is shaping up to be one of Apple’s most consequential in years and also one of its most complicated. The Pro and Pro Max models are expected to arrive in September, joined for the first time by Apple’s long-rumored foldable device, widely referred to as the iPhone Fold or iPhone Ultra<\/a>, which is expected to start above $2,000.<\/p>\n The standard iPhone 18, iPhone 18E and a second-generation iPhone Air, meanwhile, are reportedly being pushed to spring 2027, a significant departure from the all-in-one-fall-event model Apple has followed for years. If you’ve been waiting to upgrade to a standard iPhone, that shift changes the calculus considerably.<\/p>\n Previously, the\u00a0iPhone 17<\/span><\/a><\/span> series impressed us with its surprisingly\u00a0feature-packed base model<\/span><\/a><\/span>, the incredibly slender\u00a0iPhone Air<\/span><\/a><\/span>, the boldly redesigned\u00a0iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0and the entry-level iPhone 17E<\/span><\/a><\/span>. We’re hoping the iPhone 18 lineup will surprise us, too.\u00a0<\/p>\n The company is only a year or so away from the 20th anniversary of the original iPhone’s launch<\/span><\/a><\/span>. While the company sells more phones in the US than rival\u00a0Android phones<\/span><\/a><\/span>, Apple is consistently behind Samsung in global sales and just ahead of Chinese phone-makers like Xiaomi. A lot is at stake for Apple with the next iPhone, including building interest in a possible foldable device, such as the rumored iPhone Fold<\/span><\/a><\/span>. <\/p>\n Some of the hottest rumors include Dynamic Island shrinking, along with the possibility that the iPhone 18 and 18 Pro will have the same RAM as the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. Also, word is that Apple could split the launch of its iPhone 18 lineup, with the premium models coming out this year and more entry-level models following next year. Here’s a look at all the rumors and leaks we’ve uncovered about the potential iPhone 18 series. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/div> <\/span> Jeffrey Hazelwood\/CNET<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n We’re hearing there likely will be three models: the base iPhone 18, the iPhone 18 Pro and the iPhone 18 Pro Max. There also may be iPhone models<\/span><\/a><\/span> not in this series, like a second-generation Air or the much-rumored folding iPhone. That could mean a total of six iPhone models that are in the works if you include the also-rumored 18E. <\/p>\n Designs for the iPhone tend to remain the same year after year, and current rumors suggest this trend will continue. The screen sizes of the three handsets look to be the same as before — 6.3 and 6.9 inches, respectively — with minor design differences in the camera bumps on the back. A Weibo tipster<\/a>\u00a0also appears to hint that Apple’s brightness requirements are incredibly demanding, which might result in OLED supply issues. This leads some to suspect it has a much brighter screen.\u00a0<\/p>\n The base iPhone 18 is rumored to have a smaller camera bump compared to its predecessor, while the Pro and Pro Max will retain the wider “plateau” to accommodate their three rear cameras.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to a leak from the Chinese social media site Weibo, the Pro model could get a “subtle transparent finish” on the rear glass panel. A Chinese leaker<\/a> reportedly said that the iPhone 18 Pro could have a more unified design versus the two-tone look it has now. Some rumors<\/a> also suggest that it could have a heavier, thicker build.<\/p>\n It might also come in three new colors<\/a>: light blue, dark cherry and dark gray. Earlier rumors pointed to a coffee brown color<\/a>; however, that option appears to have been scrapped, according to supposed\u00a0dummy units<\/a> shared by Sonny Dickson on X.\u00a0<\/p>\n Other rumors suggest that changes may be coming to the iPhone’s Dynamic Island. Gurman<\/a>\u00a0and Weibo user Digital Chat Station<\/a>\u00a0suggest that Apple may reduce the size of the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 18 models. This could result in a small pinhole cutout for the camera, as the Face ID sensors may be located beneath the display. <\/p>\n Latest rumors <\/h2>\n
iPhone 18 design differences <\/h3>\n
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n