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It’s been nearly four months of me using the iPhone 17 Pro, yet I’m already looking forward to what’s in store for later in the year with the iPhone 18. There could end up being major changes to the release of Apple’s new phones, but the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max are still tipped for an annual release this fall.
In the past few months, I’ve put the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max through additional testing to see how they stack up against other best phone contenders — like the Galaxy S25 Ultra and Pixel 10 Pro XL. I’ve even shot astrophotography with my iPhone 17 Pro and showed how its new telephoto camera holds up against other best camera phones out there.
There’s still plenty of time for Apple to tweak its upcoming flagship phones, so here’s all the rumored upgrades I’m most excited about.
A more DSLR-like performance with variable aperture
I’m a camera buff, so I’m always eager to find out what Apple ends up doing to make its phones better. One of the leading rumors so far is that Apple could finally be bringing a variable aperture, but only to the iPhone 18 Pro Max. This appears to be an exclusive feature that could bring greater control for users.
Currently, the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max offer an f/1.78 aperture with their 48MP main cameras. By introducing a variable aperture, this would allow for more creativity like being able to cast a longer exposure to make water streams look ethereal — which I explain in more detail in my night mode max shootout. With a variable aperture, I would be able to get those silky smooth results during the daytime by closing the aperture.
Conversely, opening the aperture to its widest would cast more background blur when taking the subject up close with the main camera. If Apple does end up bringing a variable aperture, I really would love for the company to open up the camera app more by rolling out a manual mode of some kind.
More color options to choose from
Despite being its best iPhone models, the Pros were always available in monotone options like black or white — but that changed with Cosmic Orange for the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max. I’ve mainly seen that specific color out in the wild, even when people are pairing them with a case.
That’s why I’m stoked about even more color options tipped for the iPhone 18 Pro models. Reports hint that Apple is testing out Burgundy, Purple, and Coffee Brown, but it’s unclear at this point whether all of these options will be final. Nevertheless, I’m open to the idea of anything besides shades of black and white.
Even though this isn’t a typical upgrade I’d look for on other phones, it is here because Apple’s long neglected from giving us more options with the Pro models — usually reserving the best colors for its base flagship model.
Less conspicuous Face ID
Apple could finally have a more seamless look with its iPhone displays because the components for Face ID on the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max are reportedly going to be moved under the screen. So, instead of the pill-shaped cutout that’s been a staple for the series, it might be just condensed down to a single punchout for the front-facing Center Stage camera.
Another change could also see the positioning of the selfie camera changed to the top left of the screen, which is a decision I’m not sure about — mainly because keeping it centered makes the symmetry of the display and the photos taken with it better. Still, I think reducing this cutout is a good thing.
Emergency 5G internet access
Chances are you might not use Apple’s emergency SOS via satellite feature all that much, but if the need ever arises, I bet you’d be glad it’s there. Apple could be taking the necessary step forward with the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max release by adding support for 5G satellite internet.
This rumor comes from a report by The Information, which reports that these new models will be able to provide internet connectivity that would be operated by satellites — as opposed to traditional cell phone towers on Earth. However, there are major hurdles to overcome for this to fully be achieved. For starters, there’s no service that delivers satellite internet to a phone directly.
Apple currently partners with Globalstar for its emergency SOS satellite features, but the company would need to seek out a partner to provide the service for this rumored 5G internet access via satellites.
Leap in performance with A20 Pro
All successive phones benefit from newer chipsets, but the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max are expected to gain a leap in performance with the A20 Pro chipset. These iPhones are tipped to use Apple’s new chip that’s going to be built using a 2nm manufacturing process, a first of its kind from Apple.
I suspect there’s going to be a substantial boost over the 3nm process used by the current A19 Pro, which has held up nicely over phones powered by the previous generation Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC from Qualcomm. With the arrival of the OnePlus 15, which is powered by the newer Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, Apple’s going to need to prove that the A19 Pro can surpass it — especially with its GPU performance.
By moving to a 2nm process, the A20 Pro would be smaller in size while accommodating more transistors. Not only would this translate to a boost in overall performance, but it would inherently make the iPhone 18 Pro series more energy efficient.
Outlook
There’s still plenty of other ways Apple could improve the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max. While hardware upgrades are notable, I think Apple has a huge opportunity around the software — specifically Apple Intelligence, which took a backseat with the rollout of iOS 26.
Compared to rival phones, like the Pixel 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL, they feel light years ahead of the curve when it comes to AI features. For example, Google’s proven to me how much its generative AI processes images with the Pixel 10 Pro’s telephoto camera with Pro Res Zoom. It proves that dramatic results could come from AI enhancements, as opposed to the physical hardware changes.
Apple certainly has work cut out for itself, so I’m crossing fingers that Apple Intelligence is top priority with this year’s release.
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