The iPhone 18 Pro launch is likely just a few weeks away, with the Apple September event tipped to take place on Sept. 9. So we have a pretty full picture of what to expect from the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max when they’re unveiled.
It doesn’t look like there will be many substantial design changes — leave that for the foldable iPhone Ultra — but there are several notable upgrades and tweaks that could compel you to get the new iPhone.
From the design and chip to the battery and more, here are 7 biggest iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max changes you need to know.
Variable aperture camera
This iPhone 18 Pro rumor seems like a lock given how many times it has come up. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are both tipped to feature a variable aperture camera for the first time.
What does this mean? The iPhone 18 Pro camera would have tiny mechanical leaves inside the lens module that would alter the physical size of the opening. In low light the aperture would open wide to let more light hit the sensor but in bright sunlight the aperture would step down to a smaller opening, preventing overexposure.
The benefits for photographers would include a more natural-looking motion blur, sharper details and better depth control.
Smaller Dynamic Island
The Dynamic Island on the iPhone comes in for getting live updates in that area of the display, but it can also be an eyesore when not in use. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are tipped to feature a smaller Dynamic Island, thanks to certain Face ID components moving under the display.
In other words, the display cutout for the front camera would be the smallest yet, building towards a true “all-screen” iPhone 20 next year.
New colors, new-ish look
If you liked the super-vibrant Cosmic Orange on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, you might be out of luck. It looks like Apple could be ditching this hue for a new Dark Cherry/Burgundy color. This would be the flagship color for the new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.
Additionally, we may be getting a light blue color for the iPhone 18 Pro series, along with silver and possibly dark gray.
The back of the iPhone 18 Pro series could have a slightly different look, too. Apple is expected to move away from the two-tone design and opt for a more unified appearance.
A20 Pro chip
Apple A20 Pro chip for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max is expected be the company’s first ever to be built on TSMC’s 2nm design process. As a result, Apple should be able to fit up to 15% more transistors on the chip, improving performance but also with a 30% reduction in power consumption.
As 9to5Mac reports, the A20 Pro chip will offer a packaging innovation called Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module. This would also enable the SoC and DRAM to be integrated at the wafer level. The result is that the chip will be closer to the onboard memory and enable better performance and lower power consumption for AI tasks as well as gaming.
Bigger battery for iPhone 18 Pro Max
The iPhone 17 Pro Max already delivered astounding results in the Tom’s Guide battery test, lasting nearly 18 hours of web surfing over 5G. But the iPhone 18 Pro Max is tipped to get an even bigger battery going from 4,823 mAh all the way up to 5,391 mAh for the new iPhone.
Alas, the iPhone 18 Pro’s battery will reportedly be only 1% larger than the iPhone 17 Pro, going from 4,252 mAh to 4,288 mAh. However, the efficiencies gained from the A20 Pro chip and the new C2 modem could still result in significantly longer runtime.
C2 modem
The iPhone 16e featured Apple’s first cellular modem in the C1, followed by the C1X chip in the iPhone Air. According to 9to5Mac, the new C2 modem coming to the iPhone 18 Pro series brings a few advantages.
In addition to improved battery efficiency, the C2 modem should offer improved performance in spotty coverage areas. And we could see 5G via satellite capability added to the iPhone 18 Pro series.
Improved Camera Control
I don’t know about you, but I’ve found the Camera Control button to be a waste of space on iPhones. It’s too easy to activate and too finicky to control. But the updated Camera Control on iPhone 18 Pro will apparently be stripped back to make it less frustrating and more user friendly. MacRumors reports that Apple may remove touch-sensitive components entirely.
Outlook
While most of these iPhone 18 Pro changes are welcome, it doesn’t feel like Apple will be pushing the envelope with the Pro and Pro Max this year. Most of the attention will likely go to the iPhone Ultra/Fold, Apple’s first foldable phone.
However, the foldable iPhone is expected to make some trade-offs, including the lack of telephoto zoom and Face ID. So if you want the most cutting edge “traditional” iPhone, the iPhone 18 Pro’s variable aperture camera, faster A20 chip and bigger battery may be reasons enough to upgrade.
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