Apple unveiled its new iPhone 17 series in September, and the iPhone 17 Pro models feature a new-look design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive.
If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models – as well as a rumored new premium iPhone model for 2026. Taken together, they may just give you pause for thought.
Under-Display Face ID
The iPhone 18 Pro models are expected to feature under-display Face ID, placing the TrueDepth camera beneath the screen – though the front-facing camera will remain visible.
While The Information's Wayne Ma claims these models will ditch the Dynamic Island for a single pinhole cutout, other sources disagree. Display analyst Ross Young and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman both report that the Dynamic Island will still be present, just smaller, contradicting claims of its complete removal.
C2 Modem
Apple plans to include its next-generation C2 modem in the iPhone 18 Pro models, according to supply chain analyst Jeff Pu. The chip will succeed the C1 modem, which debuted in the lower-cost iPhone 16e as Apple's first in-house cellular modem. The C2 is expected to bring faster speeds, improved power efficiency, and support for mmWave 5G in the United States – a feature missing from the C1.
Apple's modem roadmap is part of a long-term strategy to reduce reliance on Qualcomm, which currently supplies 5G modems for the rest of the iPhone lineup. The company has been working on developing its own cellular chips for years, aiming for deeper integration and greater control over power management and performance.
A20 Chip
Apple's upcoming A20 Pro chip, set to power the iPhone 18 Pro models, will reportedly be built using TSMC's third-generation 3nm process – the same node expected for the A19 Pro chip in this year's iPhone 17 Pro, according to analyst Jeff Pu. This suggests that year-over-year performance gains between the A19 Pro and A20 Pro may be modest, at least in terms of raw CPU and GPU improvements.
However, Pu notes that the A20 Pro will feature a more advanced packaging method known as CoWoS (Chip on Wafer on Substrate). This technology enables tighter integration between the processor, unified memory, and the Neural Engine, which could potentially enhance performance in AI-related tasks. The shift could be part of Apple's broader push to support on-device Apple Intelligence features in future iPhones, as the company ramps up its machine learning capabilities.
New Camera Image Sensor
Samsung is working on a new three-layer stacked image sensor, reportedly intended for the iPhone 18. The sensor, referred to as PD-TR-Logic, integrates three layers of circuitry, which would improve camera responsiveness, reduce noise, and increase dynamic range. The leak comes from a source known as "Jukanlosreve," who claims the sensor is being developed specifically for Apple's 2026 iPhone lineup.
Sony has long been Apple's sole image sensor supplier, so Samsung's entry would be a big shift in the iPhone’s camera supply chain. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in 2024 said he expected Samsung to begin shipping 48-megapixel Ultra Wide camera sensors to Apple for iPhones as early as 2026, which is when the iPhone 18 Pro models are expected to be released.
2026 Foldable iPhone
Tired of the classic iPhone form factor? Multiple rumors suggest that Apple's first foldable iPhone will launch in the fall of 2026, with the device coming alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models. Rumors suggest that the foldable iPhone will feature a display that's around 5.5 inches when closed, and 7.8 inches when opened up. It will fold in half like a book, similar to the Galaxy Fold devices, rather than the Galaxy Flip.
The foldable iPhone could be as thin as 4.5mm when unfolded, and 9 to 9.5mm when it's closed, which would make it incredibly thin when used in its full-screen mode. Apple put considerable effort into hinge design, and the device is expected to have almost no visible crease. It will use under-display cameras, though it may feature some kind of Touch ID authentication feature rather than Face ID due to space constraints. It will, of course, be expensive. In the past, Kuo has said he expects Apple to price the foldable iPhone at $2,000 to $2,500, and that was before Apple was facing steep tariffs in China.
With the iPhone 18 lineup, Apple is going to change the way that it releases new iPhones. The more expensive iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max iPhones will launch in the fall of 2026 as usual, alongside the new foldable iPhone, but the more affordable iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e models won't come out until spring 2027.
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