iPhone 18 Pro could feature smaller Dynamic Island, variable aperture camera and powerful new chip

Apple iPhone

Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro lineup is still almost a year away, but early leaks are already revealing what to expect from the company’s 2026 flagship. According to several reports from China-based sources, the upcoming models will bring both visual refinements and deeper hardware upgrades that set the stage for the brand’s long-term iPhone roadmap.

The most talked-about change is the introduction of a smaller Dynamic Island. The feature, which replaced the notch on newer iPhones, will reportedly shrink slightly on the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. Sources suggest this is part of Apple’s gradual effort to achieve a truly edge-to-edge screen in future models. Under-screen Face ID, however, is unlikely to debut with the iPhone 18 series and may only arrive with the iPhone 19 Pro or later.

The leak originates from the Weibo account Instant Digital, which has previously revealed accurate details about Apple’s product plans. Instant Digital correctly predicted the Yellow colour variant of the iPhone 14 series and the titanium Milanese Loop for the Apple Watch Ultra 2. However, as with most leaks, not all predictions have proven accurate, so these claims should still be treated cautiously.

Another source, Digital Chat Station, claims the iPhone 18 Pro will maintain the same camera layout seen on the iPhone 17 Pro, with a triangular lens arrangement set on a slightly raised “plateau” area. The leaker also mentioned that the rear Ceramic Shield could have a semi-transparent or frosted appearance, hinting at a refreshed design language. The iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max are expected to retain the same 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, continuing Apple’s current sizing trend.

One of the biggest potential upgrades is the addition of a variable aperture for the main 48MP Fusion camera. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reports that this feature would allow users to manually adjust the aperture size to control how much light reaches the sensor. Current iPhone Pro models have a fixed f/1.78 aperture, but with the variable system, photographers could experiment more with depth of field and lighting. While this would bring iPhones closer to professional cameras, it remains to be seen how much practical difference the feature will make on a small sensor.

The iPhone 18 Pro will likely debut with Apple’s new A20 Pro chip built on TSMC’s 2nm process, marking one of the biggest performance jumps in years. Alongside that, Apple is reportedly planning to include its custom C2 modem for faster and more reliable 5G connectivity, particularly for mmWave networks in the United States. Another notable change could be a redesigned Camera Control button that favours pressure sensitivity over swipe gestures, providing more tactile precision for photography and video recording.

If these leaks are accurate, the iPhone 18 Pro may represent Apple’s strongest Pro upgrade in recent memory. Between the refined design, advanced imaging features and next-generation performance, it looks like Apple is quietly setting the tone for its future all-glass iPhone vision.