Apple may bring these upgrades to iPhone 18 Pro next year: Check details

Reportedly, Apple is preparing six notable upgrades next year for iPhone 18 Pro models, with improvements expected across display, cameras, performance and battery

Apple is reportedly planning to bring several upgrades to the Pro model iPhones next year. According to a report by 9To5Mac, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models could get changes across design, performance, cameras and battery life. Here is a closer look at what we can expect from the next-generation top-end iPhone models:

iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max: What to expect

Revised design

 

According to the report, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are expected to retain the design of this year’s models. However, Apple could make three notable changes:

 

Smaller Dynamic Island: Apple is expected to shrink the Dynamic Island by moving some of the Face ID components under the display. This change could result in the smallest display cut-out seen on an iPhone.

 

More unified rear design: The report also noted that Apple wants to move away from the polarising two-tone rear design seen on the iPhone 17 Pro. The company is said to use similar colours on the glass and aluminium sections for a more uniform look.

 

New colour options: Apple may introduce new colour options for the iPhone 18 Pro models, including Coffee Brown, Purple and Burgundy.

 

A20 Pro chip

 

The A20 Pro chip in the iPhone 18 Pro is likely to be a major upgrade over the current generation. The report suggested that it will be Apple’s first chip made on a 2nm architecture. This new design for Apple Silicon will likely improve performance across the board and also offer better power efficiency. The chip is also expected to enhance the Neural Engine (NPU), offering better on-device AI performance.

 

Variable aperture camera and more

 

Camera upgrades are often a key focus with every new iPhone. For the iPhone 18 Pro, Apple may introduce a variable aperture system for the primary camera, giving users better control over depth of field in photos.

 

The report noted that a variable aperture would allow users to choose a shallow depth of field to isolate the subject from the background, a medium depth of field to keep the background recognisable, or a deeper depth of field to keep everything in the frame in focus. 

 

Camera Control 2.0

 

Camera Control was introduced on the iPhone 16 as a dedicated camera button with touch-based gestures to adjust settings. However, the report stated that many users found it confusing and unreliable beyond basic use. Apple may simplify Camera Control on the iPhone 18 lineup by removing touch-sensitive features for a more user-friendly experience.

 

Better battery life

 

According to the report, Apple is expected to increase the thickness of the iPhone 18 Pro Max. This could mean that the company is planning to pack a larger-capacity battery. This, coupled with a more power-efficient chip, could result in significantly better battery life. 

 

C2 modem

 

According to reports, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are likely to use Apple’s next-generation C2 modem. The report suggested that Apple’s in-house 5G modems (C1 in the iPhone 16e and C1X in the iPhone Air and iPad Pro) have delivered stable performance with improved power efficiency, and the C2 is expected to build on these gains in the iPhone 18 Pro models.