According to recent reports, Apple’s iPhone 18 series, set to hit the market at the end of 2026, will not feature significant changes to its external appearance. Information published on the social network Weibo by the well-known leaker "Fixed Focus Digital" indicates that the high sales success of the iPhone 17 series led Apple to decide to preserve the existing design line and focus on internal technological improvements.
Instead of emphasizing aesthetic changes, Apple is expected to center the next-generation processors, the A20 and A20 Pro. These are expected to be the company’s first chips manufactured with 2-nanometer technology, a leap that promises significant improvements in performance and energy efficiency. The transition to this technology is considered one of the most significant hardware changes in the iPhone in recent years and is expected to be the central marketing focus for the new models.
The decision to maintain a similar design for another year is not unprecedented for the Cupertino-based company. In the past, Apple preserved similar designs across multiple generations, as seen in the iPhone 12 through 14 series and the iPhone X through 11 Pro models. Since the iPhone 17 Pro models underwent a significant design refresh, market estimates suggest a low likelihood that Apple will introduce another drastic change in the following year.
Alongside the design retention, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models are expected to include several additional technological updates. Among the reported changes are a smaller "Dynamic Island," the use of Apple’s self-developed C2 modem, and a simpler, more user-friendly Camera Control button. In photography, rumors point to an upgrade of the front camera to 24 megapixels and the inclusion of a variable aperture in the main camera, a feature that will allow better physical control over the amount of light entering the lens. The standard iPhone 18 model is expected to reach the market in early 2027 with some of these upgrades.