MUMBAI: Apple’s next iPhone may be keeping its cards close, but the rumour mill is dealing a full hand.
Months ahead of the company’s expected September launch event, a steady stream of leaks suggests the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max could arrive with major internal upgrades while retaining Apple’s familiar premium design.
The iPhone 18 Pro Max is widely rumoured to feature a battery capacity of around 5,500mAh, making it the largest battery ever fitted into an iPhone.
The Pro models are expected to retain a triple 48-megapixel camera system, with the primary sensor reportedly gaining a variable physical aperture.
Some reports also suggest Apple may alter its launch strategy this year by introducing only the Pro models alongside its first foldable iPhone in September, while pushing the standard iPhone 18 models into early 2027.
MUMBAI: Apple’s next iPhone may be keeping its cards close, but the rumour mill is dealing a full hand. Months ahead of the company’s expected September launch event, a steady stream of leaks suggests the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max could arrive with major internal upgrades while retaining Apple’s familiar premium design.
Although none of the details have been officially confirmed by Apple, multiple industry reports and tipsters point to improvements in battery life, performance, artificial intelligence and camera capabilities.
One of the most talked-about changes is a new signature finish called Dark Cherry. According to leaked dummy units, the colour combines deep red with muted pink undertones, offering a more understated look than Apple’s previous Product(RED) editions. The new shade is expected to join Black, Silver and a refreshed Light Blue in the Pro lineup.
Battery life is also tipped to receive its biggest upgrade in years.
The iPhone 18 Pro Max is widely rumoured to feature a battery capacity of around 5,500mAh, making it the largest battery ever fitted into an iPhone. Leaked specifications suggest capacities ranging between approximately 5,391mAh and 5,567mAh, depending on regional variants.
Accommodating the larger battery and an upgraded vapour chamber cooling system is expected to make both Pro models marginally thicker, by roughly 0.25mm, with the Pro Max also gaining a little extra weight.
Powering the devices is expected to be Apple’s next-generation A20 Pro processor, reportedly manufactured using TSMC’s advanced 2-nanometre process. The smaller manufacturing node is expected to improve both performance and energy efficiency while supporting more advanced on-device AI features under Apple’s Apple Intelligence platform.
Reports also suggest Apple could adopt a new wafer-level multi-chip module packaging technique, integrating memory more closely with the processor to reduce latency and improve performance during AI workloads, multitasking and graphics-intensive gaming.
Display upgrades may also be on the cards.
Several tipsters claim Apple has shifted more of the Face ID hardware beneath the display, allowing the Dynamic Island cut-out to shrink by as much as 35 per cent. While not eliminating the feature entirely, the change could free up additional screen space and offer a cleaner viewing experience.
Photography remains another area of focus. The Pro models are expected to retain a triple 48-megapixel camera system, with the primary sensor reportedly gaining a variable physical aperture. If introduced, the feature would allow users to adjust the amount of light entering the lens, improving low-light performance while offering more natural background blur for portraits.
Connectivity could also see improvements through Apple’s next-generation C2 modem, which is expected to succeed the in-house C1 modem with better 5G efficiency and reduced power consumption.
Industry watchers expect Apple to unveil the new devices during its annual September event, widely tipped to take place around 8 or 9 September, with retail availability likely to begin around 18 September.
Some reports also suggest Apple may alter its launch strategy this year by introducing only the Pro models alongside its first foldable iPhone in September, while pushing the standard iPhone 18 models into early 2027. However, that claim remains speculative.
Pricing is also expected to edge upwards, driven by the higher production costs associated with 2nm chip manufacturing and upgraded camera hardware.
For now, all of these features remain firmly in the realm of leaks and rumours. But if even a majority of them prove accurate, Apple’s next Pro smartphones could deliver one of the most substantial hardware upgrades the iPhone has seen in recent years.
