iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max launch: Price, battery, design, camera and other details leaked
Early leaks indicate that Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max may come with a cleaner front design, noticeable camera upgrades, and a bigger focus on battery life, making the 2026 Pro lineup worth the wait.
Apple may still be 6 months away from officially unveiling its next-generation Pro iPhones, but leaks about the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max have already started to give a good picture of what to expect. Over the past few months, several leaks have hinted at visual changes to the design, meaningful camera upgrades, and internal improvements focused on performance and battery life. For users wondering whether to upgrade this year or hold off for another cycle, these early details suggest Apple may be preparing a more noticeable refresh of the line than usual.
iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max launch: Price, battery, design, camera and other details leaked
design changes?
The biggest talking point is the front design. For years, Apple has stuck to the familiar pill-shaped cutout and dynamic island. This may finally start to change with the iPhone 18 Pro series. The leak suggests that Apple is testing under-display Face ID technology, which could allow most of the sensor to sit below the screen. If this approach makes it to the final product, the front cutout could shrink to a hole for the selfie camera. Interestingly, some early renders show this camera being located in the top-left corner instead of the centre, giving the phone a completely different look compared to existing iPhones.
The dynamic island is not expected to disappear completely. Instead, it can be reworked into a smaller, more subtle element that sits closer to the camera cutout. According to the leak, the idea is to make it feel less distracting during daily use, as well as support the live activities like navigation alerts, music controls, and timers that users have become accustomed to.
In hindsight, Apple doesn’t seem keen on major changes. The triple-camera layout is expected to remain, housed in a raised module. However, there is a possibility of minor improvement. The report talks about the change in glass finish and how it merges into the aluminum frame. There’s also early buzz about new Pro-exclusive colors being tested internally, including darker shades like deep purple, burgundy and even a coffee-inspired brown.
Camera update?
Cameras are where the iPhone 18 Pro lineup may see a more meaningful upgrade. A leak points towards a variable aperture system for the main camera. Unlike the fixed aperture used on current models, this would allow the lens to physically adjust how much light enters. In practice, this can result in more natural background blur and improve low-light photos without relying too much on software tricks. Some reports suggest that this feature may be limited to the Pro Max models.
Another expected improvement is a new three-layer stacked image sensor, reportedly from Samsung. This sensor design is said to improve readout speed, reduce noise and provide better dynamic range. Along with this, both the main and telephoto cameras are said to have large apertures, which will help in night photography and video recording.
Chipset? Battery?
Under the hood, Apple is expected to introduce the A20 Pro chipset. Built on TSMC’s upcoming 2nm process, the chip is said to use a new packaging method where the RAM sits directly on the same wafer as the CPU, GPU, and neural engine. This tight integration can result in better performance, better efficiency, and better thermal control. Early estimates suggest about a 15 percent performance increase over the previous generation and up to 30 percent better power efficiency, which could also help power more advanced AI features on the device.
This internal redesign could also free up space inside the phone. Apple could use that room to improve cooling or fit in a larger battery. Battery life has been the main focus in recent leaks, especially for the Pro Max. The iPhone 18 Pro Max is said to be slightly thicker and pack a battery of around 5,100mAh. This may increase the weight by more than 240 grams, making it heavier than before, but many users may see this as a reasonable trade-off for longer screen time.
Connectivity? Display updates?
Connectivity upgrades are also in the plans. The iPhone 18 Pro Max is reported to feature Apple’s next-generation C2 modem. If accurate, this could mark the return of mmWave 5G support to Apple’s in-house modem, providing faster speeds in markets where mmWave networks are available.
The display size is expected to remain familiar. The iPhone 18 Pro may retain the 6.3-inch screen, while the Pro Max may continue with a 6.9-inch panel. Although there is still debate over whether the dynamic island will be removed entirely or minimized, most leaks agree that the front of the phone will look cleaner than existing models.
iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max: Price and launch timeline (leaked/expected)
Apple is expected to stick to its usual release window and launch the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max in September 2026. However, the price remains uncertain. With the iPhone 17 Pro already priced at Rs 1,34,900 and the Pro Max priced at Rs 1,49,900 in India, Apple is probably not looking to increase the prices too much. The price hike of the iPhone 17 series has already made it tough to buy flagship iPhones in price-sensitive markets like India.
For now, the expectation is that Apple can try to keep prices in roughly the same range, even as it introduces visible design changes and under-the-hood upgrades. Component costs and supply-chain factors could still impact the final numbers, but until Apple speaks officially, these leaks offer an early glimpse of what could look like a meaningful upgrade cycle for the iPhone.
