Apple’s flagship smartphone hasn’t stopped updating for a year since 2007, and barring a huge surprise, 2026 will be no different – but there will be a bit of a twist.
The Cupertino tech giant is expected to launch a new lineup of iPhones this year, including the iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max and the rumored iPhone Ultra, the company’s first foldable smartphone. The regular iPhone 18, 18e and the new iPhone Air are likely to arrive early next year.
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While we await the release of the iPhone 18 and its updated iOS 27 operating system, tidbits of news and rumors continue to pour in. In particular, the pace of iPhone 18 Pro leaks is likely to increase after a massive hack exposed thousands of internal Apple documents, including reportedly iPhone 18 Pro suppliers and tests.
We won’t see any new Apple phones on sale for a few months, but we can bring you the most informed and most likely updates in one place.
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Prices for the iPhone 18 line
If you’re looking for a new iPhone, you should circle September on your calendar. It’s been Apple’s big reveal month for a very long time, and there’s no reason to think Apple will change that in 2026.
Expect new Apple CEO John Ternus to take the stage to introduce him; his term officially begins on September 1.
Unfortunately, what he unveils may put an even bigger dent in your wallet. Due to the ongoing RAM shortage caused by the artificial intelligence industry (also known as RAMageddon), tons of smartphones, laptops, and gaming consoles have become significantly more expensive. Experts who spoke to Mashable say the trend shows no sign of stopping anytime soon.
As the world’s number one smartphone maker, Apple has some advantages over its competitors, but price increases are definitely coming. We were hoping for the opposite: earlier this year, Apple raised the prices of its new MacBooks and also introduced a low-cost $599 laptop that put a lot of pressure on Windows competitors.
But then outgoing Apple CEO Tim Cook took the unusual step of preparing us for a more expensive iPhone. “Rising prices are inevitable,” Cook told the magazine Wall Street Journal in an interview. Magazine cites an analysis showing that the memory chip components in the iPhone 18 Pro will cost Apple $150 more than the components in the iPhone 17 Pro.
So should we expect the phones to cost just $150 more than their predecessors (see iPhone 17 prices here)? You wish. There’s the unfortunate fact that Apple is a commercial company, and the iPhone is the world’s No. 1 smartphone for good reason, even though it’s already more expensive than Samsung’s.
How much of a boost will Apple fans bear? We may have to find out, but Magazine The iPhone 18 Pro is priced at $1,299 (up $200 from last year).
iPhone 18, 18 Pro and 18 Ultra release dates
Barring a huge turnaround under Ternus, Apple will release the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and foldable iPhone Ultra in early September. Obviously, the biggest headline here is Apple’s first foldable iPhone, but the Pro models will also bring plenty of improvements.
However, the iPhone 18, along with the cheaper iPhone 18e and the next-generation iPhone Air, is rumored to launch next year, likely in March 2027.
iPhone 18 and iPhone 18 Pro design
Again, Apple has not yet released any official teasers or other images of the iPhone 18 lineup, so everything reported to date may be incorrect. However, based on the sum of all the reports, it looks like Apple isn’t really reinventing the wheel in terms of design. But Ternus, a hardware specialist, is reportedly putting the company’s industrial design group at the center of Apple.
The iPhone 20 is said to bring big changes in the future, including a curved waterfall display.
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According to our friends at CNET (Mashable and CNET are owned by Ziff Davis), the display dimensions will be roughly the same as last year:
However, this year the display quality may change a bit. A well-known Instant Digital leaker shared on Chinese social media that Apple’s brightness requirements are unusually high this year, so it would be reasonable to expect much brighter displays than in previous years.
Some iPhone 18 models may also have a smaller camera bump compared to previous models. There are reports of a slightly redesigned Dynamic Island on the screen itself, and the pill-shaped notification center on iPhone 18 Pro models could potentially be smaller. One of the alleged leaked images shows the iPhone 18 Pro with a smaller Dynamic Island notch.
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Want to know about iPhone 18 color options? At least for the iPhone 18 Pro, color options have already become known. Previous rumors indicated that Apple was experimenting with a “dark red” color for the iPhone 18 Pro, and a new report from MacWorld confirms this. According to their reports, the color scheme of the iPhone 18 Pro will be silver, grey, light blue and a color called “dark cherry” – likely the dark red that was previously reported.
Unfortunately, we think fans of black iPhones are out of luck again.
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iPhone 18: rumors about hardware capabilities
So we know what software will run on the iPhone 18: iOS 27, revealed at WWDC 2026. It’s time to talk about some of the internal hardware changes Apple is reportedly making to the iPhone 18 lineup.
Let’s start with the fact that the entire line will have a standardized amount of RAM of 12 GB. In previous years, Pro models had 12GB of RAM, while the base model only had 8GB. According to Korean publication The Bell, Apple will update the base model to match the Pro models in this regard. Apple is also widely expected to adopt the new A20 and A20 Pro chips for the base and Pro models respectively.
The new iPhones are also expected to feature the new C2 modem for improved cellular connectivity and may also have support for 5G satellites. Also reported: new N2 chip to improve Wi-Fi performance.
Latest iPhone 18 Pro Rumors
As for the iPhone 18 Pro, Apple is currently expected to improve the battery size in the premium iPhone 18 models this year.
Leaker Digital Chat Station on Weibo reported that the battery capacity could exceed 5,000 mAh, which would be an improvement over the iPhone 17 Pro.
Instant Digital revealed in a separate leak on Weibo that the back glass of the iPhone 18 Pro has been redesigned, resulting in a new unified look as opposed to the two-tone look of the iPhone 17 Pro. Whether this change will impact durability (or is just an aesthetic difference) remains to be seen.
Other differences include a new Apple A20 Pro chip inside, an improved LTPO+ display, a new Apple C2 modem, 5G over satellite connectivity, and an improved N2 chip that should improve hotspot and AirDrop reliability.
What about the iPhone 18 Pro Max?
Several reports from China suggest that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a much larger battery – and will be a bit chunky as a result.
We are not talking about a colossal increase in weight and width: the thickness is a quarter of a millimeter and 7 grams more, respectively. However, every gram counts for the largest iPhone model you can get, so iPhone 17 Pro Max upgrade enthusiasts may want to see if their pocket linings can handle the iPhone 18 Pro Max’s larger volume.
The iPhone 17 Pro helped Apple break sales records in 2026.
Photo: Stan Schroeder/Mashable
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iPhone 18 Camera Rumors
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the source of much of the iPhone coverage, says the iPhone 18 Pro in particular will have “some of the biggest camera hardware upgrades in the line’s history.”
Why? Firstly, the telephoto lens has a large aperture ratio. But more important is the variable aperture.
This was first reported by Digital Chat Station on Weibo: Variable aperture is a huge deal. This will allow the iPhone 18 Pro’s camera to capture different amounts of light in different situations, potentially resulting in a huge jump in photo quality if you know what you’re doing.
For example, the bokeh effect known as portrait mode on the iPhone will be possible in-camera rather than through software processing, resulting in more natural and generally better-looking photos.
What about AI Siri?
Of course, one of the first things many users will want to know about the iPhone 18 when they get their hands on it: What’s the new, updated AI-enhanced Siri interface like?
If you’re feeling adventurous, you can try it out for yourself by installing the iOS 27 beta.
New features include turning Siri into a real chatbot with its own app. It is also capable of understanding what’s happening on your screen and can help you write, create images, and edit photos.
An overview of some of the best features Siri AI has to offer can be found here. And for the best new features in Apple’s iOS 27 public beta, check out our review here.