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iPhone 18 Pro Leak Reveals Under-Screen Face ID and Major Camera Upgrades
Apple’s next-generation flagship smartphones, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, are already generating excitement following a new report that sheds light on several major design and hardware changes. According to information shared by Wayne Ma and Qianer Liu of The Information, Apple is preparing to introduce under-screen Face ID technology, a redesigned front camera placement, and advanced camera and chip upgrades that could redefine the iPhone experience.
If these leaks are accurate, the iPhone 18 Pro lineup could mark one of the most significant evolutions in Apple’s smartphone design in years.
Under-Screen Face ID Could Eliminate the Dynamic Island
One of the most notable revelations in the report is Apple’s plan to move Face ID sensors beneath the display on the iPhone 18 Pro models. This change would allow Apple to remove the familiar pill-shaped Dynamic Island cutout from the top of the screen.
Instead, the front-facing camera is expected to be positioned discreetly in the top-left corner of the display, resulting in a cleaner and more immersive viewing experience. While Apple introduced the Dynamic Island as a functional UI feature starting with the iPhone 14 Pro, this move suggests the company is gradually transitioning toward a truly edge-to-edge display.
Despite this internal redesign, the overall appearance of the iPhone 18 Pro is said to remain visually similar to the iPhone 17 Pro, indicating Apple’s focus will be more on technological refinement than radical exterior changes.
Mechanical Iris Camera Brings Variable Aperture Control
Another major highlight from the leak is Apple’s rumored plan to introduce a mechanical iris system on at least one rear camera of the iPhone 18 Pro models. This feature would enable variable aperture, a capability typically found in professional cameras.
Renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has previously stated that the main 48-megapixel camera on the iPhone 18 Pro will support variable aperture control. This would allow users to manually adjust how much light enters the lens, offering greater flexibility in photography.
From the iPhone 14 Pro through the iPhone 17 Pro, Apple has relied on a fixed aperture of ƒ/1.78, meaning the camera lens remains fully open at all times. By contrast, variable aperture would give users enhanced control over depth of field, potentially improving portrait shots and creative photography in different lighting conditions.
That said, due to the relatively small image sensors used in smartphones, the real-world impact of this feature remains uncertain. While it may not match the results of dedicated cameras, it still represents a meaningful step forward for mobile photography enthusiasts.
A20 Pro Chip to Deliver Performance and Efficiency Gains
The report also confirms growing expectations that the iPhone 18 Pro series will be powered by Apple’s A20 Pro chip, manufactured using TSMC’s cutting-edge 2nm process. This would make it one of the most advanced mobile processors on the market at launch.
Apple is reportedly planning to use Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module (WMCM) packaging technology for the A20 Pro. Unlike current designs, this approach integrates RAM directly onto the chip wafer, alongside the CPU, GPU, and Neural Engine, rather than placing it adjacent to the processor.
This advanced packaging method could unlock several benefits, including:
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Faster overall system performance
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Improved Apple Intelligence and AI processing
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Better power efficiency and longer battery life
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Enhanced thermal management
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A smaller chip footprint, freeing up internal space for other components
These improvements could make the iPhone 18 Pro not only more powerful, but also more efficient and durable during sustained workloads such as gaming, video editing, and on-device AI tasks.
Expected Launch Timeline
Based on Apple’s typical release schedule, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are expected to launch in September 2026. While these details are still based on leaks and industry reports, they paint a compelling picture of Apple’s long-term vision for its premium smartphones.