Apple today announced that it will host its next event on Wednesday, Sept. 9, where it will likely unveil the iPhone 18 Pro, its long-rumored foldable, and a next-gen Apple Watch.
"Surprise and shine," the invite reads. Things kick off at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino at 10 a.m. PT. PCMag will be there to bring you all the news, but it will also be livestreamed.
What can we expect? And how much more expensive will Apple's latest and greatest be, given the memory crunch? Apple already raised prices across several major product lines in June, while the new Mac mini and Mac Studio are pricier than their predecessors. Thus far, iPhone pricing has remained steady, helping drive iPhone 17 sales during the last quarter. However, "For September, we expect to pay even higher memory costs,” CEO Tim Cook said during a recent earnings call.
With Apple's foldable expected to cost north of $2,000, the iPhone 18 Pro is probably the more economical choice if you're looking to upgrade this fall. To help you know what to expect, we've rounded up the biggest iPhone 18 Pro rumors we have heard so far.
iPhone 18 Pro: Revised Lineup #
The biggest rumor around the iPhone 18 lineup is its release timeline. Unlike previous years, where Apple released four phones in the same series in one go, Bloomberg reports Apple could take a two-pronged approach to ensure consistent revenue throughout the year.
Flagship phones, such as the iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, and the foldable iPhone, will be unveiled in September, while the base iPhone 18, iPhone Air 2, and the iPhone 18e could be launched in spring 2027. We discuss the foldable iPhone in detail in a separate rumor roundup, so we’ll just stick to the Pro models here.
iPhone 18 Pro: Design and Colors #
The iPhone 17 Pro models brought a major overhaul to Apple’s smartphone design language, with a new camera “plateau” and two-toned color scheme. This year, Apple isn’t expected to drastically change the device's appearance, but it could add a few bold colors and return to a more uniform color scheme on the back.
Several leakers, including Sonny Dickson and Instant Digital, claim that Apple could go with a never-before-seen cherry red and a new light blue, alongside the regular dark gray. Dickson also shared pictures of potential dummies, including one in light gray.
While the appearance of the rear is expected to remain the same, the in-hand feel could be a lot different. Ice Universe says the battery could get slightly larger on the iPhone 18 Pro Max, contributing to increased weight and bulk. More precisely, the leaker expects the device to be 0.25mm thicker and 7 grams heavier.
iPhone 18 Pro Display #
On the front, we might see one significant change. The Dynamic Island, or the camera cutout, could be reduced by 35%, Ice Universe says. This won’t shrink the feature's overall functionality, but it could move the Face ID sensor’s illuminator to one corner below the screen.
When it comes to display sizes, the consensus is that the iPhone 18 Pro will come in its usual 6.3-inch screen, while the Pro Max will have a 6.9-inch screen. Apple, however, has reportedly been pushing suppliers to provide much brighter displays and could use the more power-efficient LTPO+ display tech.
iPhone 18 Pro Cameras #
The iPhone 17 Pro lineup bumped all three cameras to 48MP. For the iPhone 18 Pro, the biggest camera-related rumor we have heard is around variable aperture. While the iPhone 17 models had a fixed aperture, the iPhone 18 Pro may introduce a variable aperture. ETNews reports that the modified system has already entered production and would help the cameras deliver more light to the sensors in dark conditions and reduce light in bright conditions.
Apple may also modify its relatively new Camera Control button. Introduced with the iPhone 16, the capacitive button at the bottom right of the phone lets you quickly launch the Camera app, take pictures, and adjust settings for zoom, exposure, depth, and other controls. Mastering the capacitive button, however, has proved difficult, with users noting that they have been accidentally launching the Camera app. Apple may finally fix the problem by removing the touch-sensitive components of the button and delivering a more user-friendly experience, 9to5Mac reports.
iPhone 18 Pro Performance #
The iPhone 18 Pro is likely to receive a performance boost with the A20 chip. It will use TSMC’s 2nm technology, an upgrade from the previous generation’s 3nm tech. The transition will allow more transistors on each chip but also raise chip costs by 50%, MacRumors reports.
The chip is also rumored to have TSMC’s Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module (WMCM) technology, which infuses RAM into the same wafer as the CPU, GPU, and Neural Engine. Overall, it is expected to be 18% faster and 30% more power-efficient than previous generations, according to leaker Fixed Focus Digital.
Apple usually reserves the base variant of its chip series for the standard iPhone models, while the Pro models get the corresponding Pro chip. With the iPhone 18 series, Apple is reportedly considering offering just the high-end variant across the lineup.
Another expected upgrade is for the modem. The iPhone 17 Pro models had an unspecified third-party modem, but the iPhone 18 Pro could get the company’s proprietary C2 modem. It will support 5G satellite connectivity and reduce the scope of location data retained by networks, according to MacRumors.
iPhone 18 Pro Battery #
Apple never reveals its battery capacities, but multiple leakers have indicated a larger and more efficient battery for the iPhone 18 Pro Max. According to Digital Chat Station, the top variant will have a capacity of up to 5,200mAh, slightly better than the 5,088mAh capacity of its predecessor. With a more efficient modem and processor, the battery life could be significantly longer. The iPhone 18 Pro, on the other hand, could see a minimal bump from 4,252mAh to 4,288mAh.
More recently, leaks posted on Korean and Chinese social media sites tip a US iPhone 18 Pro Max model with a 5,567mAh battery, a nearly 10% increase over the iPhone 17 Pro Max, MacRumors notes.
iPhone 18 Pro: Pricing and Release #
This is what much of the decision-making hinges on. According to The Wall Street Journal's estimate, rising component costs would push the iPhone 18 Pro to start at $1,299. If you couple that with recent Apple trends, the iPhone 18 Pro Max could be priced $100 higher, taking its starting price to $1,399. In comparison, the iPhone 17 Pro starts at $1,099, while the 17 Pro Max starts at $1,199.
When asked on a recent earnings call about potential price hikes for the iPhone, Cook said it's "too early to come to a definitive conclusion of what happens there. Because it takes a little while for the channels to adjust since there's channel inventory, it takes a while for the consumer to respond. We'll understand that more in the weeks ahead."
With the event scheduled for Sept. 9, preorders will likely begin that day, ahead of the launch the following week.