Apple's "Surprise and Shine" event is now just five days out, with the company set to reveal its next iPhone generation on September 9. Reports suggest Apple may break from its usual four-model rollout this year, potentially skipping the standard iPhone 18 in favour of a later release, and instead limiting the event to just three devices: the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and Apple's still-unconfirmed first foldable iPhone.
Design
Don't expect a dramatic overhaul here. Both Pro models are tipped to hold onto their existing 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch screen sizes, aluminium frames, and the familiar rear camera housing, though leaked dummy units suggest that housing could get marginally thicker this generation. Up front, rumours point to a smaller Dynamic Island as Apple edges closer to hiding Face ID sensors beneath the display glass, while the panels themselves are expected to move to LTPO+ technology, cutting power use without sacrificing the smooth 120Hz scrolling.
Camera
The standout addition is a physically adjustable aperture on the main lens, letting the camera widen or narrow its opening to control how much light hits the sensor. Unlike the blurred backgrounds phones typically fake through image processing, this would let the lens itself create that shallow-focus look using actual optics. Rounding out the setup are a wider-aperture telephoto lens, a stacked sensor aimed at reducing noise in dim conditions, and a rumoured teleconverter accessory for extra reach. Zoom capability may differ between the two models, with the Pro Max reportedly reaching 6x optical zoom against 5x on the standard Pro. Both are expected to retain 48-megapixel triple rear sensors and an 18-megapixel Center Stage front camera, alongside minor tweaks to the still-debated Camera Control button.
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Chipset And Battery
At the core of both phones sits the A20 Pro, expected to be Apple's first chip built on TSMC's 2nm process. Compared with last year's A19, engineers are reportedly seeing close to a fifth more raw speed alongside a roughly one-third cut in power draw, gains that matter for running on-device AI features without excessive heat buildup. Apple is also said to be packaging the chip using a wafer-level Multi-Chip Module, a manufacturing approach that squeezes the RAM in tighter against the processor itself so data doesn't have as far to travel between the two. Alongside the new chip sits Apple's own C2 modem, expected to widen satellite connectivity for situations where regular cellular coverage isn't available.
Battery capacity looks set to grow too, with the US version of the Pro Max rumoured to carry a 5,567mAh cell, up from 5,088mAh on last year's model, a jump that combined with the more efficient chip should translate into noticeably longer battery life.
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Price Hike Looks Likely
Apple has held iPhone pricing steady for several generations, but that streak may end this year. Memory chip prices have spiked across the industry this year as AI data centres buy up supply at an unprecedented pace, and one estimate puts the cost increase for memory going into the 256GB Pro model at nearly four times what it was a year ago. Apple is reportedly finding some savings on other components, but that alone doesn't appear to be enough to keep prices from climbing for buyers.
In the US, expectations point to a price increase of roughly $100 to $150, a shift that would carry over to India as well. The iPhone 17 Pro launched in India at Rs 1,34,900, with the Pro Max starting at Rs 1,49,900. Factoring in higher component costs and taxes, the iPhone 18 Pro could open somewhere between Rs 1,39,900 and Rs 1,44,900, while the Pro Max may start closer to Rs 1,54,900, potentially touching Rs 1,59,900. Apple may cushion some of the increase itself, but Indian buyers should still expect to pay more when the phones go on sale.
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