The iPhone 18 is almost a year away, and yet, industry insiders have a lot of tea on these upcoming smartphones. Expected to succeed the recently announced iPhone 17 series, which includes the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air, the iPhone 18 generation will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the iPhone. Hence, this would be a substantial installation in the iPhone product lineup.
Tea from well-known industry insiders, particularly on Chinese social media platforms, suggests that Apple is planning some significant, albeit subtle, design and performance upgrades for its iPhone 18 Pro models. Out of them all, what catches our attention is a ‘slightly transparent’ back panel – something that could make a big impact on the design of the phone.
What’s even more enticing is that the tea comes from ‘Digital Chat Station’ on Weibo – a reliable tipster who has a solid track record of painting a near-accurate picture of the next-gen iPhone. The leaks are further supported by a report from Taiwan’s Commercial Times, adding weight to the speculation about what the next-generation iPhone will bring.
iPhone 18 Pro: What the leaks say
According to the leaks, the overall form factor of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will largely retain the design language of the iPhone 17 Pro models. This includes the familiar ‘plateau’ camera housing on the rear, which will continue to hold a triple-lens system. Display sizes are also expected to remain consistent, with the Pro model sporting a 6.3-inch screen and the Pro Max maintaining its expansive 6.9-inch display—a size first introduced with the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max.
The more eye-catching rumour, however, centers on the device’s back panel, quite literally! Digital Chat Station claims that Apple is experimenting with a “slightly transparent design” for the Ceramic Shield area. While the full extent of this feature is not clear, it could mean that certain components, like the MagSafe coil, logic board, or internal cooling system, are visible through the back glass, creating a unique aesthetic never before seen on an iPhone. This would be a significant shift from Apple’s traditional opaque designs.
Smarter performance upgrades in store
To make the iPhone 18 Pro run faster and cooler for longer durations, Apple is also rumoured to go for a stainless steel vapour chamber for heat dissipation. A heat sink was already introduced on the iPhone 17 Pro to improve thermal performance but the next-gen iPhone 18 series could benefit from a superior design to make it run cooler. This upgrade is particularly relevant for features like enhanced AI capabilities, high-end mobile gaming, and professional-grade video editing.
A Commercial Times report indicates that the devices will be powered by the new 2nm A20 Pro chip, a successor to the A19 Pro. This new chip will likely offer significant improvements in processing power, graphical performance, and energy efficiency. Apple will also replace the Qualcomm modem with its own in-house Apple C2 modem for faster network speeds and improved power management.
On the front of the device, it is said that the iPhone 18 Pro will feature a smaller Dynamic Island.
These changes are also expected to be applicable to the iPhone Air 2 and iPhone 18.
