The MacRumors Show
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PodcastThe MacRumors Show
Publisher/creatorThe MacRumors Show
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About this episode
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show , we talk through everything the iPhone 18 Pro will feature, according to the latest rumors. Following last year's major redesign, the iPhone 18 Pro models are expected to feature a very similar design to their predecessors. There is expected to be a smaller Dynamic Island , with Face ID 's flood illuminator component moved under the screen to reduce the cutout's size. It is rumored to be approximately 35% narrower than the iPhone 17 Pro 's, shrinking from around 20.7mm to 13.5mm. The Pro Max will be slightly thicker than its predecessor , rising to around 8.8mm and over 240 grams to accommodate a larger battery of 5,100 to 5,200 mAh , up from the iPhone 17 Pro Max's 5,088 mAh. The rear will see a slight design shift as well. Apple is reportedly dropping the two-tone look found on iPhone 17 Pro models in favor of a more seamless aesthetic, with improved alignment between the Ceramic Shield back glass and the aluminum frame. The devices are also expected to come in a special red color . The camera system will undergo more substantial changes. Both Pro models' main 48-megapixel Fusion camera are rumored to feature variable aperture , which would allow users to control the lens opening to manage light intake and depth of field. The aperture would function similarly to a DSLR camera, giving photographers greater control over focus sharpness and background blur in different lighting conditions. Additionally, Samsung is developing a new three-layer sensor for the iPhone 18 Pro, designed to reduce noise, improve dynamic range, and enhance camera responsiveness compared to Sony's current sensors. The Camera Control button is also getting a simplification. Rather than supporting both capacitive touch gestures and pressure sensing as on the iPhone 17 , the iPhone 18 will rely on pressure sensing alone, reducing manufacturing complexity and the cost of repairs, while improving ease of use. The A20 Pro chip will mark Apple's debut of a 2-nanometer processor, with a reportedly 15% speed increase and about 30% better power efficiency compared to the A19 Pro. The chip will use TSMC's Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module technology, integrating RAM directly onto the same wafer as the CPU, GPU, and Neural Engine rather than mounting it separately, which should improve performance and battery life while reducing the physical footprint of the chip. The iPhone 18 Pro models will also feature Apple's C2 modem , which is expected to bring faster speeds, improved power efficiency, and support for mmWave 5G in the United States, a capability absent from the C1 and C1X modems used in earlier iPhones. Other upgrades include Apple's N2 wireless chip and 5G satellite internet . The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are expected to launch in September 2026, with the standard iPhone 18 and the lower-end iPhone 18e following in spring 2027. A foldable iPhone is also expected to debut alongside the Pro models in the fall.
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Episode summary
Welcome back to The Macroom Show. Quick housekeeping before we dive in: we’re working on getting video episodes into podcast apps, but for now you can watch on our YouTube channel, and reviews plus emails to podcast at macramers dot com really help.
We’re looking ahead to iPhone 18 and 18 Pro, and I’m already sold on that deep, maroon‑style red from the mockups, so let’s start with colors.
The red rumor feels unusually locked in this early, and Apple seems to have learned from Cosmic Orange: fewer colors, one bold headliner, and instant visual recognition that screams new phone.
Even kids clocked the orange from across a room, so that tracks. Rumors say the Pro gets a touch thicker and about seven grams heavier, which sounds like room for more battery—true?
Yes, bigger battery and a more utilitarian Pro vibe are the point, especially with clearer separation from the standard lineup. My own jump from a weak 15 Pro to the 17 Pro was night and day—no more battery anxiety, even on long travel days.
Same here; my 17 Pro hangs like last year’s Pro Max, and no, I do not secretly have an 18. About the back glass: I’m hearing either a translucent window over the charging bits or a perfectly color‑matched panel; I like the contrast, but fully see‑through gives me iMac G3 nostalgia I doubt Apple repeats.
Color‑matching is the safer bet; year two of this design should be about polish, not reinvention, so expect subtle tweaks, a little extra thickness, refined glass, and new finishes that keep the look cohesive.
The front is where people will notice change: a smaller Dynamic Island should be the quick tell for this year’s model, but I don’t see next year suddenly ditching it all for a pure all‑screen face.
Apple is reportedly moving a key Face ID sensor under the display at the top left, which shrinks the pill and inches us toward that all‑screen goal, even if the full move likely lands later than the anniversary target.
Cameras sound fun: a variable aperture on the main lens should lift low‑light shots and give more natural background blur, a brighter telephoto should help too, and there’s chatter about bumping the front camera to twenty‑four megapixels.
Variable aperture once showed up on Samsung before cost and bulk killed it; Apple seems ready to make it small enough or accept the added depth for better exposure control in both dim scenes and harsh light. The front camera upgrade is still in play, and Apple is also set to simplify the new camera button by dropping swipe gestures and making it pressure‑only, which fits how most of us actually use it.
That tracks, because the current placement and feel make photos shakier; it’s great for launching the app, but I’d rather have a proper two‑stage click in a more natural spot.
I agree—press resistance leads to tiny shakes, while tapping the screen stays steadier; the keep‑what‑works approach should please casual shooters and still let power users lock focus and exposure.
Chips don’t thrill most people; once the phone’s in hand, you just want it to feel smooth and cool, not a spec sheet.
There’s real substance this time: A20 should be Apple’s first two‑nanometer chip with roughly thirty percent better efficiency, on‑package memory for speed and space savings, and stronger on‑device AI—big for battery life today and a preview of what’s coming to Macs.
Day to day, my phone mostly just works; bugs pop up, but I rarely see anything that derails me.
Modems matter for that all‑day feel too: the C2 is expected across the lineup, finally dropping Qualcomm, adding millimeter‑wave support, and even enabling satellite‑based 5G for basic data in a pinch, with notably better efficiency; Apple rolled earlier C‑series modems into lower‑stakes devices first to de‑risk the jump.
Pair a bigger cell with those efficiency wins and it should cruise, though Apple’s video‑hours metric still feels abstract; I’d love usage estimates tied to real apps, but year‑over‑year gains are the main thing.
Those numbers are blunt, but they do map to daily life well enough that an extra few hours claimed usually feels close.
Bottom line: iPhone 18 Pro looks like a solid step with a bold red finish, a smaller front cutout, smarter cameras, a cooler chip, a better modem, and more battery. If you’ve got a 17, you can probably sit tight; from a 16 or older, this will feel fresh—subscribe on YouTube, drop a rating, and email podcast at macramers dot com; we’ll see you next week.
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