{"id":470833,"date":"2026-03-12T04:15:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T04:15:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/470833\/"},"modified":"2026-03-12T04:15:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T04:15:09","slug":"apple-iphone-18-rumours-from-release-date-to-price","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/470833\/","title":{"rendered":"Apple iPhone 18 rumours \u2013 from release date to price"},"content":{"rendered":"

We\u2019re about six months away from Apple<\/a>\u2019s grand unveiling of its next iPhone<\/a> and, with the rumour mill churning, it feels like we know almost everything there is to know about the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.<\/p>\n

This September is expected to be the first time Apple splits its iPhone launches. With the first folding iPhone<\/a> potentially arriving this autumn, Apple is reportedly punting the launch of the regular iPhone 18 to spring 2027. The tech giant\u2019s usual September spectacle could then focus entirely on its more premium iPhones, including the iPhone Fold.<\/p>\n

So what can we expect to see? Right now, the rumours suggest that the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max \u2013 the two models expected to launch this September \u2013 will be fairly iterative upgrades, with better cameras and a smaller Dynamic Island. Most of the changes are expected to take place under the bonnet. <\/p>\n

Here, I\u2019ve pulled together every iPhone 18 rumour so far, from release date to price and more.<\/p>\n

Apple iPhone 18 Pro release date<\/p>\n

The release timeline for the iPhone 18 and subsequent iPhones could look a lot different going forward. In late 2025, the ever-reliable Apple insider Mark Gurman claimed<\/a> that the company will be moving away from its annual autumnal launch extravaganza. Instead, Gurman claimed it will be spreading its iPhone launches throughout the year.<\/p>\n

According to Gurman, the reason for the shift is that Apple\u2019s decision to cram everything into September has become burdensome. It gives the company fewer opportunities to spread out revenue across the year, while also straining its marketing and engineering teams and overloading suppliers.<\/p>\n

So Apple\u2019s predicted to shake up its launch window entirely. Gurman says we won\u2019t be seeing the regular iPhone 18 unveiled in September this year. Instead, Apple will only launch the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, as well as its first foldable phone.<\/p>\n

The tech giant is then predicted to launch the regular iPhone 18 in the spring of 2027, alongside the iPhone 18e. There\u2019s precedent for this \u2013 we\u2019ve just seen Apple launch the iPhone 17e<\/a> in March, for example. Gurman says the brand could also launch a follow-up to the iPhone Air<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As for the actual release date of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, that\u2019s still fairly easy to predict, given that the date of Apple\u2019s September spectacle isn\u2019t expected to change.<\/p>\n

Apple almost always announces its new line of smartphones in the second week of September. To give you an idea, the iPhone 17<\/a> was announced on Tuesday 9 September 2025, the iPhone 16<\/a> was announced on Monday 9 September 2024, the iPhone 15<\/a> on Tuesday 5 September 2023, the iPhone 14 on Wednesday 7 September 2022 and the iPhone 13 on Tuesday 14 September 2021.<\/p>\n

Labor Day in the US is on Monday 7 September this year, so Apple is unlikely to unveil its latest launches then. I\u2019m expecting Apple to show off the iPhone 18 Pro on either Tuesday 8 September or Wednesday 9 September \u2013 most likely the latter, with pre-orders going live on Friday 11 September. The iPhone 18 Pro could then be released on Friday 18 September.<\/p>\n

Apple iPhone 18 Pro price<\/p>\n

While I always take pricing rumours with a grain of salt, there\u2019s been a lot of chatter this year due to the skyrocketing prices of DRAM and NAND storage, which has caused havoc among tech firms.<\/p>\n

Samsung<\/a> notably increased the price of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra<\/a> this year by \u00a330. Could the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max receive a similar price hike?<\/p>\n

Right now, analysts are suggesting Apple will absorb any extra costs. According to analyst Jeff Pu of GF Securities, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max will cost the same as the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. In a February 2026 research note<\/a> obtained by MacRumours, Pu said Apple was looking at keeping the prices the same or similar by focusing on \u201ccost management\u201d.<\/p>\n

In the research note, Pu said Apple had been negotiating with Samsung and SK Hynix to achieve relatively \u201cfavourable\u201d memory chip deals, and was looking to lower the costs of other parts, such as the camera and display.<\/p>\n

The pricing prediction was first raised by the ever-reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who said in January that Apple was looking to keep the price of the iPhone 18 Pro the same as the previous generation.<\/p>\n

Apple iPhone 18 design and display<\/p>\n

While the iPhone 17 Pro looked dramatically different to the iPhone 16 Pro, leakers right now are predicting the iPhone 18 Pro will look fairly similar to the iPhone 17 Pro. The biggest design change is that the Dynamic Island will be shrunk slightly, so that it doesn\u2019t take up as much screen real estate.<\/p>\n

In January this year, leaker Ice Universe claimed the Dynamic Island will be 35 per cent narrower than the current version, with a width of around 13.5mm, down from 20.7mm. The leaker shared a mock-up of what that could look like. Ice Universe\u2019s track record has been fairly good for Samsung leaks, but a bit mixed when it comes to Apple.<\/p>\n

Earlier rumours suggested Apple was testing a smaller hole-punch cutout instead of a Dynamic Island, with Face ID moving under the screen. This would give the iPhone a screen without interruptions for the first time. However, in January 2026, Weibo leaker Instant Digital stated this had been a mistranslation<\/a>, and that there would be no hole-punch cutout instead of a Dynamic Island or under-the-screen Face ID.<\/p>\n

Instead, the Face ID flood illuminator is the only component that will be moved under the screen, because it\u2019s relatively small. Display industry analyst Ross Young claims Apple will keep this smaller Dynamic Island until at least 2027.<\/p>\n

Another interesting rumour<\/a> from Instant Digital is that the iPhone 18 Pro Max could be slightly thicker than the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and could weigh roughly 243g. If true, it would make it the heaviest iPhone Apple\u2019s ever produced. That\u2019s 10g heavier than the iPhone 17 Pro Max and 3g heavier than the iPhone 14 Pro Max (the current heavyweight record holder).<\/p>\n

Other than that, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max could look similar to the previous models, boasting 6.3in and 6.9in displays as well as a triple-lens system with the plateau design introduced on the iPhone 17 Pro.<\/p>\n

Apple iPhone 18 Pro colours<\/p>\n

One interesting decision Apple made for the iPhone 17 Pro was to give the handsets a two-tone design. Controversially, the glass back for MagSafe charging is a different colour to the aluminium frame, making it look less uniform. Apple is reportedly looking to reduce this contrast for the iPhone 18 Pro.<\/p>\n

In November 2025, Instant Digital reported<\/a> that Apple had changed the phone\u2019s back glass process to help minimise the two-tone look seen on the iPhone 17 Pro, giving the phones a more unified look.<\/p>\n

In late February, Bloomberg\u2019s Mark Gurman also claimed<\/a> that Apple was testing a deep red colour for the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Fold.<\/p>\n

Apple iPhone 18 Pro cameras<\/p>\n

Of all the features to receive the biggest shake-up, it\u2019s almost always the camera system<\/p>\n

In December 2024, Ming-Chi Kuo claimed<\/a> the main rear camera on the iPhone 18 Pro will feature variable aperture for the first time, making it act more like a DSLR camera. Variable aperture would enable iPhone users to control how much light comes through the lens. Kuo claimed Dutch manufacturer BE Semiconductor would supply the assembly equipment used to produce the aperture blades.<\/p>\n

Several reputable leakers have since corroborated this leak in recent months, with ETNews the latest<\/a> to do so, in October 2025. The iPhones have had fixed apertures for years, so this could be a significant upgrade.<\/p>\n

Apple is also reportedly testing a new telephoto camera for the iPhone 18 Pro. Weibo leaker Digital Chat Station claimed<\/a> in October last year that the telephoto lens will also feature a larger aperture, being upgraded from the iPhone 17 Pro\u2019s f\/2.8 telephoto lens.<\/p>\n

Another (fairly old) leak, from January 2025, comes from Taiwanese publication DigiTimes. The publication claimed<\/a> that Samsung has developed a new three-layer stacked camera sensor system specifically for the iPhone 18. According to DigiTimes, this would make the iPhone 18\u2019s cameras more responsive and reduce noise.<\/p>\n

Apple iPhone 18 Pro specs<\/p>\n

Spec details for the iPhone 18 Pro are still fairly thin on the ground, but several leaks suggest Apple\u2019s next-generation A20 chip will power the devices. <\/p>\n

According to Jeff Pu, the A20 chip is expected<\/a> to use TSMC\u2019s new 2nm manufacturing process, which could make it up to 15 per cent faster and 30 per cent more efficient than the current A19 chip. <\/p>\n

An August 2025 report from Ming-Chi Kuo also suggests<\/a> the A20 could use a new chip packaging method that integrates RAM directly with the processor, potentially improving performance for Apple Intelligence features, while freeing up space inside the phone.<\/p>\n

Bloomberg\u2019s Mark Gurman also claims<\/a> iPhone 18 Pro models will feature Apple\u2019s next-generation C2 modem. The chip is expected to improve 5G performance and could add support for mmWave connectivity, bringing it closer to the Qualcomm modems Apple currently uses. Weibo leaker Fixed Digital also suggested, in February 2026, that it could support new satellite connectivity standards, potentially allowing for full internet access over satellite networks when traditional coverage isn\u2019t available.<\/p>\n

In terms of battery life, according to Digital Chat Station, the iPhone 18 Pro Max could feature a larger battery in the region of 5,100mAh to 5,200mAh, with additional efficiency gains coming from the new A20 chip.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll be rounding up all the latest leaks right here on this page as more rumours come in, so stay tuned.<\/p>\n

For more, we\u2019ve reviewed the latest iPhone 17e to see if it\u2019s worth the price tag <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"We\u2019re about six months away from Apple\u2019s grand unveiling of its next iPhone and, with the rumour mill…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":470834,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[2306,86,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-470833","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mobile","8":"tag-mobile","9":"tag-technology","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom","12":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/470833","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=470833"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/470833\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/470834"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=470833"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=470833"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=470833"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}