The base iPhone 18 may be targeting a 2027 release, but that hasn’t stopped the leakers from doing their thing. When Weibo leaker Fixed Focus Digital revealed this departure from tradition, it came with the caveat that the phone may see a downgrade or two. Now, thanks to Schrödinger Intel, we know what that caveat could be.
Then there’s the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, which should still land sometime in September. These will seemingly be joined by Apple’s long-rumoured foldable iPhone and possibly the Air 2. We’re sure leaks for those will be along shortly, on top of what we’ve already seen. But we do have some idea of what to expect from the flagship Pro range, namely the sort of camera tech it’ll pack. Thanks, Digital Chat Station.
Not only a delay
We’re going out on a limb and assume you want the bad news out of the way first. That involves the iPhone 18 — more specifically, its screen. In addition to landing alongside the iPhone 18e, Apple wants to stick with a much older Samsung panel (M12+), while the rest of its pro siblings use the much newer M16 panel. M12+ is only slightly better than what we saw on the iPhone 14 Pro. That’s quite the cost-cutting measure, though how it’ll actually turn out remains to be seen.
Schrödinger Intel does note that Apple using the M14 panel is still a possibility, however. Whatever the case, it won’t quite live up to its pro brethren. That makes sense on paper — more money = better product, right? That would be true if the base iPhone didn’t match its brethren in the past. Whatever way you look at it, this is a downgrade.
“Apple will not mention M12+ in the keynote. They will talk about the A20, the camera, the design. The display will be described as “advanced OLED” and the room will applaud.”
It’s not all bad news
There’s at least one big camera upgrade to look forward to by the time the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max hit shelves. That would be a variable aperture lens, allowing for greater control over the depth of field. That’s expected to be joined by some software upgrades to make the addition more comfortable in-hand for users.
Digital Chat Station has pegged a few more camera upgrades coming to iPhone, but doesn’t expect ’em to land this year. We’ve already mentioned some of those, like the 200MP 1/1.12″ sensor. But it seems Apple also has an enhanced OIS (optical image stabilisation) system lined up for one of its ultrawide cameras down the line.
