Latest iPhone 18 news, leaks, and rumors: Release date, colors, and pricing

At a look:

  • Release date: We’re anticipating the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max to reach in fall 2026, however rumor has it the iPhone 18 might not arrive till early 2027.

  • Colors: Possible leaks level to 4 essential colour choices for the Pro fashions this yr: mild blue, silver, darkish grey, and darkish cherry.

  • Key upgrades: Besides iOS 27 and the Siri AI beta, we’re anticipating greater batteries, digicam enhancements (together with variable aperture for the principle digicam), and probably a smaller Dynamic Island.

  • Pricing: Most new telephones are arriving with worth will increase, and we predict a beginning worth improve could be very probably for the brand new iPhone 18 lineup, sadly.


Apple’s flagship smartphone hasn’t taken a yr off from its updates since 2007, and barring an enormous shock, 2026 will not be totally different — however there might be a twist.

The Cupertino-based tech big is extensively anticipated to launch a brand new lineup of iPhones later this yr, together with the iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, and the rumored iPhone Ultra, the corporate’s first-ever foldable. The common iPhone 18, the 18e, and the brand new iPhone Air are more likely to arrive early subsequent yr.

We requested you to foretell what Apple will do subsequent. See the results and find out how to get a shot at winning an Apple Watch!

As we await the iPhone 18 — and its up to date working system, iOS 27 — rumors proceed to trickle out. The tempo of leaks on the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, specifically, is more likely to improve after a massive hack exposed thousands of Apple’s internal documents, reportedly together with iPhone 18 Pro suppliers and exams.

We will not see any of the brand new Apple telephones within the wild for a pair extra months, however we will convey you all the newest iPhone 18 rumors and the most definitely updates in a single place.

iPhone 18 lineup pricing

If you are out there for a brand new iPhone, you must circle September in your calendar. That’s when Apple usually holds its huge iPhone launch occasion, and there is not any purpose to consider Apple will change that for the iPhone 18. The first week of September is most definitely, probably Wednesday, Sept. 9, to offer attendees sufficient time to journey after Labor Day (Sept. 7).

Expect to see new Apple CEO John Ternus take the stage, as his time period of workplace formally begins Sept. 1. What he’ll be introducing, alas, might put extra of a dent in your pockets.

Thanks to the continuing RAM shortage caused by the AI industry (also called RAMageddon), tons of smartphones, laptops, and gaming consoles are seeing big worth hikes. Experts who’ve spoken to Mashable say that development is not going to cease anytime quickly.

As the world’s number-one smartphone maker, Apple has benefits over its rivals, however a worth improve could be very probably. Apple not too long ago raised prices on a variety of its products, and outgoing Apple CEO Tim Cook even took the bizarre step of preparing us for a pricier iPhone.

“Price increases are unavoidable,” Cook informed the Wall Street Journal in a June interview. The Journal quoted an evaluation displaying that the reminiscence chip elements within the iPhone 18 Pro will price Apple $150 greater than these within the iPhone 17 Pro.

So do you have to anticipate the telephones to price simply $150 greater than their predecessors (check the iPhone 17 prices for reference)? You want. There’s the pesky proven fact that Apple is a for-profit firm, and the iPhone is the #1 smartphone in the world for a purpose, regardless that it is already pricier than Samsung’s.

How a lot of a rise will Apple followers bear? We could also be about to seek out out, however the Journal estimated the iPhone 18 Pro at $1,399 ($300 greater than final yr). Apple analysts are coming to comparable conclusions; one research note seen by 9to5Mac predicted $250 to $300 worth will increase.

iPhone 18, 18 Pro, and 18 Ultra launch dates

iphone 18 pro phones on display

The iPhone 18 Pro Max smartphones finally yr’s iPhone launch occasion.
Credit: CNET

Barring an enormous flip underneath Ternus, Apple will launch the iPhone 18 Pro, the iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the foldable iPhone Ultra in early September. Apple’s first foldable iPhone is the largest headline right here, however the Pro fashions may even convey quite a few enhancements.

The iPhone 18, nonetheless, alongside the cheaper iPhone 18e, and the next-gen iPhone Air, are rumored to come back subsequent yr, probably in March 2027.

iPhone 18 and iPhone 18 Pro design

Again, Apple has not launched any official teasers or different imagery for the iPhone 18 lineup but, so something reported thus far could possibly be flawed. Still, from the sum whole of all studies, it feels like Apple is not actually reinventing the wheel, design-wise. But Ternus, a {hardware} man, is reportedly bringing the corporate’s industrial design group into the middle of the Apple fold.

Looking additional into the longer term, the iPhone 20 is said to bring big changes, together with a curved waterfall show.

Per our mates at CNET (Mashable and CNET are each owned by Ziff Davis), the show sizes might be roughly the identical as final yr:

(*18*)

Mashable Light Speed

In August, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman shared on X that widespread telephone case maker Otterbox is already promoting iPhone 18 Pro instances, regardless that the telephone hasn’t been introduced but. This is noteworthy as a result of the case’s packaging signifies that each the 17 Pro and 18 Pro slot in the identical case, suggesting the 2 telephones are about the identical dimension, as CNET urged.

However, the show high quality is likely to be just a little totally different this yr. Prominent leaker Instant Digital shared on Chinese social media that Apple’s brightness calls for are unusually excessive this yr, so it will be affordable to anticipate a lot brighter shows than in earlier years.

Some iPhone 18 fashions may even have a smaller digicam bump in comparison with earlier fashions. There are studies of a slightly redesigned Dynamic Island on the display itself, with the pill-shaped notification hub probably being made smaller within the iPhone 18 Pro fashions. One alleged leaked picture purports to point out an iPhone 18 Pro with a downsized Dynamic Island cutout.

iPhone 18: rumored {hardware} options

So we all know the software program the iPhone 18 will run: iOS 27, introduced at WWDC 2026. Time to begin speaking about a number of the inside {hardware} modifications Apple is reportedly making to the iPhone 18 lineup.

For starters, it sounds just like the lineup may have a standardized 12GB RAM rely throughout the board. In earlier years, the Pro fashions had 12GB of RAM, whereas the bottom mannequin had solely 8GB. According to Korean outlet The Bell, Apple might be upgrading the bottom mannequin to the Pro fashions in that regard. It’s additionally extensively anticipated that Apple will undertake new A20 and A20 Pro chips for the bottom and Pro fashions, respectively.

It’s additionally anticipated that the brand new iPhones may have a brand new C2 modem for improved mobile connectivity, and they may also have 5G satellite support. Also reported: a brand new N2 chip for higher WiFi efficiency.

As for the battery, leaker Digital Chat Station on Weibo reported that the batteries will lastly be upgraded to five,000mAh, which might be an enormous enchancment over the iPhone 17 Pro. This yr, 5,000mAh has turn out to be the brand new customary for flagship telephones, together with in Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.

Instant Digital posted in a separate Weibo leak that the again glass of the iPhone 18 Pro has been altered, leading to a brand new unified look, versus the two-tone look of the iPhone 17 Pro. Whether that change will have an effect on sturdiness (or if it is simply an aesthetic distinction) stays to be seen. Other potential upgrades embrace an improved LTPO+ show, Apple’s new C2 modem, 5G by way of satellite tv for pc connectivity, and the improved N2 chip, which ought to enhance hotspot and AirDrop reliability.

The most colourful iPhone 18 Pro rumors

Courtesy of leakers, we may already know the iPhone 18 Pro colors. If that is the case, the must-see equal of the iPhone 17’s unforgettable “cosmic orange” shade is claimed to be a wine-like “dark cherry,” which we would anticipate to promote like sizzling… cherry pies?

Based on quite a few leaks, the most definitely colour lineup for the iPhone 18 Pro might be silver, darkish grey, mild blue, and the aforementioned “dark cherry.”

Sadly, we predict fans of black iPhones are out of luck, although the rumored darkish grey colour appears to be like black in supposed dummy items shared by leakers like Sonny Dickson.

What in regards to the iPhone 18 Pro Max?

Several studies out of China say that as a result of the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a much larger battery, it might be a little bit of a chunky boy.

We’re not speaking about an enormous improve in weight and width: 1 / 4 of a millimeter in thickness and 7 grams extra, respectively. Still, each gram counts on the heftiest iPhone mannequin you may get — so iPhone 17 Pro Max upgraders might wish to verify that their pocket linings can bear the majority of a bigger iPhone 18 Pro Max.

iphone 17 and 17 pro max side by side

The iPhone 17 Pro has helped Apple break gross sales data in 2026.
Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

iPhone 18 digicam rumors

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, a supply of many spot-on iPhone studies, says the iPhone 18 Pro, specifically, may have “some of the biggest camera hardware upgrades in the lineup’s history.”

Why? First, the telephoto digicam has a bigger aperture. But extra necessary is the variable aperture.

First reported by Digital Chat Station on Weibo, variable aperture is a large deal. It would let the iPhone 18 Pro digicam seize various quantities of sunshine in several conditions — probably resulting in an enormous leap in photograph high quality if you realize what you are doing.

For occasion, the bokeh impact famously related to portrait mode on iPhones can be potential in-camera moderately than via software program processing, leading to extra pure and usually better-looking pictures.

While all of that sounds nice, leaker Ice Universe poured some water on the hearth by claiming that variable aperture can be unique to the iPhone 18 Pro Max. This is the primary indication, so far as we will inform, that the common Pro will not have a variable aperture. That would definitely be disappointing to individuals who need the characteristic however do not need a gigantic telephone, however maybe the Pro Max’s dimension provides it a bonus when it comes to together with the expertise.

Also, maybe Ice Universe is flawed. We’ll discover out quickly.

What about Siri AI?

Of course, one of many first issues many customers will wish to know in regards to the iPhone 18 once they get their palms on one: what’s the new, revamped, AI-upgraded Siri expertise like?

If you feel adventurous, you possibly can strive it your self by putting in the iOS 27 beta.

The new options embrace Siri turning into an precise chatbot with its personal app. It also can perceive what’s in your display and show you how to write, create pictures, and edit photographs.

For an outline, check out our guides to iOS 27 and Siri AI’s top features.

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