Singapore, 21 December 2025 — The iPhone 18 isn’t official (Apple hasn’t announced anything yet), but a steady stream of reporting is starting to sketch a clearer picture of what the next major iPhone cycle could look like. The biggest theme so far: Apple may change how and when it launches new iPhones, with premium models arriving first and the standard models following months later.
A different iPhone calendar: Pro first, standard later
Multiple outlets citing Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman say Apple is considering a staggered release strategy starting in 2026. In that model, high-end devices (iPhone 18 Pro / Pro Max, plus a foldable iPhone) would arrive in the traditional fall window, while the standard iPhone 18 and a lower-cost “iPhone 18e” could land in spring 2027.
If this plays out, it would be one of the most noticeable shifts in Apple’s iPhone rhythm in years, less of a single September “all-at-once” moment, and more of a two-wave cadence designed to spread engineering, marketing, and supply chain load across the year.
iPhone 18 Pro design rumor: under-display Face ID (and a smaller cutout)
On the hardware side, the most repeated iPhone 18 Pro claim right now is a move toward a cleaner front design. A report from The Information (summarized by MacRumors) says the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max could use under-screen Face ID, with the front camera moved to a small cutout near the top-left potentially removing the current pill-shaped Dynamic Island area on Pro models.
Cameras: a practical upgrade, not just more megapixels
Another detail that keeps resurfacing in reporting: Apple may introduce a mechanical/variable aperture feature for at least one camera on the iPhone 18 Pro line, aimed at improving light handling in different scenes (for example, balancing bright daylight and low-light shots more naturally).
The chip story: a 2nm-class leap is being discussed
The iPhone 18 cycle is also where reports increasingly point to a more significant silicon jump. Industry-focused reports link Apple’s next-generation A-series chip (often called “A20”) to TSMC’s 2nm process; if Apple adopts it, Apple will likely prioritise efficiency—better battery life and cooler thermals—alongside performance.
Separately, TrendForce has reported Apple may introduce advanced packaging approaches for the A20 series to improve thermal efficiency, again, consistent with the broader “efficiency-first” theme as phones do more on-device AI work.
Even in a rumor cycle, Apple’s strategy not just specs will shape the next iPhone era: Apple will decide how quickly it can ship new features at scale, how it paces the lineup across the year, and how it introduces design changes without disrupting the user experience. Whether the iPhone 18 ends up being a dramatic leap or a carefully staged evolution, what matters most is how well these changes translate into everyday benefits, battery life, camera consistency, reliability, and longevity, rather than headline features alone.