iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: What’s changing and what’s staying the same this year?

Apple’s next Pro iPhones are still months away, but leaks around the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are already painting a fairly clear picture. This doesn’t look like a year of dramatic reinvention. Instead, Apple seems to be quietly refining the parts that matter, display, performance, and how AI fits into everyday use. Also Read: Apple’s smarter Siri could arrive in February with Gemini AI boost: ALL details

Here’s everything we know so far about the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.  Also Read: Forgot iPhone 18 Pro! iPhone 17e set to get these biggest changes that keeps me exciting

What will be new? 

A Smaller Dynamic Island: The most visible change could be happening right at the top of the display. Multiple leaks suggest that the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 18 Pro models will shrink noticeably.  Also Read: iPhone 18 Pro leak points to a subtle but noticeable design shift

According to well-known tipsters, the cutout width could be reduced by around 35 percent, making it much slimmer than what we’ve seen since the iPhone 14 Pro. Earlier rumours hinted at the camera shifting to the left, but those reports were later clarified as mistranslations. The island stays centred, just smaller.

This reduction is likely possible because Apple may hide parts of the Face ID system, such as the flood illuminator, under the display. The result? A cleaner front without fully ditching Dynamic Island just yet.

Brighter Displays: Apple is also said to be pushing display brightness to new levels. Reports suggest that suppliers are struggling to meet Apple’s next-gen brightness targets, which hints at a meaningful jump over the current iPhone 17 lineup.

Both the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are expected to retain ProMotion 120Hz panels, with sizes staying familiar, 6.3 inches for the Pro and 6.9 inches for the Pro Max. The focus here seems to be visibility, especially outdoors, rather than size changes.

A20 Pro chip and more RAM: Under the hood, this is where things get interesting. The iPhone 18 Pro series is tipped to run on the A20 Pro chip, reportedly built on TSMC’s 2nm process. Leaks also point to 12GB of RAM, which should help Apple roll out more advanced AI features without leaning too heavily on the cloud. Expect smarter system-level features and gradual improvements to Siri rather than flashy, one-off tricks.

New Colours: There are also rumours about a new “special” Pro colour. Shades like coffee brown, purple, or burgundy are being tested, though it’s unclear which, if any, will make it to final production.

What may remain the same?

Camera Updates: It seems to have rarely any changes. The front camera could get an 18MP sensor, while the rear setup is expected to stick with Apple’s familiar triple-camera layout. This feels like refinement over reinvention.

Display size and Refresh Rate: Apple isn’t changing screen sizes as the iPhone 18 Pro may get a 6.3-inch, and the iPhone 18 Pro Max to feature a 6.9-inch display with 120Hz ProMotion, just like the current Pro models.

Overall design language: No major redesign is expected. Flat edges, premium glass back, and the familiar Pro silhouette should remain unchanged. Even with a smaller Dynamic Island, the phone will still look instantly “Pro iPhone.”