iPhone 18 Pro is coming this fall, and three new features could be among the top upgrade motivators for Apple’s latest flagship model.
#1: New camera improvements
Mark Gurman recently said that iPhone 18 Pro will include “some of the biggest camera hardware upgrades in the lineup’s history.”
Rumors so far point to at least a few specific features:
- Variable aperture Main camera
- Telephoto camera with wider aperture
- Redesigned Camera Control button
Variable aperture might be Apple’s biggest upgrade. It’s expected to enable users to adjust depth of field to perfectly suit the kind of shot they’re taking. My colleague Ben explains:
You can have a shallow DoF when you want to isolate the subject from the background, a medium DoF when you want isolation while ensuring the background is still recognizable, or a deep DoF when you want everything in shot to be in focus.
A wider aperture for the Telephoto camera will enable better low-light performance with the iPhone’s 4x and 8x zoom options. And Apple’s redesign of Camera Control could prove that less is more.
#2: Best battery life ever
iPhone 17 Pro came with impressive battery gains, but rumors indicate Apple will extend battery life even further on iPhone 18 Pro.
Battery improvements are expected thanks to three changes:
- A physically larger battery
- A20 Pro chip offering efficiency gains
- C2 modem also being more power efficient
A leak earlier this year showed a modestly larger battery coming to iPhone 18 Pro Max. But battery life should also benefit from the A20 Pro chip’s 2nm process, and the switch from a Qualcomm 5G modem to an Apple-designed C2 modem.
All of this will add up to iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max offering the best battery life ever on iPhone.
#3: Design updates, including new flagship color
History has shown that when an iPhone looks noticeably different from year to year, sales benefit. And while iPhone 18 Pro will likely feature mostly the same look as its predecessor, there are three notable design updates coming.
Apple is expected to follow up iPhone 17 Pro’s popular Cosmic Orange finish with a unique new flagship color. Leakers have said it’s a mix of burgundy, coffee, and deep purple; others have called it deep red or dark cherry.
There may also be a space gray/black color this year, which could be a hit among those who were unhappy with iPhone 17 Pro’s omission of any such option.
iPhone 18 Pro will also differ from last year’s model by making the back glass more color-aligned with the aluminum. That way, the two finishes blend more seamlessly instead of having a two-tone look.
Finally, iPhone 18 Pro’s Dynamic Island is expected to shrink by about 35%. This will give the new iPhone more useable screen real estate than prior models.
What new iPhone 18 Pro features might motivate an upgrade for you this year? Let us know in the comments.
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