iPhone 18 Pro May Be Last of Current Design Before 20th-Anniversary Shift, 9to5Mac Says

The report said that if rumors about next year's model are true, the iPhone 18 Pro could be the last iteration of the form factor that began with the iPhone X in 2017. Apple is expected to take its next major step toward a 'single slab of glass' vision, ending an era of evolutionary change that has lasted about a decade.

From the iPhone 12 Pro to the iPhone 16 Pro, many people would struggle to tell the models apart visually except for the switch from the notch to the Dynamic Island in 2022, according to the report. The iPhone 17 Pro is still an exception because of its extended camera island and Cosmic Orange option. Each model had new features, but the report said that unless a specific feature matters personally, users generally need to jump at least two or three generations before an upgrade amounts to a significantly better experience. Premium smartphones are a mature technology in the conventional form factor, and annual improvements are limited, the report said. Apple is experimenting with different form factors, starting with the iPhone Air and now the iPhone Duo, and another major design leap is expected next year with the 20th-anniversary model.

How Apple will position next year's design remains unclear, according to the report. It was initially suggested that it would be a standalone model distinct from the iPhone 19 Pro, while other reports suggest it will be next year's Pro model. Apple may also use sequential numbering or skip a number, which could make it the iPhone 20 Pro. The author suspected it will be the new iPhone Pro design, whether Apple calls it the iPhone 19 or iPhone 20. If that is correct, the iPhone 18 Pro will be the final iteration of a form factor that has lasted for half a dozen years.

The report listed features carried forward from the iPhone 17 Pro, including the Center Stage front camera for photos and video calls, ultra-stabilised video, dual capture, a telephoto lens upgraded from 5x to 8x, a telephoto sensor upgraded from 12 MP to 48 MP, ProRes RAW video, better battery life and faster charging.

New features expected on the iPhone 18 Pro include a wider maximum aperture on the main camera lens, a variable aperture main camera lens, pro camera controls for aperture, shutter speed, white balance and histogram, Photographic Styles v3, smart focus tracking, cinematic mode effects from standard video, tap to zoom and rotate on the front camera, a smaller Dynamic Island that enables three live activities, better battery life and faster charging.

In early usage, the article's author said he would focus on the variable aperture lens, pro camera controls, Photographic Styles v3 and smart focus tracking. He said the variable aperture lens is the headline feature but that expectations should be moderate. The maximum aperture is only marginally wider on such a small sensor, so he does not expect much difference in shallow depth of field. It lets in about two-thirds of a stop more light, which should translate to shorter Night Mode exposures, a feature he uses often and often while holding the phone by hand.

The author said the ability to control shutter speed will have uses for panning shots, and full control of white balance will also be useful. He expected the histogram to be helpful when manually setting exposure. The author added that he is generally not a filters user when taking or editing photos on the iPhone, preferring conventional adjustments afterward. For that reason, he rarely used the existing Photographic Styles feature and does not expect to make much use of the latest version, though he said the film setting intrigued him and he would experiment with it.

On smart focus tracking, the article said one of the biggest weaknesses with autofocus in video occurs when the subject briefly passes behind something else and the camera switches focus to the obstruction. Smart Focus Tracking claims to solve this problem, and the author said he would certainly test it.