iPhone 18 Pro to feature A20 Pro chip, camera upgrades; Samsung reportedly working on wider foldable

Based on rumors and leaks, 9to5Mac reports that the iPhone 18 Pro will feature a smaller Dynamic Island, a unified back design and new color options. The Dynamic Island is expected to shrink as Face ID components move under the display, which would enable the smallest display cutout in years. The two-tone rear design of the iPhone 17 Pro has proven polarizing, so Apple plans to blend the colors of the aluminum and glass areas for a more unified look. A Dark Cherry or Burgundy shade is expected to replace the Cosmic Orange as the flagship color option.

The A20 Pro chip will be Apple's first built with a 2nm process and use Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module packaging, promising greater improvements over this year's A19 Pro. According to Weibo leaker Fixed Focus Digital, citing supply chain sources, the A20 Pro will offer 18% faster performance and 30% better power efficiency compared to the A19 Pro. These gains are expected to lead to better battery life while maintaining strong performance. Combined with iOS 27's speed improvements, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra are shaping up to be significant upgrades, but the finer details will be shared by Apple next month.

For cameras, the iPhone 18 Pro is expected to feature a variable aperture main camera that gives users greater control over depth-of-field. As described by 9to5Mac, users can choose a shallow depth-of-field to isolate subjects, a medium depth for some isolation while keeping the background recognizable, or a deep depth to keep everything in focus. Apple is also rumored to be introducing a wider aperture telephoto camera and more Pro-focused camera app features.

Battery life is expected to improve further. The iPhone 18 Pro Max is rumored to have about 10% larger battery than its predecessor. Additional gains are likely from the A20 Pro's 2nm process and the switch from Qualcomm's 5G modem to Apple's in-house C2 modem.

Camera Control is also set for an update. According to 9to5Mac, Apple is reportedly simplifying the touch-sensitive button, removing the touch-sensitive components to offer a more user-friendly experience, after many users found the current implementation overly complicated.

The C2 modem, expected in the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, builds on Apple's in-house modem development. The C1 debuted in the iPhone 16e, then C1X arrived in iPhone Air, and the C2 is expected to offer further efficiency and battery improvements over Qualcomm's options.

Separately, Samsung may be capitalizing on the success of its Galaxy Z Fold 8 by developing an even wider foldable device. Engadget, citing South Korean outlet ETNews, reports that Samsung is looking to create a screen aspect ratio optimized for video viewing. The current Z Fold 8's 4:3 aspect ratio forces letterboxing around most video content, a common criticism in otherwise stellar reviews. The new device, potentially launching in 2027, may feature a wider aspect ratio such as 16:9 or 16:10, though these details are speculative. ETNews also suggests Samsung is developing five foldable devices for 2027, including follow-ups to the Z Fold 8, Z Fold 8 Ultra, Z Flip 8, and a refreshed Galaxy Z TriFold.