Cupertino, California, April 13, 2026, 04:09 PDT
Apple hasn’t nailed down if the iPhone 18 Pro will shrink its Dynamic Island, according to recent chatter. Another leak, meanwhile, hints at a deep red colorway for the top-tier model due later this year. The upshot: tweaks to both the front design and color seem to be in the works, but there’s no sign of a total design overhaul yet.
Timing is key here. Apple is set to push its high-end phones even further in 2026—Reuters flagged in January that supply issues and pricier memory have the company eyeing its premium iPhones and debut foldable device. The momentum is there. Tim Cook told Reuters demand for the current generation has been “staggering.” And on Friday, Reuters said Apple took the top spot in global smartphone shipments for the first quarter. Reuters
The front of the phone remains the big unknown. Apple’s Dynamic Island—that’s the pill-shaped notch for alerts, live activities, and Face ID—might stick with its familiar look, or it could shrink if Apple is able to tuck some Face ID sensors under the screen. Both Forbes and 9to5Mac have relayed the same supply chain tip: Apple is reportedly running A/B tests, considering two different designs. Earlier, 9to5Mac had mentioned a cutout about 35% smaller than what’s on the iPhone 17 Pro.
That’s a less aggressive stance than what earlier coverage suggested. Back in December, MacRumors, referencing The Information, reported the iPhone 18 Pro would debut under-screen Face ID and ditch the pill-shaped cutout for good. Now, though, MacRumors and 9to5Mac are signaling Apple hasn’t locked in its final design call just yet, with decisions reportedly still up in the air as September’s launch window approaches.
Latest leaks suggest the back of the device won’t see much change. 9to5Mac reports the familiar rectangular camera bump is sticking around, with just subtle shifts in design and materials. On Sunday, Geeky Gadgets, referencing MacRumors, pointed to the Pro models picking up a variable-aperture 48-megapixel main camera — letting in more or less light as needed — and an A20 Pro chip built on TSMC’s 2-nanometer process.
Color could be the next twist. On Monday, MacRumors flagged a post from Digital Chat Station on Weibo, suggesting Apple is likely testing a deep red option. That lines up with Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who back in February reported Apple had that same color under consideration for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. MacRumors also noted that several Android competitors are working on similar hues, but whether they’re following a trend or simply copying isn’t clear.
That would drop into a market hypersensitive to even minor design tweaks. Apple’s worldwide smartphone shipments rose 5% in the first quarter, Reuters reported, enough to snag a 21% slice—just edging out Samsung’s 20%. Xiaomi followed at 13%. For the industry as a whole, shipments slid 6%. Counterpoint’s Shilpi Jain pinned the blame “primarily” on memory suppliers choosing AI data centers over consumer electronics. Reuters
But the risks aren’t hard to spot. Reuters noted last week that Nikkei Asia had pointed to engineering issues with Apple’s first foldable iPhone, possibly pushing back its shipment timeline—even as Bloomberg maintained the device should still debut in September with the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. Should that launch get pushed and the Pro lineup end up resembling last year’s too closely, Apple’s push for higher-priced models could lose steam.
Analysts aren’t taking their eyes off this. Gil Luria at D.A. Davidson warns Apple will need “a compelling new iPhone offering” this year to avoid sagging iPhone sales. Amit Daryanani from Evercore ISI, after his industry checks, says a foldable delay “would be surprising.” Right now, leaks on the iPhone 18 Pro suggest Apple is sticking with the playbook: minor hardware updates, a new headline color, and uncertainty lingering over how far the company wants to push design. MarketWatch
