iPhone 18 Pro Brings 2nm Chip and Face ID Under the Screen

IPhone 18 Pro is rumored to carry a 2nm A20 Pro chip (photo: x @Vogue_Taiwan)

JAKARTA - Apple is rumored to be preparing a number of major changes for the iPhone 18 Pro which is scheduled to launch in September 2026. Although the design of the body is said to not change drastically compared to the iPhone 17 Pro, a number of improvements in the screen, camera, chipset, modem, and price have started to emerge in various reports.

One of the most interesting changes is the possibility of Face ID under the screen. Apple is also said to be preparing a punch-hole front camera, an A20 Pro chip based on 2 nanometer fabrication technology, and a camera system with a variable aperture.

The iPhone 18 Pro is expected to follow Apple's annual launch cycle and be introduced in September 2026.

The latest rumors even mention that Apple has the potential to hold a live launch event on September 9, 2026. However, this schedule has not been officially confirmed by Apple.

Unlike the iPhone 18 Pro, the regular iPhone 18 model is said to be launched in early 2027. A number of reports also mention that the iPhone 18 Pro has entered the test production stage since February 2026.

The design is still similar to the iPhone 17 Pro

In terms of design, the iPhone 18 Pro is expected to not bring radical changes. Apple is said to still maintain the design language of the iPhone 17 Pro.

The possible change is that the back of the device is made more uniform so that the color difference between the glass and the metal frame is smaller.

Apple is also said to be considering a number of color options. The latest rumors point to four colors, namely dark red, light blue, silver, and dark gray.

However, information regarding the color has not been consistent. Previously, there were rumors about brown, purple, burgundy to crimson red.

For the material, a number of reports say Apple will still use an aluminum frame. However, there are also rumors claiming Apple is reconsidering the use of titanium.

Dynamic Island will shrink

The biggest change is likely to be at the front. The iPhone 18 Pro is said to use a smaller Dynamic Island. A number of rumors even say the size can be reduced by about 35 percent on the iPhone 18 Pro Max.

Apple is also rumored to be developing a Face ID technology that is placed under the screen. If true, the change will allow Apple to reduce the visible components on the top of the screen and expand the display area.

This rumor is actually not new. The under-screen Face ID technology has been mentioned several times to be present in the previous generation of iPhones, but continues to experience delays.

Therefore, the information still needs to be treated as a rumor until Apple gives official confirmation.

iPhone 18 Pro camera gets more serious

The camera sector is also one of the parts that is expected to get a big increase. The iPhone 18 Pro is said to bring a variable aperture system to the rear camera. This technology allows the lens aperture to be adjusted to regulate the amount of light that enters the sensor.

A wider aperture can help produce a shallower depth of field effect, while a smaller aperture can make a sharp image area wider. The technology also has the potential to improve night photography capabilities while helping to control exposure when shooting in bright conditions.

A number of reports say the variable aperture component has entered the production stage in April 2026. The 48 MP telephoto camera is also rumored to get a larger aperture.

In addition, there are rumors regarding camera sensors supplied by Sony and Samsung. However, information regarding sensor suppliers has not been completely consistent.

For the front camera, previous rumors mention a 24 MP sensor. However, the resulting photo output is likely to remain in the 18 MP range due to pixel binning technology.

A20 Pro 2nm becomes the new engine of the iPhone 18 Pro

The improvement in performance is one of the most interesting changes. The iPhone 18 Pro is expected to use the A20 Pro chip with 2 nanometer fabrication technology.

The technology is said to make the chip about 15 percent faster than the A19 Pro while improving energy efficiency.

The A20 Pro is also rumored to use a new packaging method called Wafer-level Multi-Chip Module or WMCM. The technology allows multiple dies, such as CPUs and GPUs, to be placed in a single compact chip package.

In addition to increasing the flexibility of chip design, WMCM can also help Apple reduce its dependence on chip binning processes to differentiate performance between products.

Another rumor says the iPhone 18 can use LPDDR5X memory with a six-channel configuration. If true, the increased memory bandwidth can help the device's processing performance.

Apple C2 modem starts to enter iPhone Pro

Apple is also said to be expanding the use of its own-made modems. According to the findings quoted in the report, the iPhone 18 Pro is likely to come with two logic board configurations.

The first version uses a Qualcomm modem and supports mmWave. The other version uses Apple's C2 modem.

The device sold in the United States is said to likely use a Qualcomm modem due to mmWave compatibility requirements. Meanwhile, markets outside the US could potentially get a C2 modem.

If realized, the iPhone 18 Pro will be one of Apple's important steps in reducing its dependence on Qualcomm modems.

Battery only goes up slightly

In the battery sector, the increase is actually not expected to be too large. Rumors say the US version of the iPhone 18 Pro will have a 4,288 mAh battery, compared to 4,252 mAh on the iPhone 17 Pro. This means that the battery capacity only increases by about 0.85 percent.

For the model sold in China, the capacity is said to reach 4,056 mAh, compared to 3,988 mAh on the iPhone 17 Pro. Even though the physical battery capacity only increases slightly, the efficiency of the 2nm chip has the potential to help increase battery life.

iPhone 18 Pro prices could soar

The improvement in technology has the potential to make the price of the iPhone 18 Pro more expensive. A number of reports estimate a price increase of around US$200 to US$300 compared to the iPhone 17 Pro.

If using the assumption of a rate of Rp18,065 per US dollar, the increase is equivalent to around Rp3.61 million to Rp5.42 million.

However, Apple has not announced the official price of the iPhone 18 Pro. Therefore, the figure is still a mere estimate based on supply chain rumors and analysts.

Apple itself has not confirmed the specifications or price of the iPhone 18 Pro. The certainty regarding the device will only be obtained when Apple officially announces it.