X iPhone 18 Rumors for 2026

There’s a new iPhone on the way! Apple are gearing up to launch the iPhone 18, the latest addition to their groundbreaking and we can’t wait. The iPhone has been a flagship product for Apple since 2007, and it's set to be one of the major industry landmarks of the year. 

Folding Phones, Moving Cameras, and Much More!

Here at Ghostek, we’re shameless phone nerds and proud of it. We’ve been combing the internet for even the vaguest crumb of a rumor about the iPhone 18, and figured we’d collate seven of our favorites into one article. 

In our quest for the latest gossip, we’ve found reports about folding iPhones, variable apertures, better facial recognition, upgraded chips, a repositioned camera, and even a new color. Here’s what piqued our interest: 

1.The First Foldable iPhone

Are folding phones making a comeback? They’ve been a niche corner of the market for years now, but we might see a full-blown return in 2026. Unsubstantiated whispers that Apple are set to release a folding phone have been circulating online, and while the company hasn’t confirmed anything, they haven’t ruled it out either. 

Also known as ‘flip phones,’ this retro style has never completely vanished. However, if Apple commit to the idea, we could see them everywhere by next Christmas. It’ll be like the late nineties all over again.

2.A Corner Camera

According to a report published on The Information, the camera is moving. It’s being repositioned in the top left-hand corner of the phone, rather than being situated in the center. Consequently, the iPhone 18’s front-facing camera will be more discreet, and it’ll have a sleeker, more streamlined design. 

3.Variable Aperture

The camera isn’t just moving; it’s also rumored that it’ll have a variable aperture. This was first brought to our attention in 2024, when analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported on it. Granted, this rumor is over a year old, but if Apple is pushing ahead with this upgrade, it’ll add a new level of flexibility to taking photos. A variable aperture will allow the user to control how much light passes through the lens, and subtly alter the image before it's even taken. 

4.A New And Improved Chip

It’s widely reported that the iPhone 18 will feature the sophisticated A20 Pro chip. The previous iPhone used the A19 chip, and it was pretty decent, but the A20 has one key advantage: the RAM is integrated into the chip itself. The A19 was connected to the RAM via a silicone interposer, but thanks to this upgrade, you can expect:

• Faster performance

• Longer battery life

• Improved thermal management

• Extra space

We first heard about this in the summer, when Apple analyst Jeff Pu mentioned it in a note with an equity research firm called GF Securities. This unassuming chip is a big leap forward and gives the iPhone a host of advantages, all thanks to a piece of technology no bigger than your fingernail. 

5.Under Display Face ID

This one is pretty cool; the new iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are rumored to include under-display face ID. This involves the phone projecting and reading thousands of infrared dots to scan the user’s features, making facial recognition more accurate and reliable. 

The upshot of this is that it effectively eliminates the need for the dynamic island cutout that took pride of place on the iPhone 17 models. 

We’ve got mixed feelings about this, as the distinctive pill-shaped island gave the iPhone 17 a certain character. But on the other hand, it’s very cool and will make facial recognition simpler. 

Now comes the caveat; this is a complex technology, and the company hasn’t explicitly confirmed that it’ll be included in the iPhone 18 range. If it proves to be too much of a challenge, they may save it for future models rather than postpone the release. But if they can iron out any difficulties and successfully incorporate it, it’ll be a major achievement.

6.A New Color

One of the less grandiose iPhone 18 rumors revolves around a new color option. Apple is allegedly considering these variants of its Pro and Pro Max models:  

• Brown

• Purple

• Burgundy

While this certainly isn’t one of the standout features, it is nice to have an extra choice of finish. Notably, Apple have never had a red finish for Pro and Pro Max iPhones, and there hasn’t been a single brown iPhone in company history. We’ve got a fondness for the Cosmic Orange and Deep Blue iPhone 17s, and are keeping our fingers crossed that they’ll make a return too. 

7.The Heaviest Apple iPhone Yet?

According to a report on the Chinese website Weibo, the iPhone 18 is going to be bigger and chunkier than its predecessors. This was first mentioned by an account named Instant Digital, which has an impressive, albeit not faultless, track record for leaking accurate Apple news. 

Don’t reach for the dumbbells in preparation just yet though, the rumor puts it around 243 grams in weight. This is 3 grams heavier than the previous record holder (the iPhone 14 Pro Max), but still a far cry from the massive mobile phones that our older readers will remember. Back in the late nineties, there were phones so big that you could attach chains to them and use them as boat anchors. 

The exact cause of the weight gain wasn’t mentioned, but if we had to put money on it, we suspect it’ll be because of a larger battery. Selling a heavier phone in a world where the iPhone Air exists might seem counterintuitive, but that device didn’t catch on as much as Apple would have hoped, and a little extra weight in the pocket is unlikely to turn customers away. 

The iPhone 18 Rumor Roundup 

The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still some way off, but the expected release date is September 2026. As you can probably tell, we’re very much looking forward to it and can’t wait to get our hands on the next iPhone models.

It’s not clear which of these rumors will actually happen and which are just, well, rumors. If all the online chatter about book-style foldable iPhones, under-screen face ID, updated camera technology, and various other features is accurate, the next version of the Apple iPhone will be terrific. Roll on September, and be sure to follow Ghostek for all the latest Apple news.