iPhone 18 Pro Leaks Point to Variable Aperture, A20 Pro 2nm Chip, and Four New Colors
By OFOKI TECH | August 11, 2026
Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro is expected to debut in early September, and supply chain leaks have already mapped out most of the hardware changes. While the exterior will look familiar to anyone who owns an iPhone 17 Pro, the internal upgrades are substantial. The A20 Pro chip will move to TSMC’s 2nm process, the main camera is rumored to gain a variable aperture lens, and the Pro models will ship in four new finishes including a Dark Cherry variant. Here is what the leaks say so far.
A20 Pro: Apple’s First 2nm iPhone Chip
The most significant internal change is the move to TSMC’s N2 process. This will be the first time an iPhone SoC is manufactured below 3nm. TSMC’s 2nm wafers are reportedly costing around $30,000 per unit, which is roughly 70% more expensive than the 3nm wafers used for the A18 Pro. The new process introduces a Gate-all-around (GAA) transistor architecture, which should improve both power efficiency and thermal performance. Early thermal simulations cited by supply chain sources suggest the A20 Pro could deliver a 25% performance boost while consuming 30% less power than the A18 Pro, though Apple has not confirmed these figures. RAM is expected to standardize at 12GB across the entire iPhone 18 lineup, up from 8GB on the base iPhone 17.
Variable Aperture Coming to the Main Camera
Weibo leaker Digital Chat Station, whose track record on Apple supply chain leaks is well established, has stated that both the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max will receive a variable aperture on the main wide-angle lens. This would allow the lens to physically adjust how much light reaches the sensor, rather than relying entirely on software processing for depth-of-field effects. The feature is expected to enable control over the depth of field in photos, from shallow isolation of a subject to deep focus where everything is sharp. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has described the iPhone 18 Pro’s camera upgrades as « some of the biggest in the lineup’s history. » Beyond the variable aperture, the telephoto lens is expected to gain a larger aperture for improved low-light performance, while the main sensor remains a 48MP unit.
Four Colors, Including Dark Cherry
Macworld reports that Apple is preparing four finishes for the Pro models, with the following Pantone codes said to be in use internally: Light Blue (Pantone 2121), Dark Cherry (Pantone 6076), Dark Gray (Pantone 426C), and Silver (Pantone 427C). Dark Cherry is described as a « deep wine-like red, » closer to wine than a bright fruit-punch red. Dummy units shared by Sonny Dickson corroborate these colors. The source cautions that since mass production has not yet begun, one of these options could still be dropped before launch. Cosmic Orange, the signature color of the iPhone 17 Pro, is not expected to return.
Display, Battery, and Dimensions
Display sizes are expected to hold steady at 6.3 inches for the Pro and 6.9 inches for the Pro Max, both using LTPO+ OLED panels with 120Hz ProMotion. The Dynamic Island is rumored to be reduced in size by roughly 35%, freeing up display area. On the connectivity side, the iPhone 18 Pro is expected to ship with Apple’s in-house C2 modem and an N2 chip for Wi-Fi. Battery capacity for the Pro Max is rumored to approach 5,000mAh, an increase of roughly 10% over the iPhone 17 Pro Max according to alleged Chinese regulatory filings. That gain comes at a cost: the Pro Max is rumored to be 0.25mm thicker and 7 grams heavier than its predecessor.
What Is Still Uncertain
Several details remain speculative. Under-display Face ID has been discussed for years, but most reports suggest only a partial implementation, if any, for the iPhone 18 generation. Pricing rumors are thin; some analysts suggest a $200 to $300 increase over the iPhone 17 Pro lineup, but no official figures have leaked. Apple has not confirmed any of these details.
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