Apple prepares iPhone 18 Pro with Face ID under the screen and 2 nanometer chip
Apple’s development schedule for the next few years points to a profound transformation in its main line of mobile devices. Recent information leaked from the Asian supply chain indicates that the iPhone 18 Pro generation, scheduled for launch in the second half of 2026, will bring the brand’s biggest aesthetic and functional overhaul since the introduction of the model
This structural change will be possible thanks to the maturation of invisible sensor technology, an engineering challenge that the smartphone industry has been trying to overcome for almost a decade. The Cupertino company intends to embed Face ID components directly under the OLED display, eliminating the need for large holes in the glass. Historically, the manufacturer has gradually reduced this area, moving from the old wide notch to the current Dynamic Island, but the ultimate goal has always been to achieve a completely clean viewing surface.
| Аспект | айфон 17 про | iPhone 18 Pro (слухи) |
|---|---|---|
| Процессор | А19 Про (3 нм) | А20 Про (2 нм) |
| БАРАН | 8 ГБ | До 12 ГБ |
| Идентификатор лица | Dynamics | Частично под экраном |
| Основная camera | Зафиксированный | Переменная диафрагма |
| Запуск | Единый сентябрь | After 2026 God, after 2027 God |
With the hiding of infrared emitters and depth cameras, the operating system interface will also undergo adaptations. The interactive area that currently houses notifications and background activities will be drastically reduced, offering a much more immersive media consumption experience. The engineering challenge now is to ensure that the layer of pixels on top of the biometric sensor does not interfere with the accuracy of facial recognition, something that has required years of research into new conductive and transparent materials.
Advances in display technology and energy efficiency
The physical dimensions of the 2026 premium devices should maintain the standard that will be established in the immediately preceding generations, offering options of 6.3 inches for the Pro version and 6.9 inches for the Pro Max variant. Both displays will continue to use ProMotion technology, capable of updating images at up to 120 frames per second to ensure fluidity in animations and heavy games. However, the big difference will be in the evolution of the low-temperature polycrystalline oxide panel, known in the market by the acronym LTPO.
More on this story: Smartphone launches at the end of 2026 rely on flexible screens and advanced chips
Это новые функции, которые появятся в iPhone 18 Pro и iPhone 18 Pro Max 🔥
Источник:@frontpagetech pic.twitter.com/SEWJ2TCupb
— Apple Hub (@theapplehub)17 января 2026 г.
The new generation of this screen will allow an even more aggressive drop in refresh rate when the device is displaying static content, such as a photograph or long text. This ability to reduce display operation to minimum levels results in substantial battery savings. In a scenario where applications require increasingly more processing power, optimizing the screen’s energy consumption has become the manufacturers’ main strategy to extend the device’s usage time away from the socket.
In addition to energy savings, the new panels promise higher brightness peaks to facilitate reading in direct sunlight, maintaining the color accuracy required by audiovisual professionals. The integration of this advanced screen with the new design without visible cutouts positions the future launch as a milestone in the history of the Californian company’s industrial design.
Performance leap with the A20 Pro processor
The processing core of future elite models will be the A20 Pro chip, a component that represents a milestone in the global semiconductor industry. Manufactured by Taiwanese partner TSMC, this will be one of the first commercial processors to use 2-nanometer lithography. For context, the reduction in manufacturing scale allows billions of additional transistors to be packed into the same physical space, which directly translates into greater computing power and reduced heat dissipation.
Preliminary tests of the architecture suggest a gain in processing speed of around 15% compared to previous generations, accompanied by unprecedented energy efficiency. This extra firepower is specifically designed to handle complex artificial intelligence tasks running locally on the device. By processing data from neural networks without depending on cloud servers, the company guarantees faster responses and protects user privacy, avoiding the traffic of sensitive information over the internet.
To support this massive workload, RAM capacity will also receive a significant increase, jumping to 12 GB in the most expensive versions. This free space in volatile memory is crucial for keeping multiple heavy applications open simultaneously and for accelerating the rendering of complex projects in video editing and 3D modeling software, consolidating the cell phone as a true portable workstation.
Photographic and mechanical innovations in the camera suite
The image capture department, traditionally one of the brand’s main selling points, will undergo a profound technical restructuring to attract professional filmmakers and photographers. The main hardware novelty will be the introduction of a variable mechanical aperture, a feature that allows you to physically adjust the amount of light that reaches the sensor.
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Learn more: Forecast points to Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro announcement in August 2026
- Implementation of mechanical aperture for true control of depth of field and exposure.
- Main sensor with increased resolution and new generation optical stabilization system.
- Ultrawide lens optimized to capture more details and reduce noise in dark environments.
- Telephoto camera equipped with a multi-level sensor developed in collaboration with Samsung.
The presence of a variable aperture brings the smartphone closer to the operation of dedicated DSLR cameras. In practice, the user will be able to close the lens diaphragm to obtain sharper images on very sunny days, or open it completely to create a natural and optical background blur in portraits, without relying exclusively on software algorithms. This flexibility reduces the need for excessive digital processing, delivering more authentic results.
The unprecedented partnership with Samsung to supply telephoto lens sensors demonstrates a search for excellence in optical zoom. The multi-level component promises to accelerate the reading speed of image data, eliminating blur in photos of fast-moving objects and ensuring highly stable video recordings, even when the user is using the lens’ maximum magnification.
Historic change in marketing strategy
The company’s logistical and commercial planning is also expected to undergo drastic changes from 2026 onwards. Production chain analysts indicate that the traditional window of simultaneous launches in September will be fragmented. The new strategy foresees that only the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models will hit shelves in the autumn of the northern hemisphere, focusing all the attention of the media and the public on the most expensive and profitable innovations.
The standard versions of the device, as well as possible updates to the SE or Air lines, would have their launches postponed until the first quarter of 2027. This temporal separation creates a prolonged sense of exclusivity for cutting-edge technologies, forcing the most eager consumers to opt for premium models if they want immediate access to the new design and improved artificial intelligence features.
From an operational point of view, spreading launches throughout the year helps the manufacturer to mitigate bottlenecks in the supply chain. Producing 2-nanometer chips and displays with built-in Face ID on a global scale is a complex process and subject to delays. Focusing initial manufacturing capacity only on models with the highest profit margin protects the company’s revenue against possible fluctuations in the production of critical components.
Market expectations and advanced connectivity
The cost of accessing these new technologies will reflect the high investment in research and development. Projections based on the Asian market, specifically India, suggest that the Pro model will start its journey costing around 1.34 lakh, while the Pro Max version could start from 1.49 lakh in the most basic storage configurations. These numbers confirm the maintenance of the brand’s super premium pricing policy.
For the Brazilian consumer, the conversion of these values will strongly depend on the macroeconomic scenario of 2026, including the dollar exchange rate and the current tax structure. Historically, devices arrive in Brazil with the highest nominal values in the world, and the requirement for versions with greater internal storage capacity only increases the final acquisition cost to even more restrictive levels.
On the same topic: Unreleased details reveal Apple’s foldable cell phone and new look in 2027
Rounding out the update package, the devices will feature new wireless connectivity modules, supporting the latest Wi-Fi standards to ensure ultra-fast data transfers and stability in high-resolution live broadcasts. The synergy between the new hardware and future versions of the iOS operating system will continue to be the central pillar of the experience, extracting maximum performance from the A20 Pro chip while intelligently and silently managing power consumption.
