iPhone 18 release date expectations, price estimates, and upgrades

There are not a lot of rumors talking about the base iPhone 18 camera at the moment. The Pro-branded models may get a variable aperture, but so far, rumors are silent on the base iPhone. This year, the iPhone 17 got an upgraded Center Stage selfie camera and a new 48 MP ultra-wide camera. 

These upgrades are pretty substantial, so it's safe to assume that for the iPhone 18, Apple is likely to keep the same setup. 

The iPhone 17 fared really well in our tests for our review. The camera is dependable and reliable, producing great dynamics in well-lit scenes and decent low-light images. As for video, the iPhone 17 maxes out at 4K@60fps, which is not the 120fps of the Pro-branded model, but still great. 

There are no leaks regarding the iPhone 18 design at the moment, apart from the potentially tweaked Camera Control button. Earlier this year, rumors said that Apple may get rid of the Camera Control button it introduced with the iPhone 16. However, newer leaks indicate that instead of getting rid of it, Apple may just change it a bit. 

Tipster Instant Digital claims that Apple may remove the capacitive sensor from the button and instead use pressure sensing to simplify the button and still achieve all button functions. 

The new approach the Cupertino tech giant may use would be similar to that on devices like the Oppo Find X8 Ultra, where pressure sensors recognize light taps, firm presses, and sliding gestures. 

Meanwhile, the Dynamic Island may also undergo some changes, according to rumors. Reportedly, there may be a smaller pill for the iPhone 18's Dynamic Island. Earlier rumors said an under-display Face ID may be in the cards for the iPhone 18, but if true, I'd reckon this would debut first with the Pro-branded models, so I expect just a smaller pill for the iPhone 18. 

Apart from that, at the moment, we expect the iPhone 18 design to remain similar to the iPhone 17. Thus, we expect the same glass sandwich approach, the same recognizable look, and some cool colors to choose from, although these have not leaked just yet.

The iPhone 18 display may remain the same as the iPhone 17, which is a 6.3-inch display. It's grown from the iPhone 16's 6.1-inch display thanks to smaller bezels. It's possible that Apple may shrink the bezels even more with the iPhone 18. 

One huge upgrade to the iPhone 17 display is finally the ProMotion 120Hz display refresh rate. Until the iPhone 17 family, this feature was reserved for the Pro-branded iPhones, and with the 17, it came to the base model as well. The iPhone 18 is also expected to come with a ProMotion screen, which allows for smooth animations and always-on capabilities. 

The iPhone 17's battery capacity is 3,692 mAh, and in terms of performance, it does overall the same job as the iPhone 16. So far, rumors and leaks are silent on potential upgrades for the iPhone 18 battery, but we've got plenty of time until it's announced to hear something new may be in the works. 

iPhones are usually quite good at optimizing performance and battery life, and Apple's new Apple Intelligence-powered battery features help you conserve even more battery life. We expect those to be present on the iPhone 18, and even improved potentially. 

We also have the 2nm A20 chip that's potentially going to power the iPhone 18, which will be an efficient chip. This could also help prolong battery life on the iPhone. 

In our battery life tests, the iPhone 17 performed similarly to the iPhone 16, scoring 16 hours and 47 minutes of continuous browsing, 7 hours and 19 minutes of video streaming, and 7 hours and 40 minutes of gaming. 

Obviously, that's far from some of its competitors like the Galaxy S25, but it's still dependable and can last through the day with regular usage. 

So, the iPhone 18 may rock at least the same battery life if Apple doesn't improve here. And it's too early to tell for certain that it won't.

The iPhone 17 brought an upgrade in charging speeds and can now charge at up to 40W with a compatible charger, which is double the charging speed of the iPhone 16. 

Rumors are yet to tell us if Apple is planning another upgrade with the iPhone 18 here, but it's more likely things will stay similar for at least one more generation. 

Of course, the iPhone 18 will likely support MagSafe and Qi2 charging. Maybe we'll see an upgrade in the wireless charging speed (maxes out at 25W on the iPhone 17), but it's a bit early to tell for certain. We do hope for improvements on that front, though, as some Chinese brands now offer 100W charging and huge batteries thanks to SiC batteries. 

As for RAM, the iPhone 17 keeps the 8GB of RAM, while all the other models in the iPhone 17 series jump to 12 GB. Potentially, Apple may upgrade the iPhone 18's RAM to 12 GB in 2027 (or 2026, depending on when it releases the base iPhone 18).