A new hands-on video featuring dummy units of the iPhone 18 Pro Max may have just given us the clearest look yet at Apple’s next flagship.
While it doesn’t reinvent the design, a few key changes stand out, with the biggest visual tweak being up front. Apple appears to be shrinking the Dynamic Island by around 25%, reducing its width from roughly 20mm to just under 15mm. It’s still very much the same cutout housing Face ID and camera hardware, just less intrusive. Arguably, it is the most noticeable front-facing change since the iPhone 14 Pro introduced it.
Around the back, things get a bit more “Pro.” The camera array looks thicker, with lenses that protrude slightly further and grow marginally in diameter. That extra space could be doing more than just changing the look, too.
The leak points to a possible variable aperture system for the main 48MP sensor. This is something that would give Apple more control over depth and light. It would also bring it closer to dedicated camera territory.
The phone itself is also said to be slightly thicker, which could hint at a larger battery, though nothing is confirmed on that front. Dimensions appear to increase just a touch overall, but not dramatically. There’s even a chance existing cases could still fit, depending on how accurate these dummy units turn out to be.
It’s also worth noting that the same source reportedly produced early iPhone 17 dummy models that ended up closely matching the final hardware. This gives this leak a bit more weight than usual, though it’s still far from official.
If this is the direction Apple’s heading, the iPhone 18 Pro Max looks like a refinement year rather than a radical redesign. That said, with a smaller Dynamic Island and more advanced camera hardware potentially on the way, it could still be one of the more meaningful “Pro” updates in recent cycles.
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 lineup this fall, possibly alongside a foldable “Ultra” model. If rumours hold, it might end up stealing some of the spotlight.
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