iPhone 18 Pro is still a few months away from launching, but out of the rumored new features so far, there are three upgrades that are especially worth watching.
A20 Pro Chip
Most years, the iPhone’s new chip isn’t especially high on the list of features that excite me. But with iPhone 18 Pro, things are different.
The rumored A20 Pro chip coming this year is expected to be a bigger-than-usual upgrade. That’s thanks to a new 2nm fabrication process and WMCM packaging.
It’s not just the potential for big performance and efficiency gains that stands out, though. iOS 27’s Apple Intelligence features should also benefit significantly from the new chip.
Siri AI and the many other new AI features are cutting-edge enough that certain aspects of them require the current-best iPhone chip: A19 Pro. With such demanding software, the A20 Pro should make a noticeable difference for iOS 27 users.
Camera Upgrades
iPhone 18 Pro could offer “some of the biggest camera hardware upgrades in the lineup’s history,” per Mark Gurman.
New features are rumored for two of the most-used cameras:
- Main camera is getting variable aperture
- Telephoto camera has a larger aperture
The improved Main camera is reportedly also the reason iPhone 18 Pro’s chassis will be noticeably thicker — potentially 2mm or more — due primarily to an “enlarged main camera module.”
Though all the details aren’t confirmed yet, it sounds like the Main camera will improve in bigger ways than just variable aperture, and the Telephoto upgrades should make it perform better in low light. The camera remains one of iPhone’s most important features, and the 18 Pro looks set to push it forward meaningfully.
C2 Modem
Apple began transitioning away from Qualcomm 5G modems with the iPhone 16e last year. iPhone Air and iPhone 17e continued the trend.
iPhone 17 Pro still uses Qualcomm modems, but rumors indicate Apple’s next-generation C2 modem will debut in the iPhone 18 Pro.
C2 is an especially interesting new feature for several reasons.
First, it’s expected to be the modem that Apple uses to fully phase out Qualcomm — meaning it should match or perhaps exceed the capabilities of the current best modems.
Second, 5G satellite support is rumored to be part of C2, likely powering several new satellite-related features.
Finally, Apple has already shown that its in-house modems bring exclusive benefits, including battery gains and new privacy features. Whether C2 expands that list further will be one of the more interesting parts of the iPhone 18 Pro launch story this fall.
