iPhone 18 Pro Rumors Point to 2nm A20 Chip and 10% Bigger Pro Max Battery

Q: Will looming supply chain shortages and a delayed standard model ruin your chances of upgrading your iPhone this September?

Probably not—but if you want a new iPhone in September, your best odds are with a fast preorder, not walking into a store later. Current reporting points to Apple unveiling the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and a foldable iPhone around Sept. 9, with the Pro models likely going on sale around Sept. 18. The bigger risk is not a canceled or ruined launch, but tighter early supply. Multiple reports say Apple is dealing with a DRAM shortage that is slowing packaging of the new A20 Pro chips, leaving some processors waiting for memory before final assembly. Analysts say Apple and its manufacturing partners still expect to meet initial demand, but online delivery times could slip quickly and retail inventory may dry up faster than usual. That pressure may be worse because the standard iPhone 18 is widely rumored to be delayed until spring 2027. If that happens, September buyers would mainly be choosing among the pricier Pro models and the much more expensive foldable, which could push more demand onto the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. So if you planned to upgrade to a Pro model this fall, you likely still can—but you may face shipping delays or limited store stock unless you preorder as soon as orders open, likely Sept. 11 if the Sept. 9 event date holds. If you usually buy the base model, the bigger problem is timing: you may have to wait until 2027 or buy an older iPhone 17 instead.

Q: Why is Apple reportedly abandoning Face ID for its highly anticipated crease-free foldable device?

Apple is reportedly dropping Face ID on its foldable iPhone because the device’s ultra-thin, book-style design leaves too little internal space for Apple’s TrueDepth camera system. Multiple reports, including analyst Ming-Chi Kuo’s, say the main issue is thickness and packaging. The foldable is rumored to be only about 4.5 to 4.8 mm thick when unfolded, even thinner than Apple’s slim iPhone Air. In that form factor, fitting Face ID’s infrared camera, dot projector and related sensors becomes much harder. The foldable design also creates a second problem: Apple would likely need Face ID hardware arranged to work across two different displays or usage modes, the outer screen and the larger inner screen. That would consume more space and add complexity in a device already constrained by the hinge, dual batteries and crease-reduction engineering. Touch ID in the power button is seen as the practical alternative. It uses far less room, avoids duplicating Face ID components, and helps Apple preserve other priorities for the device, including a thinner chassis, a more durable hinge and a nearly crease-free inner display. So the reported switch is not because Apple views Touch ID as better than Face ID overall. It appears to be a design compromise driven by the physical limits of a very thin foldable phone and Apple’s effort to make that first-generation device as sleek as possible.

3 articles · Updated · 9to5Mac · Aug 13

Six rumored upgrades for Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro line center on a 2nm A20 Pro chip, camera changes and longer battery life ahead of an expected September launch.
The A20 Pro is tipped to be Apple’s first 2nm iPhone chip and to use WMCM packaging, a combination expected to lift performance, efficiency and AI processing more than usual.
Design changes reportedly include a smaller Dynamic Island from under-display Face ID parts, a more unified rear finish and a new Dark Cherry or Burgundy flagship color.
Camera upgrades are said to include a variable-aperture main lens, a wider-aperture Telephoto and simplified Camera Control 2.0 after complaints that the current touch gestures are finicky.
Battery gains may come from a Pro Max cell about 10% larger and Apple’s in-house C2 modem, extending the company’s shift away from Qualcomm as a September 9 keynote is widely predicted.