Jeff Pu, a technology analyst at GF Securities, who has a solid track record of tracking the supply chain and anticipating Apple’s next moves, says that next year’s iPhone 18 Pro series will have two distinctive features that will differentiate it from the iPhone 17 Pro/17 Pro Max introduced in September.
According to a report seen by 9to5Mac, Apple may finally be reducing the Dynamic Island – the pill-shaped cutout that makes up the front-facing camera and TrueDepth sensor for Face ID.
The Dynamic Island was introduced on the iPhone 14 Pro in 2022. Unlike the usual punch-hole selfie cameras on Android phones, Apple surprised everyone with its ability to display notifications and live activities, such as music controls, timers, ride-hailing arrival times, and food delivery times.
The Dynamic Island isn’t going away, it’s just getting smaller, according to Pu. And thank god, because it’s way more intrusive than the notch on older iPhones. Pu, unfortunately, didn’t say how much smaller the Dynamic Island will be on the iPhone 18 Pro series, so we’ll have to wait until next fall.
Another widely speculated change for the iPhone 18 Pro is a change to the two-tone design. Apple is reportedly planning to change the glass notch to blend in more with the aluminum frame and better match the anodized metal. While it won’t matter at all to people who use a case, the notch, which is best seen on the silver iPhone 17 Pro, feels a bit out of place. The glass panel is necessary for wireless charging, but it doesn’t create a seamless design.
Pu also expects Apple to release the iPhone 17e in the middle of the first quarter of 2026, an updated version of the iPhone 16e, which would likely be introduced in the spring. With Tim Cook potentially set to step down as CEO, Apple’s future has never been more uncertain. It may be time to literally change everything.
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