Apple may have only just begun shipping the iPhone 17, but leaks about its 2026 flagship — the iPhone 18 Pro — are already gaining traction. And while color leaks often seem superficial, in Apple’s world, they’re anything but.
Each new finish usually reflects something deeper — the materials Apple is experimenting with, the premium direction of its design language, and how these choices signal a new era of hardware identity. The latest leaks suggest that Apple’s 2026 lineup will mark a major turning point: one where Apple Intelligence (AI) becomes natively integrated into the hardware rather than added on top.
New Pro Colours (Rumoured)
According to a report from Instant Digital on Weibo, Apple is testing three new color options for the iPhone 18 Pro: Burgundy, Coffee, and a new shade of Purple.
Both Burgundy and Coffee are completely new to the iPhone lineup — representing warmer, richer tones that may signal a shift away from the brand’s usual cool metallic palette. The report also claims that Apple might skip a true black variant again, which aligns with its historical pattern. Apple has often avoided pure black finishes because they’re notoriously hard to coat evenly on titanium or stainless steel surfaces.
Display and Face ID: A Clean Front, Finally
The iPhone 18 Pro is rumored to feature a 6.26-inch LTPO OLED display with 1.5K resolution, but the real breakthrough could be in how it handles Face ID.
Leaks suggest that Apple will implement HIAA (Hole-in-Active-Area) technology combined with under-display Face ID — meaning only the front camera remains visible. If true, this would mark the cleanest iPhone front panel ever, essentially removing the notch or Dynamic Island for the first time.
This would be a major design leap — one that has reportedly been in Apple’s testing labs for years.
The A20 Chip: Built for AI
Perhaps the most significant upgrade lies inside. The iPhone 18 Pro is expected to be powered by Apple’s next-generation A20 chip, built on TSMC’s 2nm (N2) process.
But the real story is in the WMCM packaging — a design that stacks the SoC and DRAM closer together, improving communication speed and power efficiency. This architecture is designed to lower heat output, reduce power consumption, and boost sustained AI performance.
In other words, the A20 isn’t just another yearly processor bump — it’s Apple’s first chip truly optimized for on-device AI, laying the foundation for the next stage of Apple Intelligence.
Launch Timeline (Rumoured)
According to early reports, Apple may be planning a staggered launch for the iPhone 18 series.
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Fall 2026: iPhone 18 Pro, 2nd-gen iPhone Air, and the long-rumored iPhone Fold.
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Spring 2027: Standard iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e models.
This separation could help Apple give its flagship AI-centric devices more spotlight before expanding the new design language to the mainstream lineup.
The color leaks may have been what sparked the buzz — but they’re really just the surface of something bigger. Underneath, the iPhone 18 Pro is shaping up to be the first iPhone designed from the ground up for Apple Intelligence.
With a cleaner display, smarter silicon, and deeper integration of AI at the hardware level, 2026 could mark the year the iPhone fully evolves into Apple’s next-generation intelligent device.
