All iPhone 18 models might offer key design change, per leaker

Reports have indicated for months that iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max will pack several design updates. Now a new leak indicates that one of those changes—a smaller Dynamic Island—will apply to more iPhone 18 models too.

Dynamic Island might shrink in iPhone 18 and iPhone Air 2, not just the iPhone 18 Pro

Weibo leaker Ice Universe posted today about the Dynamic Island and bezels of the iPhone 18 lineup.

Here’s the translated post:

For the iPhone 18 series, the black bezels remain unchanged; only the Dynamic Island has been reduced in size, while the bezels themselves are identical to those of the iPhone 17 series.

The bezels remaining unchanged comes as no surprise. There hadn’t been credible rumors of reduced bezels for iPhone 18 beforehand.

But the post’s mention of a smaller Dynamic Island coming to “the iPhone 18 series” sounds a lot like the feature is coming to the full lineup. Previous reporting on the Dynamic Island reduction has always been specific to iPhone 18 Pro.

In a big shakeup to years past, iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are expected to debut this fall, while the base iPhone 18 won’t ship until early 2027. That scheduling change could explain why previous Dynamic Island reports have always focused on the Pro line.

9to5Mac’s Take

Personally, I’m skeptical that Apple will bring the new Dynamic Island to more iPhones so quickly.

Historically, any design advancement on the iPhone starts with pricier models, then slowly trickles down to the rest of the lineup. So if the base iPhone 18 gets the smaller Dynamic Island, I’ll be pleasantly surprised.

If the iPhone Air 2 launches this fall as some are expecting, I think it has a better chance of getting the new Dynamic Island. Apple will want to do whatever it can to make the Air 2 feel new, and reporting indicates it may take one more generation before a second rear camera can be added.

So perhaps all of this fall’s models will have the new design, while the base iPhone 18 next spring lacks it.

Which new models do you expect will gain Apple’s new, smaller Dynamic Island? Let us know in the comments.

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