Fresh iPhone 18 design rumors are already flying, but two well-known leakers are pushing back hard against the most dramatic claim: that Apple is moving the selfie camera to a punch-hole cutout in the top-left corner of the screen.
According to the latest rebuttals, the “top-left camera” narrative is likely the result of a misunderstanding that snowballed online. The leaker Instant Digital says the idea of a left-side punch-hole front camera on the iPhone 18 Pro is “complete misinformation,” explaining that earlier chatter was actually referring to under-display infrared components—not a visible selfie camera cutout. In other words, what some took as a new camera placement may have been a mistranslation or misinterpretation of sensor-related details.
Another leaker, Schrödinger, echoes that explanation and adds more specifics. They claim Apple’s plan is more subtle: the flood illuminator and infrared camera (both used as part of the Face ID system) could move beneath the display toward the top-left area, while the dot projector and the selfie camera remain visible near the top center. If that’s accurate, the iPhone 18 Pro wouldn’t ditch the current look entirely, but it could shrink the Dynamic Island rather than replace it with a lone punch-hole.
This directly clashes with recent reports suggesting Apple would swap to a single punch-hole camera cutout and possibly drop the Dynamic Island for cleaner aesthetics. With multiple voices now disputing that, the latest expectation is that Apple is aiming for a refined evolution instead of a radical redesign—especially if under-display sensor tech is involved.
Beyond the design debate, a growing list of iPhone 18 rumors points to a major upgrades cycle for performance, cameras, and connectivity. Here’s what’s currently being discussed for the iPhone 18 lineup, particularly the Pro models:
The iPhone 18 Pro is rumored to use Apple’s A20 Pro chip, reportedly built on TSMC’s 2nm process. The chatter also mentions advanced packaging (WMCM) and new super-high-performance metal-insulator-metal capacitors, hinting at a big efficiency and performance push.
Screen sizes are expected to stay in familiar territory for Apple’s premium models, with the iPhone 18 Pro said to feature a 6.3-inch display and the iPhone 18 Pro Max reportedly landing at 6.9 inches.
Camera specs could see notable jumps. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are rumored to include an 18MP 6P front camera, plus a rear setup led by a 48MP main camera with a variable aperture. The rest of the rear system is said to include a 48MP periscope/telephoto lens and a 48MP ultra-wide sensor.
Build materials may change as well, with rumors pointing to an aluminum casing for the Pro models.
On the connectivity and memory side, the iPhone 18 Pro lineup is rumored to adopt Apple’s C2 modem and LPDDR5 12GB RAM, which could help with multitasking, on-device AI features, and overall responsiveness.
Another intriguing claim is support for 5G-based satellite connectivity—potentially expanding how the iPhone connects when traditional coverage is limited.
There’s also talk of a burgundy color option, which could become one of the lineup’s standout finishes.
One smaller but interesting hardware tweak involves the camera control button: Apple may remove a capacitive induction layer and keep only a pressure-sensing layer, suggesting a change in how the button detects input.
Finally, release timing may shift. Instead of a single launch window, Apple is rumored to be considering a staggered schedule, with some iPhone 18 models arriving in fall 2026 and others following in spring 2027.
For now, the biggest takeaway is that the “top-left selfie camera cutout” rumor is being strongly challenged by multiple leakers, with the more believable alternative pointing to under-display Face ID component changes and a potentially smaller Dynamic Island. As more sources weigh in, the iPhone 18 Pro design story is shaping up to be less about dramatic visual reinvention and more about carefully hidden technology upgrades.
