'First true AI-powered iPhone': How iPhone 18 Pro could bring the AI transformation Apple has been preparing for years

The upcoming iPhone 18 Pro is heavily tipped to become Apple's first truly AI-focused smartphone. Industry leaks point to a highly anticipated launch in September 2026 with hardware explicitly designed for advanced on-device artificial intelligence.

At the core of the device lies the A20 Pro chipset, reportedly the world's first smartphone processor built on a 2nm process. This advanced architecture promises a 15 per cent performance boost and 30 per cent better power efficiency.

To properly support heavy AI processing, Apple is allegedly increasing the device's RAM to 12GB. The company will use new packaging technology to integrate this memory directly onto the processor, significantly reducing data latency.

By moving the memory closer to the processing cores, the smartphone can run complex large language models completely locally. This hardware leap allows the iPhone to handle tasks like real-time generative editing without ever contacting a cloud server.

Beyond artificial intelligence, the Pro models will reportedly feature a new main camera equipped with a variable-aperture lens. This hardware upgrade grants mobile photographers precise physical control over depth of field and low-light performance.

Supporting these demanding new features requires more power, prompting a noticeable increase in physical battery capacity. The flagship iPhone 18 Pro Max is expected to pack a 5,567mAh battery, making the device slightly thicker and heavier.

Because of skyrocketing memory costs and expensive 2nm silicon wafers, financial analysts warn of a substantial price increase. The top-tier 1TB iPhone 18 Pro Max could shatter the US$1,999 mark when it officially hits store shelves this year.