iPhone 18 Pro Features Leaked in New Report, Including Under-Screen Face ID

Apple plans to equip the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max (expected September 2026) with under‑screen Face ID and a top‑left front camera—removing the pill‑shaped Dynamic Island—and is testing a mechanical iris/variable aperture on at least one rear camera, a change whose practical benefit may be limited by small sensor size. The phones are widely expected to use an A20 Pro chip built on TSMC’s 2nm node with wafer‑level multi‑chip module (WMCM) packaging that integrates RAM onto the same wafer as CPU/GPU/Neural Engine, which Apple says should yield faster performance (including for on‑device AI), better thermals, longer battery life and a smaller chip footprint. For investors, the roadmap highlights significant ongoing exposure to TSMC and advanced packaging winners, potential implications for display and camera‑module suppliers, and upside to Apple’s mobile AI capabilities, while the consumer impact of camera aperture changes remains uncertain.

Analysis

A new report states Apple will move Face ID under the display and relocate the front camera to the top-left on iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, eliminating the pill-shaped Dynamic Island while retaining a design similar to iPhone 17 Pro; Apple plans at least one rear camera with a mechanical iris and reports (and analyst Ming‑Chi Kuo) indicate the main 48MP sensor will offer variable aperture. Current flagship iPhones (14–17 Pro) use a fixed ƒ/1.78 aperture, so the mechanical iris introduces manual aperture control and depth-of-field flexibility, but the article notes uncertainty about the practical image-quality benefits given small sensor sizes.

The iPhone 18 Pro line is widely expected to use an A20 Pro chip built on TSMC's 2nm node with wafer-level multi-chip module (WMCM) packaging that integrates RAM on‑wafer with CPU/GPU/Neural Engine; Apple projects faster general performance, improved on‑device Apple Intelligence, better thermals, longer battery life, and a smaller chip footprint that could free internal space. Apple’s targeted launch is September 2026.

Strategic implications are clear for supply chains: TSMC and advanced packaging winners stand to benefit, while display and camera-module suppliers face design and yield risk tied to under‑screen Face ID and a mechanical iris. The tone is mildly positive but speculative—execution, yield and real-world camera gains are key near‑term risk factors to monitor.

Key Decisions for Investors

• Consider overweighting exposure to TSMC and selectively to advanced packaging suppliers positioned for WMCM 2nm ramps, given the article's explicit tie of A20 Pro to TSMC WMCM benefits
• Delay material reallocation toward display and camera-module suppliers until design wins and yield data for under-screen Face ID and the mechanical iris are confirmed, because consumer benefit from variable aperture is uncertain
• Monitor early indicators such as TSMC yield commentary, Apple supplier confirmations, and on-device AI performance demos ahead of the September 2026 launch and maintain hedges against execution or yield setbacks