It seems Apple is focused on turning its Pro iPhone lineup into every developer’s dream phone. We recently discovered a leak suggesting that the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are reportedly getting a DSLR-like upgrade with variable sensors.
According to a Weibo post from tipster Whylab, the iPhone 18 Pro models will now feature an improved 24MP selfie camera. The image shared by the tipster also shows a smaller Dynamic Island, something we’ve already seen in previous leaks. The new Dynamic Island will house the camera, with the TrueDepth sensor and 3D dot projector hidden under a transparent patch beneath the display.
Developing the latest iPhone selfie cameras
For almost half a decade, Apple has used the same 12MP selfie camera that it introduced with the iPhone 11 series in 2019. Apple updated the 12MP front sensor with new features including autofocus and the Photonic Engine for improved low-light performance, but there was no hardware change.
It was last year’s iPhone 17 series that received the first major upgrade. Apple has added a new 18MP selfie camera sensor with a square design, enabling features such as Center Stage, improved selfie framing and 4K video recording at 60 frames per second. The selfie camera update proved to be a huge success and became one of the key factors in upgrading older iPhones.
What does it mean to you?
If the leaks are correct, we would be witnessing a rare occurrence of front camera upgrades in consecutive years after the launch of the iPhone after a long time. An improved front camera results in improved low-light performance, resulting in better selfies and a better video calling experience. Unfortunately, rumors suggest the upgrade will be limited to the iPhone 18 Pro pair.
If the rumors turn out to be true, the non-Pro models of the iPhone 18 series will not receive the improved selfie cameras or the new variable format sensors. This represents a departure from Apple’s strategy of using the same front cameras in all of its models.
