Forget about the iPhone 16. New iPhone 18 details just leaked

By Bryan M. Wolfe Published September 19, 2024

The back of the iPhone 15 Pro Max. — Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Apple has just announced the iPhone 16 series, handsets that will not even be released until tomorrow. However, we now have possible news about the iPhone 18 coming from Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst with a good track record when it come to Apple rumors.

According to Kuo, some of the 2026 iPhone models will likely be equipped with a 2nm chip, which will make them even faster and more efficient than chips found in earlier models. The news isn’t all good. The lower-end iPhone 18 models are expected to feature 3nm processors again, and you will have to pay extra for the 2nm ones, which may only be available in the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.

Recommended Videos

This isn’t surprising as Apple has been offering less powerful chipsets on the cheaper iPhone models in recent years. For example, this year, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus have an A18 chip, while the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max have an A18 Pro.

The A18 and A18 Pro represent Apple’s system-on-chip (SoC) technology advances. While they share many similarities, the Pro version has some notable distinctions. Both chips are built on a second-generation 3nm process, offering the smallest transistors. The A18 and A18 Pro have a six-core CPU, an upgraded 16-core Neural Engine, and an improved memory subsystem.

The A18 Pro chip features a six-core GPU, whereas the A18 has a five-core GPU. The iPhone 16 Pro models also have wider memory bandwidth and larger caches than the A18. Third-party testers may soon discover other differences.

Kuo says the entire iPhone 17 series will feature 3nm chips next year. It’s probably safe to say they’ll be called the A19 and A19 Pro. What specific advancements the 2nm chips for the iPhone 18 series will have is hard to say right now, but we can safely bet that improved performance and better power efficiency will be among them. Seeing that Apple already made considerable upgrades on that front this year with the A18 chips for the iPhone 16 series, consider us excited.

Former Mobile and A/V Freelancer

Bryan M. Wolfe has over a decade of experience as a technology writer. He writes about mobile.

Topics

Phones

I feel like the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is the right kind of passport foldable

Passport foldables are everywhere now, but Samsung got the proportions right

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 foldable smartphone

Passport-style foldables are returning, but in a foldable format. Samsung completely changed direction with the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Xiaomi followed with the 18 Fold, and Apple has now entered the category with the iPhone Duo. Even though the original Google Pixel Fold explored the same short-and-wide idea years ago, this is looking like the new smartphone trend in 2026.

After spending years with book-style foldables, I am warming up to this decision. I prefer the idea of keeping the phone compact when closed and opening it only when I need more room.

Computing

The RAM shortage could last for years, and smaller tech brands are feeling it first

From flexible motherboards to advance orders, device makers are getting creative to keep products alive.

Installing RAM Memory on a framework laptop

The memory shortage is no longer just a problem for PC builders hunting for affordable RAM. Smaller phone and laptop makers are now changing how they design, manufacture, and price their products as the supply crunch threatens to stretch through 2027 and potentially beyond. And according to a report by Reuters, the bigger problem isn't even the price anymore. It's getting enough memory in the first place.

Smaller brands are getting creative because RAM isn't playing nice

Phones

Your 15-minute reading habit could now earn you money in Singapore

Your endless scrolling habit finally has some financial competition.

Tap the top of the screen of your Kindle to bring up the menu interface.

I have plenty of apps on my phone reminding me to drink water, stand up, exercise, and stop staring at the screen. Singapore is taking a slightly different approach: instead of another reminder telling people what to do, it's adding a reward. The country has launched a new initiative designed to turn reading into a daily habit. Spend at least 15 minutes reading, record the session through the government's platform, and you'll receive 20 virtual coins.

Collect 1,000 of them, and you can exchange them for S$ 1, or roughly 80 cents in the US. Since only one reading session counts each day, reaching that first dollar takes 50 days. Nobody is getting rich here, obviously. But that's what makes the idea interesting. The cash functions more like the achievement badge or daily streak you'd find in an app, except this one tries to pull your attention away from the screen.