The iPhone 18 rumor mill is officially alive. The last couple of weeks of rumors and leaks are now starting to seem like a roller coaster. We've had "wait, what?" moments of the potential comeback of a device we thought was gone, as well as some pretty disappointing design setbacks.
Some leaks are changing the game of what we can expect from the 2026 lineup. Siri's future may also be surprising to some. Here's a quick look at the biggest stories you might have missed about the iPhone 18 in the last couple of weeks.
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The iPhone 18 Plus may be coming back
The iPhone 16 Plus. | Image by PhoneArena
Apple analyst Tim Long suggested in a research note that Apple may bring the iPhone 18 Plus back, alongside the iPhone 18 and the 18e in the spring. That was the first time someone mentioned the possibility of an iPhone 18 Plus at all.
Apple skipped the Plus model in the iPhone 17 series, replacing it with an iPhone Air, and the entire tech industry assumed the model was discarded just like the iPhone mini was. The report suggests otherwise, and apparently the iPhone Air performed worse in sales than the iPhone 16 Plus.
The report also mentioned that the first foldable iPhone may be launched in December, with a small delay in comparison to the Pro models.
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Apple reportedly hit a wall with the iPhone 18 Pro's Dynamic Island design
The Dynamic Island on the iPhone 17 Pro Max. | Image by PhoneArena
Weibo leaker Fixed Focus Digital claimed that the rumored earlier redesign of the iPhone 18 Pro's Dynamic Island has hit a massive wall. The rumors for months suggested that Apple may be shrinking the Dynamic Island on the upcoming Pro-branded iPhone 18 models by placing some components of Face ID under the display.
The leak hinted that Apple has been experiencing slow progress with this strategy. The leaker also suggested that Cupertino may choose to abandon the idea of the huge design change. Potentially, an incremental refinement is the way Apple has decided to go, and Face ID may be getting smaller, which would allow for a more compact design.
Personal Siri and a standalone Siri app coming in iOS 27
Siri could get a standalone app in iOS 27. | Image by PhoneArena
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman suggested that Apple is working on a standalone Siri app for iOS 27. The app is said to be available for iPhone, iPad and Mac, and would be similar to how generative AI apps look (like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini apps, for example), where you can enter previous conversations. You would also be able to switch between a typed input and voice input.
The UI is said to look like the Messages app with a text box and bubbles for messages. Gurman also claimed that Siri is finally gaining contextual awareness in iOS 27, and it should get the ability to handle tasks in other apps.
When the digital assistant is working on a task somewhere across the OS, the Siri icon is said to appear on the Dynamic Island screen with an indicator.
Bezels and Dynamic Island cutout, reportedly. | Image by IceUniverse
The image the leaker shared, showing the design, displays a significantly shrunken Dynamic Island next to the selfie camera. It's almost two times smaller than the one on the iPhone 17.
That's the third potential design that has been discussed thus far, alongside a slightly bigger (still smaller than the iPhone 17) Dynamic Island look and a punch-hole cutout to the left for the selfie camera, which is a radical change that was also rumored before.
More leaked images show the smaller Dynamic Island design
Yet another Weibo leaker has shared multiple images with the purported iPhone 18 Pro Dynamic Island redesign. The leaked photos are allegedly of an iPhone 18 Pro screen protector that shows the dimensions of the Dynamic Island cutout.
Reportedly, an iPhone 18 Pro screen protector. | Images by Images by Weibo
The change, if true, would be a significant departure from the Dynamic Island as we know it. The report claims the new set of cutouts is 13.49 mm wide, while on the iPhone 17 Pro, the cutout was 20.76 mm wide.
Potentially, it's still possible that this change would be exclusive to the Pro-branded models.
Izzy, a tech enthusiast and a key part of the PhoneArena team, specializes in delivering the latest mobile tech news and finding the best tech deals. Her interests extend to cybersecurity, phone design innovations, and camera capabilities. Outside her professional life, Izzy, a literature master's degree holder, enjoys reading, painting, and learning languages. She's also a personal growth advocate, believing in the power of experience and gratitude. Whether it's walking her Chihuahua or singing her heart out, Izzy embraces life with passion and curiosity.
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