iPhone 18 Could Get a Bigger Battery and a 2nm Chip — But It May Cost More

The regular iPhone 18 is shaping up to be a bigger upgrade than usual — if the latest leak is right. The standard model is expected early next year, and the word from a well-known Chinese leaker on Weibo is that Apple is giving it two meaningful improvements, then charging a little more for them.

First, battery life. The iPhone 18 is tipped to pack a bigger battery, which would be welcome news for anyone who has watched the Pro models pull ahead on endurance. Second, performance. The phone is expected to run a toned-down version of Apple's A20 Pro chip, built on TSMC's 2nm process — the same cutting-edge manufacturing behind the Pro chips, just in a slightly scaled-back form.

The catch is the price. With RAM and other components getting more expensive, the iPhone 18 is expected to cost a bit more than its predecessor, though no exact figure has been given. That would follow a pattern: the iPhone 17 already went up by $100 in the US compared with the iPhone 16.

One thing the standard model apparently will not get is the smaller Dynamic Island, which is staying exclusive to the Pro phones. And none of this is confirmed — it is a leak, Apple has not announced the phone, and the details could still change before launch.

Sources

GSMArena — iPhone 18 is getting two major upgrades, but also another price hike