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Over the last few years, iPhones have been getting bigger and thicker, and Apple may continue this trend with the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. They could follow the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max and grow in thickness, reaching some surprising numbers.
iPhone 18 Pro is all but confirmed to grow in thickness
Apple is going to make the iPhone 18 Pro phones significantly thicker than their predecessors, according to Weibo leaker Fixed Focus Digital. In a new post (source in Chinese), they say the new devices will grow by about 2 mm in thickness compared to their predecessors.
The change has been reportedly seen in materials from the Tata leak, but Fixed Focus Digital says they can confirm the information firsthand. If this turns out to be true, we could see the most significant jump in thickness in the history of the iPhone.
Even the leaker themself says that the added thickness will be “somewhat surprising” in their post. The addition is said to affect both the body and the camera module of the new model, and it would follow a 0.5 mm growth from the iPhone 16 Pro to the 17 Pro.
Made for heat dissipation and a new camera
Answering a question, the leaker also said that Apple will stick to using aluminum alloy for the frame of its phones. Introduced with the iPhone 17 Pro, the material will be used “for a long time to come,” and titanium is unlikely to make a return.
We’ve already heard that the iPhone 18 Pro will continue using aluminum as the material offers much better heat dissipation than the titanium used in the iPhone 16 Pro.
One of the main reasons for Apple to make its Pro phones thicker is the rumored new camera system. This could be the first time the company uses a variable aperture lens for the main camera. While the change is unlikely to lead to much better photos, it could give much better control during video shooting.
Even more importantly, the new phones are rumored to feature larger batteries. The upgrade on the smaller iPhone 18 Pro won’t be significant, though, as its expected battery capacity is 4,288 mAh, compared to the 4,252 mAh cell on the iPhone 17 Pro.
However, the iPhone 18 Pro Max is rumored to get a very impressive bump and ship with a 5,567 mAh battery, compared to the 5,088 mAh on the iPhone 17 Pro Max. That would put it well ahead of the 5,000 mAh battery on the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
One aspect that could become a divisive issue, especially with the 18 Pro Max, is the weight of the phone. While users on Reddit said that labeling the 17 Pro Max as a brick didn’t feel fair, they agreed it could feel too big and heavy. That made at least one user switch to the smaller 17 Pro, which they said was the most perfect iPhone they had in a while.
A strong upgrade
While it’ll stick to the same overall design, the iPhone 18 Pro is shaping up to be an enticing upgrade, even compared to last year’s models. Alongside the larger batteries, there will be a new 2 nm chipset, which should be more efficient and powerful.
Then there’s the smaller Dynamic Island, which may have some of the Face ID components under the display. On the visual side, we’re probably getting some new colors, including the rumored Dark Cherry version. Still, coming at almost 11 mm thick, the new model could be the fattest iPhone since the iPhone 3GS, which measured 12.3 mm.
Two good reasons to skip this one
I haven’t been so excited about a new iPhone in a while, but there are still some crucial details that I’d consider before deciding to buy it. The most obvious reason is the expected price increases, which could bring the iPhone 18 Pro price to as much as $1400.
Then there’s the rumored anniversary iPhone 20, which may come with a bunch of massive upgrades that could make the 18 Pro feel dated very quickly. With that in mind, it would make sense to wait one more year, unless you really need an upgrade in 2026.
