Apple does not usually make big design changes every year, and the iPhone 18 Pro Max looks set to follow that pattern. At a glance, it feels familiar. But a couple of smaller changes underneath could end up making a “noticeable” difference.
A new hands-on video showing metal dummy units of the iPhone 18 Pro Max has surfaced online, giving us a clearer look at what might be coming. The source behind it has a decent track record. Their early preview of the iPhone 17 lineup last year turned out to be quite close to what Apple eventually announced, so this one is worth paying attention to.
One of the more obvious changes is the Dynamic Island. According to the dummy, it is getting smaller, by roughly 25%. That brings it down from just over 20mm to about 15mm. It will still disappoint people hoping for a hole-punch cutout, but that’s likely reserved for the 20th anniversary iPhone.
The camera setup is where things get a bit more interesting. Total thickness, including the camera plateau, is now around 11.54mm, up from 11.23mm on the iPhone 17 Pro Max. With the lenses included, that figure reportedly goes up to 13.77mm, compared to 12.92mm previously.
That extra space suggests Apple may be working with larger sensors, or possibly pushing optical zoom back to 5x after stepping it down to 4x last year, or even a mix of both. Either way, the dummy points to some meaningful changes in the camera hardware.
Apple has been gradually moving to larger sensors over the years, with the iPhone 17 Pro Max already catching up in main sensor size, using a 1/1.28″ sensor, the same as the Vivo X200 Ultra. Based on these dummy units, the iPhone 18 Pro Max’s camera system could be worth a closer look.
In terms of size, the phone is said to be marginally taller and wider than the current model, with a slight bump in thickness as well. That could be down to a larger battery, though nothing is confirmed yet.
The iPhone 18 Pro lineup is expected to arrive later this year, likely alongside Apple’s first foldable iPhone, which is rumored to be called the Ultra. The rest of the lineup is expected to follow sometime in early 2027.
(Source: Max Tech)
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