iPhone 18 and 18e could share more than just their looks, X-ray scans suggest

Some fresh X-ray images of two unreleased iPhones have started circulating online. The scans, shared by a known leaker, suggest Apple is reusing a lot of the same internal layout across models while making targeted tweaks. The details point to bigger batteries and closer alignment between the regular iPhone and the more affordable “e” model expected around spring 2027.

The images were posted on Baidu Tieba’s Qualcomm forum by Littertree66. They show automated X-ray inspection scans of two devices: one codenamed Taycan (V67 K), which the leaker links to the standard iPhone 18, and another called Nevera (V69), said to be the iPhone 18e. Both phones look nearly identical inside. The north and south logic boards sit in the same spots, the battery footprint matches, and even the MagSafe coils line up.

On the Taycan images, annotations claim that dropping the physical SIM tray opened up space for a larger battery. The bottom speaker and haptic motor also switched from a long, narrow design to a wider one. Together those changes are said to push capacity from a baseline of about 3,671 mAh up to 4,430 mAh, roughly a 20% jump. That baseline is actually a bit lower than the 3,692 mAh Apple lists for the current iPhone 17, so the bigger number would likely apply to eSIM-only versions.

The wide camera module also looks physically smaller than the previous generation, though the sensor resolution is described as unchanged. A part labeled “BG1 Array” sits below the dual rear cameras and is thought to support the second lens.

The Nevera scans claim the iPhone 18e uses the same overall design and also jumps to that same 4,430 mAh battery, a roughly 10% increase from the iPhone 17e’s 4,005 mAh. It shows a single rear “Wide” camera sitting where the standard model has its Super Wide unit, with the leftover space filled by what looks like plastic filler.

Pre-production hardware can change before retail, so the final specs could still shift. Even so, the idea of a shared platform and larger batteries across both models lines up with earlier rumors that the standard and “e” iPhones would get closer.

(Source)