First iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max cases revealed; might not fit iPhone 17 Pro

With the official unveiling still months away, the first physical signs of the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max have surfaced.

The leaked third-party clear cases for the 6.3-inch iPhone 18 Pro and 6.9-inch iPhone 18 Pro Max reveal that Apple is doubling down on the design language introduced with the current iPhone 17 Pro lineup.

The images show the familiar, massive camera island cutout, which dominates the upper half of the cases. This "plateau" design suggests that while the internal optics might see some changes (like the 48MP camera with a variable aperture), the external footprint should remain consistent with Apple’s current design.

Indeed, the rumors suggest the iPhone 18 Pro series will debut Apple’s first variable aperture main camera, potentially paired with a larger 1/1.12-inch sensor.

And while it’s impossible to confirm by looking at the leaked cases, recent leaks showed a thicker camera bump compared to the iPhone 17 Pro, likely a result of the 48MP variable aperture lens design. This means even though the leaked cases look identical to the iPhone 17 Pro case you might have, they might not be compatible with each other.

iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max: What to expect

• A20 Pro chip: Built on TSMC’s cutting-edge 2nm process for a rumored 15% performance boost.
• Smaller selfie camera cutout: A refined, smaller Dynamic Island thanks to hidden sensor tech.
• Pro-grade camera upgrades: A variable aperture main lens; potentially, a larger main camera sensor
• New colors: The retirement of Cosmic Orange in favor of a deep, wine-red Dark Cherry color is rumored
• iOS 27 with Apple Intelligence and the new Siri

The expected launch timeframe for the iPhone 18 Pro series is September 2026. The foldable iPhone Ultra should join Apple’s slabs as a "one more thing" announcement, while the vanilla iPhone 18 and iPhone Air refresh are said to launch in the spring of 2027.