According to the latest news on Weibo from the well-known whistleblower "Focus Digital", the aluminum alloy body middle frame and rear camera platform of Apple's next high-end model iPhone 18 Pro will be thicker than the existing iPhone 17 Pro, and the overall thickness is expected to be significantly increased by about 2 mm. The news pointed out that the aluminum alloy right-angle middle frame used by Apple for the first time on the iPhone 17 Pro will be "used on straight-edge phones for a long time" and will not retreat to the previous titanium solution in the short term.
"Fixed Focus Digital" said that the leaked information it has from supplier Tata shows that the overall thickness of the iPhone 18 Pro and the back camera platform will increase by about 2 mm from the current basis, and said that the final thickness data "will indeed be somewhat surprising." This statement also echoes its earlier revelations: on the one hand, the iPhone 18 Pro series will still use an aluminum alloy structure and have "really excellent" heat dissipation performance; on the other hand, the thickness of the aluminum alloy back cover is also said to be increased by 2 mm.
According to another Weibo post published by the tipster on July 4, the overall thickness of the iPhone 18 Pro model is expected to fall in the range of about 9.9 to 10.9 mm, which will be a significant improvement over the current iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, which are currently 8.75 mm thick. The iPhone 18 Pro Max model previously exposed in April also showed that the thickness of the rear camera platform may increase from 11.23 mm on the 17 Pro Max to about 11.54 mm, further supporting the overall "thickening" trend of the body and camera module.
Industry analysts believe that this round of thickness changes is closely related to the redesign of the main camera system. It is widely expected that the iPhone 18 Pro will introduce a variable aperture main camera to the iPhone product line for the first time. The cost of this new component is said to be about 50% higher than the existing fixed aperture lens. The mass production of related modules is accelerating at suppliers such as LG Innotek and Sunny Optical.
In terms of material selection, "Fix Focus Digital" has repeatedly emphasized that the aluminum alloy body of the iPhone 18 Pro performs "really well" in terms of heat dissipation efficiency, but also reminds consumers to pay attention to the surface durability of the new color matching. Since some iPhone 17 Pro models have experienced discoloration and surface paint peeling, it has taken a cautious approach to the durability of the new color version of the 18 Pro and advises potential users to be cautious when purchasing.
According to current leaks and supply chain news, iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still expected to be released in September this year as usual, and will appear on the same stage as Apple's first foldable iPhone. If the relevant rumors are ultimately confirmed, changes in the new machine's body thickness, camera module structure, and material durability may become important factors affecting users' choice between the Pro series and other models.