iPhone 18

This is Rumor Replay, a new weekly column at 9to5Mac that provides a quick rundown of the most recent Apple product rumors, with my analysis and commentary. Today: Apple’s new ‘HomePad’ device, Vision Pro 2 release date, iPhone 18 camera change, and more rumors.

According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is working on a significant camera upgrade for the iPhone 18 coming in 2026. The analyst says the iPhone 18’s main rear camera will be upgraded to a variable aperture lens for the first time.

This year’s entire iPhone 16 line-up got 8GB RAM to run Apple Intelligence features, and it looks like we can expect 12GB in future models.

A previous report suggested that iPhone 17 Pro Max would get 12GB, and it now appears that this may be true for both iPhone 18 Pro models …

We may still be waiting for iPhone 16 deliveries tomorrow, but the rumor mill is already busy looking ahead to both the iPhone 17 and iPhone 18.

A tweet by supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims to shed light on Apple’s plans for the adoption of smaller process chips …

A new report suggests that the iPhone 18 will be getting at least one new sensor, and that it will be made by Samsung rather than Sony.

If correct, it would represent an end to Sony’s exclusivity on the contract for iPhone sensors …

Reports of the iPhone 17 having a 2nm chip in the two Pro models have been disputed by a leaker with a respectable track-record. They say that Apple’s first 2nm processor will instead be used in the iPhone 18.

Citing inside information they claim to have about TSMC’s forecast production capacity, they suggest that 2nm chips won’t enter production until the end of 2025 – which would be too late for the iPhone 17 …