iPhone 18 Pro: The Four Colors Leaked and Apple Now Producing the Variable Aperture Camera

April started hot for iPhone 18 Pro rumors. In the last 48 hours, two leaks have begun to shape the real product: Macworld published the four colors Apple is preparing, with internal Pantone codes included, and reports from ETNews confirm that Sunny Optical has started producing the actuators for the new variable aperture camera, the most important upgrade of the year.

Five months before the September Keynote, we are no longer in "it might come" territory. There is a moving supply chain and specific color references: a concrete product is coming.

 

The Four Leaked Colors of the iPhone 18 Pro

The source is the same as last year, which got the colors of the 17 Pro right: Macworld, citing a contact in Apple's supply chain. The iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max would be offered in Dark Cherry, Light Blue, Dark Gray, and Silver, with these internal Pantone codes:

• Light Blue → Pantone 2121
• Dark Cherry → Pantone 6076
• Dark Gray → Pantone 426C
• Silver → Pantone 427C

Macworld clarifies that the colors are still in development, and since the 18 Pro has not yet entered mass production, one may be dropped before launch. Last year, a steel gray was leaked for the 17 Pro but never saw the light.

Dark Cherry, the New Signature Color Replacing Cosmic Orange

Each year Apple selects a star color to push the Pro line, and since the switch to the aluminum chassis of the 17 Pro, these colors have been more saturated. In 2025, it was the Cosmic Orange, which exploded in China: consumers renamed it "Hermès orange," and according to the Financial Times, it was one of the factors behind the 38% jump in sales of the 17 Pro versus the 16 Pro.

For the 18 Pro, the bet is on Dark Cherry: a deep wine red, closer to burgundy than classic red. The intention is to offer something distinctive, but less flashy than the previous year's orange.

Light Blue, Dark Gray, and Silver Complete the Palette

The Light Blue (Pantone 2121) is reminiscent of the Mist Blue of the base iPhone 17, but more saturated. Silver remains the classic option and, according to market data, the best-selling long-term in the Pro line. Dark Gray is the most controversial of the four and deserves separate treatment.

Is Black Coming Back? Leakers Disagree

There is tension among sources. Weeks ago, Instant Digital — a Weibo leaker with a good track record on Apple rumors — claimed that the 18 Pro would not include black, for the second consecutive year. Macworld says it will, but with a nuance: they call it Dark Gray, not Black.

Pantone 426C is a very dark charcoal gray, but it is not the classic Space Black that many have been clamoring for since the 17 Pro. If Macworld is right, fans of pure black will be left wanting. Apple still has room to adjust until mid-year.

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Variable Aperture Camera: Production Has Already Started

This is where things move from rumor to confirmation. According to ETNews, with a rebound in MacRumors, 9to5Mac, and AppleInsider, Sunny Optical has begun manufacturing the actuators that move the new camera's mechanical iris. LG Innotek, Apple's main partner in optical modules, will start full assembly between June and July at its Gumi plant in South Korea.

Never before has an iPhone had a real variable aperture, and the schedule fits with the expected launch in September.

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What Is Variable Aperture and Why Does It Matter

From the iPhone 14 Pro to the 17 Pro, the main camera uses a fixed aperture of ƒ/1.78: the lens is always fully open. In the 18 Pro, a mechanical iris would open and close depending on the scene, with rumors pointing to a range of ƒ/1.4 to ƒ/2.8 (unconfirmed).

What Is the Practical Gain?

• Real Optical Bokeh. The current Portrait mode relies on machine learning to decide what's in focus. With a variable aperture, the blur is physical, like in a real camera. Fewer errors in hair, glasses, and complex objects.
• Better Handling of Bright Scenes. Closing the iris prevents burnout in skies and intense lights, something the electronic shutter does not always solve well today.
• More Control in Video. Closing the aperture allows for longer shutter speeds per frame, enabling cinematic motion blur without external ND filters.

The honest asterisk: the iPhone's sensor is still small. Don't expect full-frame depth of field no matter how much aperture you have. It's a leap in quality and control, not a reinvention of physics.

Apple Arrives Late, but It Arrives Seriously

Apple didn't invent the variable aperture in smartphones: Samsung put it in the Galaxy S9 in 2018 with two stops (ƒ/1.5 and ƒ/2.4) and then let it die. What sets Apple's system apart is the mechanics: it would use nitinol, a shape memory alloy, instead of a traditional micromotor. More compact, more precise, and with fewer rigid parts.

What's Under the Hood: A20 Pro, C2, N2, and Cleaner Display

Colors sell units, but what changes the real experience is inside. This year Apple updates processor, modem, wireless connectivity chip, and redistributes components behind the display front.

A20 Pro Chip: The First 2-nanometer SoC

The A20 Pro, manufactured with TSMC's N2 (2nm) process, would be the first smartphone chip to use this lithography. It's estimated to offer 15% more performance and 30% more efficiency compared to the 17 Pro's A19 Pro, which still uses 3nm.

The less visible change is in packaging. Apple would migrate to WMCM (Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module), which integrates RAM onto the same wafer as the CPU, GPU, and Neural Engine instead of connecting it via a silicon interposer. Result: less latency for Apple Intelligence, faster local AI, and a more compact chip. Rumors point to 12 GB of RAM across the Pro line.

C2 Modem and N2 Chip: Apple Becomes More Independent from Third Parties

The C2, successor to the iPhone 16e's C1, is Apple's own 5G modem that replaces Qualcomm in the Pro line. The key leap is mmWave 5G support, enabling much higher speeds on compatible networks.

The N2 succeeds the iPhone 17's N1 and continues to integrate Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread into one package. Apple hasn't revealed what changes, but the N1 pattern points to improvements in efficiency and in features like Personal Hotspot and AirDrop.

With both proprietary chips, Apple moves a step further away from Broadcom and Qualcomm: total stack control and optimizations that other manufacturers cannot replicate.

Smaller Dynamic Island and Face ID Partially Under Display

The leaked CADs show a Dynamic Island 35% smaller (from ~20.7 mm to ~13.5 mm wide), because Apple managed to put at least one component of Face ID under the panel.

Here's where we need to pause: early rumors spoke of Face ID fully under display and the front camera in a lateral punch-hole. Recent reports (Instant Digital, April 2026's MacRumors) correct — only the infrared emitter moves under the panel, and the front camera remains in place. Smaller Dynamic Island, not nonexistent. The 18 Pro is not yet the all-screen iPhone promised.

Materials and Repairability: Two Readings of the Hardware

Colors and Anodizing

The 17 Pro introduced hot-forged aluminum, which triggered the "scratchgate": units with scratches exposing the bare aluminum, something common in official service, especially in Cosmic Orange. A dark color like Dark Cherry might hide certain damage but also highlight more contrast when the base aluminum is exposed. If Apple refined the process, it will be noticeable in the early months: more resistant anodizing = fewer claims for early wear and fewer warranty exchanges.

Variable Aperture and Repairability

The mechanical iris with nitinol actuator adds a moving part to the camera module. More moving parts = more failure points, and the main module replacement is already one of the costliest iPhone repairs; with this system, the cost rises. The positive side: the complexity pushes the repair to the official ecosystem (AASPs and Self Service Repair), where iris calibration and firmware integration are handled from the service tool, reducing margin for error compared to generic parts. For those who change every year, it's not an issue; for 3-4 year usage, it's advisable to add AppleCare+ or factor it into budgeting.

What Else Leaked

The iPhone Ultra, Apple's foldable, would come in Silver, White, and Indigo — a more neutral palette than the Pros — and would measure 4.7 mm unfolded, thinner than the iPhone Air. The launch of the three devices is slated for September 2026, although some analysts believe the foldable might arrive later.

Conclusion

Two layers in the leak. The superficial: Dark Cherry and a new palette. The one that matters: the variable aperture has moved to an active supply chain, and the 18 Pro brings a major internal overhaul (A20 Pro at 2nm, C2, N2, new memory architecture). The generational leap is real, not cosmetic.

The 18 Pro will appeal more to those who use the iPhone as a camera and work tool than to those who use it as a fashion accessory. If you're on the 17 Pro's Cosmic Orange, don't switch just for aesthetics. If you work with photos or videos or heavily rely on Apple Intelligence, variable aperture + A20 Pro are enough to justify the leap.