Apple’s iPhone 18 series is still months away from seeing the light of day, but the rumor mill has started giving a glimpse of what’s to come. The iPhone 18 Pro models may gain satellite 5G support. Apple will also introduce a new A20/A20 Pro chip, which may significantly increase the prices of the phones. While that’s for hardware, a new leak sheds light on the iPhone 18 Pro design for the first time.
iPhone 18 Pro design details
Leaker Digital Chat Station has detailed what to expect in terms of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 17e designs. In a Weibo post talking about iPhone 18 Pro’s camera upgrades, the leaker in comments says the new model will feature the same rear camera design as this year’s iPhone 17 Pro. This means we’ll see the same large horizontal module taking up a large portion of the back panel.
This makes sense considering Apple just redesigned its flagship models this year, and it usually sticks to the same for at least a few years. It’s unclear whether the glass cutout below the module will see any changes. The leaker previously mentioned that it will have a slightly modified transparent look on the iPhone 18 Pro.
Furthermore, the leaker says that he hasn’t come across the design details for the iPhone 18 model yet.
No ProMotion display for the ‘e’ model yet
Moving to iPhone 17e, Digital Chat Station says the display will finally shift to Dynamic Island. In comparison, the current iPhone 16e uses a dated notch design. This should bring the low-cost iPhone more in line with the flagship models.
However, the display will only support a 60Hz refresh rate, as per the leaker. This isn’t surprising, as Apple brought ProMotion to the base iPhone 17 model only this year. We may have to wait at least another year before we see ProMotion for the budget ‘e’ model.
The lawsuit Apple filed against leakster and YouTuber Jon Prosser seemed straightforward enough. However, it looks like things are becoming more complicated. Now, according to Apple, it says that Prosser has not indicated when he may respond to the lawsuit.
Prosser has not indicated when he will respond to Apple lawsuit
In recent court filings, Apple stated that Prosser “has not indicated” when, or even if, he plans to formally defend himself against the trade secrets allegations tied to leaked iOS 26 information. The lawsuit, filed in July 2025, targets both Prosser and co-defendant Michael Ramacciotti over the alleged theft of confidential details about Apple’s upcoming software update.
Apple’s filings emphasize that despite Prosser’s public statements, he missed his legal deadline to respond. As a result, the court entered a default against him, which allows Apple to proceed toward seeking damages and an injunction without Prosser’s formal participation in the case. Meanwhile, Ramacciotti has actively cooperated with Apple and may settle soon, taking a completely different approach than his co-defendant.
Going back and forth
This is where things get confusing. Initially, Prosser’s statements suggested he was in active talks with Apple about the lawsuit. However, when court documents revealed he hadn’t responded to the legal filing, Prosser doubled down, claiming he had been in active communications with the company. Now, Apple’s latest statement directly contradicts that claim, leaving us scratching our heads about what’s actually happening behind the scenes.
The back and forth raises questions about whether Prosser is truly engaging with Apple’s legal team or simply making public statements that don’t align with the formal legal process. Either way, his silence in court puts him at a significant disadvantage. If Apple’s injunction succeeds, it could set a precedent that limits how tech influencers handle leaked information, potentially restricting early looks at new features for enthusiasts who rely on these sources.
For context, the lawsuit stems from Prosser publishing videos that revealed confidential iOS 26 features. Prosser has publicly denied coordinating any scheme to steal company secrets. He claims he had no technical access to Apple’s systems and didn’t plot to obtain anyone’s device.
Compared to Android phones, Apple’s iPhones typically do not have that much RAM. However, with the iPhone 18, Apple is rumored to bump up the phone’s RAM by as much as 50%. This is according to a recent report from Korean publication, The Bell.
iPhone 18 could feature more RAM
According to the report, Apple’s iPhone 18 will come with as much as 50% more RAM. For context, the base iPhone 17 comes with 8GB of RAM. The Air, Pro, and Pro Max models feature 12GB of RAM. This means that for the iPhone 18 series, we could see a bump in RAM from 12-16GB of RAM.
The report also claims that Apple has asked its memory suppliers to produce more LPDDR5X DRAM chips. This alone should give us some clues as to how much RAM to expect. This is because at the moment, LPDDR5X chips are only available in 12GB and 16GB variants. This means we’re looking at 12GB of RAM at the very least, or 16GB for Apple’s higher-end models.
But is it necessary?
That being said, we have to wonder if having more RAM is necessary. This is because Apple already controls its software and hardware. This is how iOS and its apps have no issues running with smaller amounts of RAM compared to Android. It also means that unless Apple is making some fundamental changes to its iOS platform, we’re not sure if there are tangible benefits to having more RAM.
It is possible that because AI, like Apple Intelligence, that Apple could increase the memory on its 2026 iPhones. We’re already seeing how some older iPhone models do not support Apple Intelligence due to hardware constraints. So maybe future models with more RAM could allow more advanced AI features.
Apple will launch its iPhone 18 series in 2026. However, according to the rumors, Apple could split up the launch. It could launch the iPhone Air 2, iPhone 18 Pro, and iPhone 18 Pro Max in the fall of 2026, as per usual. But the base iPhone 18 and the iPhone 18e could launch in the following spring.
We’re also hearing rumors that the iPhone Fold could be delayed to 2027. There are also whispers that Apple could cancel its plans for the iPhone Air 2. Either way, we’ll find out more in the coming months.
Apple has faced a major setback in the United Kingdom after one of the regional tribunals ruled that the company had misused its dominant position in the app market. The court, in an antitrust lawsuit, found Apple guilty of charging developers unfair commissions on the App Store. The ruling might cost the tech giant around $2 billion in compensation.
Apple faces an antitrust lawsuit over App Store commissions in the UK
The London Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) ruled that Apple had misused its dominant position between 2015 and 2020 by blocking fair competition in app distribution and demanding excessive commissions from developers. The court further added that the Cupertino-based giant charged commissions of up to 30% instead of a fairer 17.5%.
The most shocking part of the ruling is that the court claims Apple passed nearly half of those extra costs on to consumers. This led to higher app prices across the brand’s ecosystem. The lawsuit was led by British academic Rachael Kent. She argued that Apple made “excessive profits” by controlling every aspect of how apps are sold and what developers pay. Her team estimates the damages to be about 1.5 billion pounds (about $2 billion).
Apple vows to appeal as the lawsuit gains momentum
Apple has officially acknowledged the ruling, saying it “strongly disagrees” with the ruling, calling it “a flawed view of a competitive and thriving app economy.” The company has also confirmed that it intends to appeal against the ruling. Another hearing is scheduled to take place next month to find a way to calculate the total damages.
But regardless, this case shows how diverse and powerful Britain’s legal system is. In this scenario, it set an example by allowing groups of consumers to collectively challenge a powerful corporation. Rachael Kent stated that the verdict proves “no company, no matter how wealthy or influential, is above the law.” Similar lawsuits are also planned against Microsoft, Google, and Amazon for their developer fees.
Apple has a history of pushing its proprietary tech onto its users. This is despite the fact that other companies have embraced global standards. In the past, this manifested itself in the 30-pin connector for charging its iPhones. Then Apple made the shift to Lightning before (begrudgingly) adopting USB-C. But in a surprise, JerryRigEverything’s recent teardown of the iPhone 17 Pro reveals some changes that make the handset more repair friendly.
JerryRigEverything gives the iPhone 17 Pro a teardown
Popular tech YouTuber JerryRigEverything recently tore down Apple’s latest flagship. The iPhone 17 Pro teardown uncovered pretty significant internal redesigns that appear to prioritize both performance and repairability.
For starters, the teardown revealed a vapor chamber cooling system. This marks the first time Apple is using this cooling technology in an iPhone. This is despite the fact that Android manufacturers have been using it for years. This new cooling system should prevent the iPhone 17 Pro from throttling performance during intensive tasks, like gaming or video editing.
The teardown also uncovered the use of over 70 types of screws throughout the device. This might make the repair process more complicated, but the good news is that there are far fewer adhesives compared to previous models. Both the front and back glass panels connect to the same bottom screws, making disassembly easier. The battery also comes pre-attached to a removable tray, eliminating the need to fight stubborn adhesives during replacements.
Surprisingly easier to repair
The iPhone 17 Pro is a positive shift in Apple’s approach to device longevity and repairability. For instance, the screw-based design reduces the risk of accidental damage during repairs. This makes common fixes like screen and battery replacements more accessible to everyday users.
Apple also now offers direct sales of replacement parts alongside day-one repair manuals. The phone actually earned a 7/10 repairability score from iFixit. While some repairs remain complex, like the USB-C port requiring removing 22+ screws and the entire display, this marks a substantial improvement over past Pro models.
However, not everything is perfect. The teardown highlighted the “scratchgate” issue affecting the anodized aluminum camera plateau. This leads to the phone scuffing easily against hard objects. If you’re concerned about cosmetic damage, you may want to invest in a protective case.
We’ve recently compared Apple’s most powerful compact smartphone with its equivalent from Google. Now, we’ll compare that same phone from Apple with the vanilla Pixel 10 from Google, which is also a very compact phone. In other words, this is the Apple iPhone 17 Pro vs Google Pixel 10 comparison. These two smartphones have displays of the same size, but they’re quite different otherwise.
The two phones do have several similarities, but that’s pretty much it. We’ll first list their specs, as per usual, and then we’ll jump over to comparing their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio output. Needless to say, the Pixel 10 is a considerably more affordable phone, so keep that in mind as we go along.
Wired, 25W MagSafe wireless, 4.5W reverse wired (charger not included)
30W wired, 15W Qi2 wireless (charger not included)
Colors
Silver, Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue
Indigo, Frost, Lemongrass, Obsidian
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Apple iPhone 17 Pro vs Google Pixel 10: Design
Both of these phones are made out of aluminum and glass. Both of them also have mostly flat frames, though frames in both cases curve slightly towards the edges. You’ll also find flat displays on both phones and similar corner curvatures. The thing is, the Apple iPhone 17 Pro has a pill-shaped cutout on its display, while the Google Pixel 10 has a regular display camera hole. Both of those are centered up top. The bezels on the iPhone 17 Pro are thinner than the ones on the Pixel 10. Both phones do have uniform bezels, though.
On the right-hand side of the iPhone 17 Pro, you’ll find the power/lock key, along with the Camera control key. On the left, you’ll find the volume up and down keys, along with the Action key. The Pixel 10, on the other hand, has all of its physical keys on the right side. You’ll find the power/lock button there, and it sits above the volume up and down buttons.
If we flip them around, you’ll realize that both phones include camera bars on the back. The one on the iPhone 17 Pro is a lot larger, though. Both phones include three cameras inside those camera bars, even though they have completely different positioning. The ones on the Pixel 10 are kind of concealed, and do look a bit nicer to look at. Both backplates are mostly flat, and the iPhone 17 Pro also has a separate glass panel on the back, for design purposes, mostly.
Both of these smartphones are IP68 certified. In other words, both of them are water and dust resistant. The two phones are also quite slippery in the hand. Luckily they’re also quite compact. The iPhone 17 Pro is slightly shorter, but they’re basically identical in terms of width, thickness, and weight.
Apple iPhone 17 Pro vs Google Pixel 10: Display
You’ll find a 6.3-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro. That panel is flat, and it supports an adaptive refresh rate (1-120Hz). HDR10 is also supported, as is Dolby Vision. The peak brightness this display offers is 3,000 nits. The screen-to-body ratio here is around 89%, while the display aspect ratio is 19.5:9. The resolution here is 2622 x 1206 pixels, while the Ceramic Shield 2 protects the screen. This panel also comes with an anti-reflective coating.
Google Pixel 10
The Pixel 10, on the other hand, includes a 6.3-inch OLED panel, which is also flat. This display supports HDR10+ content, and it has a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. The screen-to-body ratio is at around 86%, while the display aspect ratio is 20:9. The resolution you’ll find here is 2424 x 1080 pixels. This display is protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus 2 from Corning.
Both of these displays are actually really good. They are vivid, have great viewing angles, and they’re well-protected, too. Both displays also get more than bright enough when you need them to. The iPhone 17 Pro’s panel does have the advantage of being a bit sharper, while that is also an LTPO panel, which means its refresh rate can go notably lower, down to 1Hz. In other words, it’s better when it comes to power efficiency. That display also comes with an anti-reflective coating, which does make a difference in direct comparison.
Apple iPhone 17 Pro vs Google Pixel 10: Performance
The Apple A19 Pro SoC fuels the iPhone 17 Pro. That is Apple’s latest and most powerful processor. It’s a 3nm chip and comes with a hexa-core GPU. The Google Pixel 10, on the other hand, is fueled by the Google Tensor G5 processor, a 3nm chip. Apple’s processor is more powerful in comparison, however, considerably more powerful. That won’t mean much to many of you, however.
Why is that? Well, both of these chips offer great performance day-to-day. You won’t really notice a difference between them in day-to-day use. Both phones are very snappy, regardless what you throw at them. Both of these processors are more than powerful to handle something like that, there’s no doubt about that. Both of them are also well-optimized for the hardware here, as they are used exclusively in those phone lineups, not in phones from other smartphone OEMs.
What about gaming, though? Well, the iPhone 17 Pro is the better option for gaming, if you’re planning to play graphically-intensive titles. That chip is considerably more powerful, both on the CPU and GPU front. It can handle any game you throw at it without a problem. The phone will also remain cooler during such game sessions. The Pixel 10 is no slouch, though, it can be used for playing games too, just not as efficiently, and it’s the worse choice of the two for gaming.
Apple iPhone 17 Pro vs Google Pixel 10: Battery
The Apple iPhone 17 Pro comes in two battery variants. The eSIM only model, which is available in the US, amongst other countries, includes a larger 4,252mAh battery. The nano SIM model, available in the EU, has a 3,998mAh battery. The Google Pixel 10, on the other hand, comes with a 4,970mAh battery, in all models. Apple’s iPhones usually have smaller batteries than their Android counterparts, so that doesn’t mean anything, really.
In fact, the iPhone 17 Pro does offer better battery life in comparison. It’s not even close, actually. While the Pixel 10’s battery life is passable, it cannot really measure up to what the iPhone 17 Pro offers. Even if you’re a power user, the iPhone 17 Pro can easily get you to the end of the day, at least that was the case for us. We were unable to kill the battery before the end of the day. That was not the case with the Pixel 10, however. In fact, we had to charge that phone during the day a number of times during our review process.
When it comes to charging, the iPhone 17 Pro topped out at 35W, though it didn’t hold that charge speed at all times. It also supports 25W MagSafe wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wired charging. The Pixel 10, on the other hand, supports 30W wired, 15W Qi2 wireless, and 4.5W reverse wired charging. The iPhone 17 Pro can be fully charged in around an hour and 20 minutes, while it’ll take the Pixel 10 an additional 20 minutes on top of that. Neither phone ships with a charger in the box.
Apple iPhone 17 Pro vs Google Pixel 10: Cameras
The iPhone 17 Pro has three cameras on the back. You’ll find a 48-megapixel main camera (1/1.28-inch sensor size), along with a 48-megapixel ultrawide camera (1/2.55-inch sensor size, 120-degree FoV), and a 48-megapixel periscope telephoto unit (1/2.55-inch sensor size, 4x optical zoom). There is also an 18-megapixel selfie camera included here.
Apple iPhone 17 Pro
The Google Pixel 10, on the other hand, also has three cameras on the back, but completely different ones. It includes a 48-megapixel main camera (1/2.0-inch sensor size), along with a 13-megapixel ultrawide unit (1/3.1-inch sensor size, 120-degree FoV), and a 10.8-megapixel telephoto unit (1/3.2-inch sensor size, 5x optical zoom). A 10.5-megapixel selfie camera sits on the front.
Both of these smartphones do a great job in the photography department, but the iPhone 17 Pro is the better of the two. The images from that phone are closer to what you’d see in real life. It is also more consistent and does a better job in low light. It’s actually a better camera phone across the board. The same goes for video recording and for selfies. The Pixel 10 is good, but it cannot measure up.
Audio
You’ll find stereo speakers on both of these smartphones. The ones on the Google Pixel 10 are louder, though, and it’s quite noticeable. The output quality from both speakers is really good, though.
Neither phone includes an audio jack, but you can use their Type-C ports for that purpose, you’ll need a dongle, though. Both smartphones support Bluetooth 6.0, if you prefer wireless audio to wired audio.
Are you an Apple user looking to switch to Android? At the moment, there are a couple of different ways to go about it. One of them involves using Google’s Switch to Android app. But in the future, Apple could make it easier for iPhone users to jump ship. This is thanks to the creation of a new framework that simplifies the transfer of third-party app data between both platforms.
Apple to make it simple to switch to Android
A few days ago, Apple published documentation for its new AppMigrationKit framework. This will work on devices running iOS 26.1 and iPadOS 26.1 or later. Basically, it will allow developers to include app data during the migration process when Apple users are making the switch to Android.
Interestingly enough, this framework seems to be exclusively designed for users switching to a non-Apple device. “AppMigrationKit only supports migration to and from non-Apple platforms, such as Android. The system doesn’t use the framework for migration between iOS or iPadOS devices. The framework also has no functionality in iOS apps running in visionOS or in macOS on Apple silicon. The framework ignores calls from Mac apps built with Mac Catalyst.”
However, it should be noted that it’s up to developers to define if their apps can import or export data, or both. This means that in some cases, some of your app’s data might not migrate over to Android. It will be hard to tell if this is the case since the onus is on the developer to enable it.
As 9to5Mac notes, this framework will work alongside Apple’s new “Transfer to Android” feature. This feature will help iOS users migrate their apps and data over to Android, and it will also show a splash screen informing them of what can or cannot be transferred over.
What can you transfer?
Like we said, there are already existing methods that allow iOS users to switch to Android. However, there are limitations. Obviously if you’ve purchased an app from the Apple App Store, you will have to purchase it again. This might apply to in-app purchases too, depending on how it was paid for.
Also, if you’re looking to transfer music, that’s a no-go too. If you’re using a streaming service like Apple Music or Spotify, it’s not an issue, although you might have to redownload songs you saved offline. What this new framework intends to do is simplify the transfer process.
In theory, it should help you get up and running on your new Android phone faster. We have yet to test it out for ourselves so we can’t speak to how painless the experience will be. However, it’s an interesting move on Apple’s end for them to facilitate an easier migration process.
The iPhone 17 series is just a month old, but that’s not stopping the rumor mill from shedding light on next year’s models, presumably the iPhone 18. A recent report suggested that the A20 chip may lead to a significant price increase for the iPhone 18 models. That’s not all, a new report now suggests that the iPhone 18 Pro may gain satellite 5G connectivity. Apple may reportedly bring hardware changes next year.
iPhone 18 Pro may offer satellite 5G
A new report from The Information includes details that could hint at all iPhones, in the future, working with Elon Musk’s Starlink. Currently, there’s no direct arrangement with Apple and SpaceX over Starlink satellite-based internet connectivity. But this might change. Firstly, SpaceX is reportedly supporting “the same radio spectrum Apple uses for the iPhone’s current satellite features” from Globalstar in new Starlink satellite designs.
Apple relies on Globalstar satellite for the Emergency SOS via satellite feature on iPhone 14 and newer. This allows you to contact emergency services when you’re outside of the cell coverage.
Apple relies on Globalstar satellite for emergency SOS
Second, The Information reports that Globalstar chair James Monroe has expressed his desire to sell the firm for $10 billion. “Such a deal could signal that Globalstar and Apple are seeking more independence from each other,” the report adds. Reportedly, Apple previously declined to strike a deal with SpaceX for Starlink for an iPhone satellite service provider.
The report adds that Apple plans to add support for 5G networks that aren’t tethered to Earth’s surface, including satellite in iPhones as early as next year. If this pans out, we might see iPhone 18 Pro models gaining satellite 5G.
Last month, SpaceX struck a deal with EchoStar to acquire $17 billion worth of spectrum for direct-to-cell satellite connectivity. For now, though, SpaceX offers a standalone Starlink service for home and vehicles. It offers limited connectivity through T-Mobile’s T-Satellite service.
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