Latest Apple Leak Suggests iPhone 18 Pro Launch Is On Track

Apple’s next flagship, iPhone 18 Pro, appears to be moving through its manufacturing pipeline on schedule, with a new leak suggesting the device has entered a late-stage trial production phase ahead of a likely September launch. The update comes from Chinese leaker “Fixed Focus Digital,” cited by MacRumors, which says the iPhone 18 Pro models have already begun “mass-production testing.”

What “trial production” signals

According to the leak, February typically lines up with Apple’s Design Validation Test (DVT) phase transitioning into early Production Validation Test (PVT). At this stage, Apple and its manufacturing partners use production tooling and run portions of assembly lines to validate manufacturing processes, yields, and quality control, rather than building phones at full scale. In other words, it is not mass production yet, but it is the kind of checkpoint you would expect if Apple is aiming for its usual fall release cadence.

iPhone 18 may also be in testing

The same leaker claimed production testing has also begun for the standard iPhone 18. But MacRumors points out that because the lower-specced model is not expected until early next year, it would likely be in an earlier validation stage (mid-to-late EVT or early DVT) rather than at the same point as the Pro line.

Design

If you were hoping for a dramatic redesign, this leak points the other way. The leaker believes there are “no major changes” in materials and that Apple is continuing with “existing design specifications” similar to the iPhone 17 lineup. Any outward change could be limited to something like a smaller Dynamic Island, the report adds.

Internal upgrades still matter

Even if the outside stays familiar, the iPhone 18 Pro is still expected to bring meaningful under-the-hood updates. MacRumors lists a new camera system with a variable aperture, the A20 chip, and Apple’s custom C2 modem as some of the key internal changes expected for the Pro models.

The fall spotlight may shift

One more nuance: the iPhone 18 Pro may not be the headline act at Apple’s fall event. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple’s first foldable iPhone could take centre stage instead.

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