If you thought the Dynamic Island was destined for the chopping block, recent leaks suggest Apple is taking a more conservative route: not a full vanish, but a noticeable shrink. At roughly the same time, Wall Street is already pricing a pricey foldable iPhone into the company’s near future.
A smaller island, not a full disappearance
Weibo leaker Ice Universe supplied the headline number: the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 18 Pro models could be about 35% narrower than on the iPhone 17 Pro, shrinking from roughly 20.7mm to about 13.5mm in its default on‑screen state. That measurement includes the extra surrounding black pixels Apple uses to mask the Face ID and front camera hardware; when the Dynamic Island expands to show Live Activities it will still widen temporarily.
That tweak aligns with multiple scoops that suggested Apple is moving some Face ID components under the display this generation — but not all of them. Reporting from The Information and corroboration from other leakers now points to only the flood illuminator (one part of the Face ID array) being relocated beneath the panel this year. In other words: a smaller pill, not the all‑screen hole‑punch you may have read about.
Confusion helped fuel dramatic headlines. One of the leaks appears to have been mistranslated as a top‑left hole‑punch camera in Western coverage; leakers on Chinese platforms have since clarified that the change is partial, and a pill‑shaped Dynamic Island will likely remain. Another independent leak — an alleged photo of a revised front sensor assembly — supports the “shrink, don’t remove” interpretation.
How reliable is that? Ice Universe has hit dimensions correctly in the past, and industry analyst Ross Young (known for accurate panel intel) expects the smaller Dynamic Island to persist through at least 2027. Still, none of this is carved in stone: Apple is famously iterative and can change plans before launch, which is expected in September.
The foldable iPhone: a high‑end experiment
While the front‑panel debate bubbles, Citi analyst Atif Malik has a bolder forecast: Apple will ship millions of foldable iPhones this year, priced around $2,000 apiece. Malik projects roughly 8 million foldable units in 2026 (about 3% of iPhone shipments), ramping to 20 million in 2027 as production scales and consumers warm to the category.
That projection is meaningful for investors and product watchers alike. A $2,000 entry price points to a premium, margin‑sensitive device — and one that’s targeted at early adopters and loyal Apple buyers willing to pay extra for novelty and productivity. Citi trimmed its Apple price target recently, citing memory‑price pressure on margins, so the economics of a high‑end foldable will be watched carefully.
Why might a foldable matter beyond the headline price? Apple’s rumored moves on AI — including a deal to integrate Google’s Gemini models into Siri — could provide a fresh software hook that pairs well with larger or dual‑mode screens. If Apple ties next‑gen Siri and foldable hardware together, it could create an upgrade argument that goes beyond camera tweaks and slightly smaller cutouts; Apple’s software story is becoming as important as the hardware story, as seen in recent reports about AI integrations.
If you’re deciding whether to upgrade from an iPhone 17 Pro today or wait, the next year is shaping up to offer two different nudges: a modest, user‑visible refinement to the front panel, and potentially much bigger hardware change if the foldable lands and finds an audience. For context on what changed in the current generation and why some buyers are holding off, see our look at what’s new with the iPhone 17 Pro.
What to expect between now and September
Leaks like measurements from Ice Universe and photos from other tipsters give texture to rumors, but they’re still leaks: plausible, informative, and not infallible. Watch for Apple's usual cadence — developer betas and supply‑chain chatter will accelerate through spring and summer — and for the company to frame any design shifts around real user benefits rather than incremental spec bumps.
Also keep an eye on software moves that could amplify hardware changes; Apple’s rumored Gemini partnership for Siri could become a big part of the upgrade pitch if Apple pairs AI features with new display formats. For background on that tie‑up, our coverage of Apple and Google’s collaboration explains the ambitions behind the move: [/news/apple-google-gemini-siri].
Nine months before launch, the picture is part measurement chart, part translation thread, and part analyst model. A smaller Dynamic Island would be a tidy cosmetic improvement for many, while a foldable iPhone would be a more radical bet — one that could reshape upgrade cycles if Apple pulls it off.
No single leak settles the story; together they sketch directions Apple might take. Expect both design nuance and ambitious experiments to compete for attention between now and the fall.