iPhone 18 Pro CAD Leak Reignites the Dynamic Island Debate
Source: MacRumors
New CAD renders suggest a smaller Dynamic Island
An X user called @earlyappleleaks posted the image, claiming that “the new CAD confirms the smaller Dynamic Island of the iPhone 18 Pro.”
Leak background
- CAD renders are often leaked from factories and represent the technical schematics that phone manufacturers share with case makers and accessory companies months before a phone launches.
- The credibility of this particular leak is uncertain because the leaker is relatively new and still building a reputation.
The last notable image they shared was an alleged iPhone 18 Pro prototype with a smaller Dynamic Island, showing what appears to be a Face ID sensor visible under the display. Under‑display Face ID components would allow for a slimmed‑down Dynamic Island.
Recent rumor landscape
Mixed reports on Dynamic Island vs. under‑display Face ID
- Over the past year, there have been mixed rumors about whether the iPhone 18 Pro models will continue to feature a Dynamic Island or switch to a hole‑punch camera with under‑screen Face ID and no Dynamic Island.
- The latest information suggests it’s too early to say goodbye to the Dynamic Island.
Statements from leakers and analysts
- Along with Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, several prominent leakers on Weibo and other platforms have said Apple will make the iPhone 18 Pro’s Dynamic Island smaller, but won’t eliminate it.
- Similar rumors about a smaller iPhone 17 Pro Dynamic Island surfaced last year, but the size ultimately remained unchanged.
- Chinese leaker Digital Chat Station later claimed that the iPhone 18 Pro won’t have a smaller Dynamic Island at all, with the slimmed‑down version delayed until the iPhone 19.
Outlook
Most of the iPhone 18 Pro rumors about under‑display Face ID and no Dynamic Island circulated earlier in 2025, so Apple either considered the feature for the 18 Pro lineup and pushed it back, or those rumors were off‑base. There also may have been confusion over what’s moving under the display and what isn’t.
We’ll know for sure in a few months. Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 18 Pro models alongside its first foldable iPhone this fall, with the standard iPhone 18 arriving early next year as part of a new split‑cycle launch strategy.