Apple may not introduce major design or material changes to the iPhone 18 Pro, at least in terms of its overall build.
iPhone 17 Pro Max is sold in Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue and Silver colourways
The iPhone 18 Pro is expected to be unveiled at Apple's September event, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro Max and the long-rumoured iPhone Fold models. According to a tipster, the purported handset has entered the early stages of test production. Apple is said to have begun limited-scale manufacturing runs of the iPhone 18 Pro as part of its engineering validation and production readiness process, months ahead of its official unveiling.
In a Weibo post (via 9to5Mac), tipster Fixed Focus Digital (translated from Chinese) claimed that the iPhone 18 series, including the iPhone 18 Pro, has entered production testing. Citing the latest information, the tipster claimed that the materials used in the purported handsets have not changed significantly and that Apple is broadly sticking to the existing specification scheme.
If accurate, this suggests that Apple may not introduce major design or material changes to the iPhone 18 Pro, at least in terms of its overall build. Instead, the Cupertino-based tech giant could be focusing on internal refinements and performance improvements while maintaining a familiar cosmetic design language.
Test production, notably, is a standard step in Apple's hardware development cycle. During this phase, manufacturing partners produce a limited number of units to evaluate assembly processes, component fit, yield rates, and overall production efficiency.
9to5Mac reported that Apple is closely working with its primary suppliers to fine-tune the manufacturing process for the iPhone 18 Pro, to identify potential bottlenecks prior to its mass production, which is speculated to begin later in the year.
Recently, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman mentioned that Apple is testing a deep red colour option for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. It is said to be the new flagship colour under consideration for this year's Pro lineup.
The tech giant is speculated to be building on the momentum raised by the popularity of the Cosmic Orange colourway of the iPhone 17 Pro models. As per the journalist, the orange colourway has reportedly driven demand in key markets such as China, where some consumers have compared it to luxury brand Hermes' orange hue.
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