With iPhone 18, Apple will continue its streak of losing its identity
For as long as I can remember, the iPhone has remained a very recognizable device across the globe. Apple enjoys enviable fame, and whether you love it or hate it, any publicity is good publicity for the iPhone. And yet, with the iPhone 18, I feel that Apple will continue a trend that it's looking to start this year with the upcoming iPhone 17 series.
Render of what the iPhone 17 Air will likely look like. | Image credit — Fpt.
If you've been keeping up with the smartphone industry, you probably know that it's all but confirmed that the iPhone 17 Pro will feature an overhauled exterior. Both the iPhone 17 Pro Max and the Pro models will come with a much larger camera island on the rear. It's expected that Apple will argue that this improves photography by moving the flash away from the sensors. Doesn't that design sound a little familiar? You only need to turn to the iPhone 17 Air to wonder whether that's an iPhone or a Google Pixel 9 instead. Yep, the iPhone 17 will forgo its enviable fame, settling instead for a new look that has seen mixed reception online since its initial leak.I've been on the fence about this change. On one hand, it's about time that the iPhone wore a new outfit. But on the other hand, this design will not nearly be as recognizable from a distance as the old one. The iPhone 17 will resemble the Pixel phones so closely that Apple is basically wasting the recognition it has earned.And it's continuing that trend with the iPhone 18 in 2026.
The Dynamic Island will be no more on iPhone. | Image credit — PhoneArena
We've had multiple reports in the past that the iPhone 18 will have a punch hole design for its displays. Now, a very reliable insider who's in touch with the supply chain has confirmed that this is true. The iPhone 18 will see Face ID moved under the display, and the front camera will be housed behind a punch hole. This is in preparation for the iPhone 20 — Apple will likely skip an iPhone 19 — for 2027, which will be the 20th anniversary of this iconic product. For that iPhone, the company reportedly wants to introduce an entirely new Pro model that is all glass on the front and sides. There will be no bezels and there will be no cutouts on the screen, as everything (including the camera) will be shifted under the display.And as much as I cannot wait for that, the iPhone 18 is going to be a hard pass for anyone who cares about having a recognizable phone.
The distinction between the iPhone and Pixel may not be so clear in 2026. | Image credit — PhoneArena
The iPhone 18 will be a completely unrecognizable device from the front, and a confusing one on the back. If reports of a punch hole that is on one side of the screen are accurate, then the iPhone 18 will look like an outdated budget Android phone. Say what you will about the Dynamic Island, it was instantly recognizable. I, personally, really like what Apple did with it. As someone who's always hated notches and punch holes, the Dynamic Island took an annoying aspect of modern smartphones and did something clever with it. To revert to an outdated formula that does nothing special is…a choice.It's a shame, too, because by the time the iPhone 18 comes out, Apple Intelligence may be a decent suite of AI tools. The iPhone 18 will also be the first Apple phone to use a 2 nm processor: the A20 chip. But with such an identity crisis going for it, I would much rather wait for its successor.
Instead, if everything goes according to plan, then the mythical foldable iPhone will launch in 2026 as well. And that, to me, sounds like a much more unique purchase than the iPhone 18. If it doesn't cost both my kidneys, of course. Secure your connection now at a bargain price!
We may earn a commission if you make a purchase This offer is not available in your area.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Phone Arena
an hour ago
- Phone Arena
Google's Pixel phones may soon borrow a trick from Samsung's Now Bar
Referential image of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra with the Now Bar. | Image credit — Phonearena Google might be working on its own version of Samsung's Now Bar, according to new details spotted in the latest Android 16 beta. The feature, called "Gemini Space," could be a major step forward for Google's At a Glance widget, offering more real-time information on the lock screen. As reported based on findings through a deep dive of the underlying code, traces of this new experience first appeared in last month's Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 release. A new system configuration file named "Ambient Data" was added, which appears to be the internal codename for Gemini Space. That file was found in firmware for both the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 8 Pro, suggesting the feature won't be limited to the upcoming Pixel 10. Other clues point to an "Ambience Hub," though it's not clear how it will work. The name suggests a new interface for showing useful data on the lock screen or always-on display. This would align with other Google features that use 'ambient' in their name, such as ambient display or ambient AOD. More interestingly, the Android System Intelligence app — which powers the current At a Glance widget — now includes hints about sports scores and finance updates. A toggle for finance recaps was even found in the At a Glance settings, further supporting the idea that these updates could appear as part of Gemini Space. OneUI's Now Bar and Now Brief was a welcome addition when it launched with the Galaxy S25 series. | Image credit — PhoneArena All signs point to Google preparing a rebranded and upgraded version of At a Glance. If true, Gemini Space would serve a similar purpose to Samsung's Now Bar and Now Brief — the former being a live info chip on the lock screen, and the latter offering a full-page summary of your day. While some may say that At a Glance already covers this, Pixel phones don't have anything quite like the Now Brief: a dedicated, rich feed of contextual updates accessible right from the lock screen. That could change if Gemini Space and the rumored Ambience Hub roll out as expected. Whether this will be a Pixel 10 exclusive or come to older models remains to be seen, but the feature looks like a natural evolution of At a Glance — and perhaps a strategic way to keep Gemini AI front and center. Secure your connection now at a bargain price! We may earn a commission if you make a purchase This offer is not available in your area.
GSM Arena
2 hours ago
- GSM Arena
OnePlus rumored to be working on new gaming series Comments
OnePlus will unveil the Nord 5 and Nord CE5 on July 8, Nord 5 will use the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3
Phone Arena
2 hours ago
- Phone Arena
Samsung's 2025 Galaxy Watch lineup is... interesting, but there's something missing
I absolutely hate that I even need to say this, but while color options are not particularly important (for me, at least) when it comes to new smartphones, smartwatches are an entirely different story. These are fashion items just as much as they are tech gadgets, which means that every design element can greatly matter for a prospective buyer. That includes the product's shape (which I'm actually not going to comment on today, as I'm not too bothered by the "squircle" Samsung will apparently expand to its entire Galaxy Watch family this year), key details like weight and thickness, and yes, paint jobs. The Galaxy Watch 8 is by no means what you'd call an eye-catching product. | Image Credit -- Evan Blass And while we're on the subject, why do "mainstream" rugged smartwatches have to come in a single size? That was the case for the first-gen Galaxy Watch Ultra, as well as the Apple Watch Ultra and Apple Watch Ultra 2, and there's apparently a very good chance the next-gen Galaxy Watch Ultra will offer no case size diversity whatsoever. I know, I know, a smaller-than-47mm Watch Ultra might need to cut some serious battery life corners, but who says there's no market for a compact rugged timepiece with no more than a day of running times between charges, a sleeker and thinner body, and ideally, a lower price point? Besides, if Garmin can pull off multiple sizes for so many of its popular robust smartwatches, why wouldn't Samsung be able to do the same thing? Of course, the single-size Galaxy Watch 8 Classic is a big problem too, and because it follows in the footsteps of a Galaxy Watch 6 Classic available with both 43 and 47mm cases, this problem is also hard to wrap my head around. Did anyone complain about too much variety on any of Samsung's previous wearable devices? If not, what is the company thinking?! Most of you will probably not agree with me on this, but I consider the Galaxy Watch FE to be the best Samsung smartwatch available right now. The reasons are fairly simple, and it obviously helps that I'm not exactly what you'd call a smartwatch power user. But even those of you who'd never think about buying anything but the latest and greatest high-end devices have to admit that the bang for buck is mighty strong with the first-ever Galaxy Watch Fan Edition, which is why Samsung should probably strike while the iron is hot and think about releasing a new generation as soon as possible. The first-gen Galaxy Watch FE is a great product, but a sequel could obviously be even better. | Image Credit -- Samsung Now, I'm fully aware that it's against the company's traditions to unveil budget-friendly Fan Editions alongside new flagships, but traditions are made to be changed, and if the Galaxy Watch 8 can look radically different from its predecessor, why couldn't a Galaxy Watch FE (2025) see daylight in an "uncharacteristic" timeline? Just think about it - a new $200 and up intelligent timepiece based on the Galaxy Watch 6 (or even the Watch 7) instead of the Watch 4 with pretty much all the health monitoring tools you need, a reasonably powerful processor, and stellar software support. Why would you ever consider the undoubtedly pricier Galaxy Watch 8 ? Oh, yeah, I get the problem now. I admit that this is just a pipe dream of mine right now, and I'm not entirely sure that it would work, but if there's one segment where tech companies should try to slim down their products and gauge demand, that's the wearable industry and not the smartphone market. Am I the only one who feels a Galaxy Watch Edge makes more sense than the Galaxy S25 Edge? | Image Credit -- PhoneArena Can you even picture a Galaxy Watch Edge or Galaxy Watch 8 Edge with a sub-9mm waist, sub-40-gram weight, premium build materials, a big and beautiful AMOLED touchscreen, and all the latest and greatest health and fitness tracking features around? That's more or less the description of the new Garmin Venu X1, so it can (probably) be done if we put enough pressure on Samsung... and understand that battery life could be a disaster if something like this ever materializes. Secure your connection now at a bargain price! We may earn a commission if you make a purchase This offer is not available in your area.
