Apple will unveil the iPhone 18 Pro on September 9, but rumors have already leaked what to expect. Two standout features stand out as upgrade motivators.

#1: Major camera improvements — Mark Gurman says iPhone 18 Pro will bring "the biggest leap in camera hardware in a while." Leaker Fixed Focus Digital reports the Main camera is getting significant changes, with bulkier components that will increase the thickness of the plateau. Variable aperture is a long-rumored feature expected to be part of the upgrades. The Telephoto, which improved last year with 4x and 8x zoom options, will reportedly have a wider aperture for better low-light performance. After buying an iPhone Air last year, missing the best camera system has been a pain point.

#2: A20 Pro chip with big leaps — The A20 Pro will be built on the same 2-nanometer process used for the M6 chip unveiled this week. Apple says the move to 2nm brings "a major leap in performance and power efficiency." The M6 features a Dual 16-core Neural Engine for double the AI performance. If A20 Pro gets that upgrade too, it would deliver a major boost for iOS 27 AI features including Siri AI. Battery life should also improve further.

Cameras and the A20 Pro are the top two motivators for upgrading right now.