Leaked video may offer first real look at iPhone 18 Pro’s smaller Dynamic Island

A video circulating just hours before Apple’s ‘Surprise and shine’ event may have provided an early look at one of the most noticeable changes coming to the iPhone 18 Pro: a significantly smaller Dynamic Island.

The footage, shared online ahead of Apple’s announcement, appears to show an iPhone with a narrower pill-shaped cutout at the top of the display. While the authenticity of last-minute leaks should always be treated cautiously until Apple makes its announcements, the design shown in the clip is consistent with months of reports pointing to a reduced Dynamic Island on this year’s Pro models.

The leaked video has emerged on the same day Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.

The timing is notable because Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has separately reported that Apple’s redesigned Dynamic Island will be smaller and more capable. The updated interface is expected to allow users to switch between three Live Activities at once, compared with the two simultaneous activities supported by the existing implementation.

Great reporting from @markgurman. The new Dynamic Island with 3 items is already supported in iOS 27. Here’s what it looks like.

The code requires a sensor region less than 100 layout points wide, or below 16.57 mm for this new mode. iPhone 17 Pro was 20.76 mm. https://t.co/jZshu4rFXx pic.twitter.com/mL46rcEirh

— pdfu (@itspdfu) September 9, 2026

The Dynamic Island has remained broadly unchanged in appearance since Apple introduced it with the iPhone 14 Pro in 2022. Shrinking the hardware cutout would therefore represent one of the more visible changes to the front of the iPhone 18 Pro, even though the overall design of the handset is expected to remain familiar.

Apple is also rumored to have major changes planned beneath the surface. Reports point to an A20 Pro chip manufactured using a 2nm process, upgraded cooling, longer battery life and substantial camera improvements. A variable-aperture main camera has been widely rumored, although reports have differed over whether that feature will appear on both Pro models or be reserved for the iPhone 18 Pro Max.

With Apple’s event taking place later today, there should not be long to wait before the authenticity of the leaked footage and the final Dynamic Island design can be confirmed.