A prolific leaker's latest round of iPhone 17e and iPhone 18 Pro claims adds some new and vague details about the iPhone 17e and iPhone 18, and reiterates some familiar and logical guesses
Only a couple of hours after their initial post, the Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station returned with an update. This time, they detail a bit more information about iPhone 18 Pro, and some new iPhone 17e rumors.
They now claim the iPhone 18 Pro will keep the same rear camera design as the iPhone 17 Pro. The full-width camera "plateau" will be unchanged from the 2025 iPhone Pro models.
This is a relatively safe assumption to make. Apple rarely does major back-to-back design overhauls.
They also doubled down and mentioned previous rumors they'd shared. Namely that Apple will introduce under-screen Face ID technology in the iPhone 18 Pro lineup, leaving only a single hole-punch camera — increasing screen real estate to nearly 98%.
They also claim that Apple will introduce the iPhone 17e in the first-half of 2026. For a second time, they reiterate the budget-friendly iPhone will feature a Dynamic Island, where its predecessor boasts a notch.
Supposedly, the display will top out at 60Hz. It's a safe enough call — Apple only just introduced ProMotion to the non-Pro lineup in 2025, so it's unlikely to reach the budget model this quickly.
While the number of reports for each rumor are a good indication that they may happen, there's still no guarantee that they actually will. More evidence and reporting is really needed to make them credible.
Weibo-based leakers, like Digital Chat Station, have the reputation of being an aggregator of rumors sourced from elsewhere, as well as regurgitating previously rumored stories,. This tends to lead to such accounts being less reliable and more scatter-shot with Apple rumors versus traditional sources.
