What upgrading to iPhone 18 Pro from iPhone 17 Pro brings you

Apple’s new iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max largely build on last year’s models with a series of targeted upgrades rather than a major redesign. The most notable changes are better performance, camera capabilities, battery life, and wired charging speeds.

Several key specifications remain unchanged from the iPhone 17 Pro models. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max retain the same 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch screen sizes, 3,000 nits maximum outdoor brightness, and 48-megapixel ultra-wide-angle and telephoto cameras with 4x telephoto and 8x optical-grade zoom.

MagSafe and Qi2 charging also remain capped at 25W, while the overall industrial design – minus the dynamic island – is largely unchanged. The main camera, however, receives substantial improvements, notably the new variable aperture system. Here’s what you can expect if you’re considering upgrading from an iPhone 17 Pro or Pro Max.

• The A20 Pro chip replaces the A19 Pro, with up to 20% faster CPU and 40% faster GPU performance.
• 7-core GPU, up from the 6-core GPU in the A19 Pro.
• Double the AI ​​processing performance, with a new dual 16-core neural engine.
• Redesigned steam chamber with three times more surface area, enabling sustained performance up to 40% higher.
• Smaller dynamic island that can display up to three live activities at a time.
• 48 MP primary camera with variable aperture with ƒ/1.48, ƒ/1.8, ƒ/2.8 and ƒ/4 settings, replacing the fixed ƒ/1.78 aperture on iPhone 17 Pro models.
• Approximately 50% better low-light performance of the main camera.
• New manual camera controls for aperture, shutter speed, white balance and histogram.
• New Apple Reference Image feature to create authenticated, unalterable reference photos.
• 3 Photographic Styles, with new texture and grain controls.
• Cinematic effects that can now be applied post-capture to video shot at up to 60fps.
• Cinematic mode up to 4K Dolby Vision at 60 fps, compared to 30 fps on previous models.
• Time-lapse recording upgraded to 4K Dolby Vision.
• Improved audio mixing with higher quality vocal processing and music isolation.
• New intelligent focus tracking for photos and videos.
• Improved low-light video recording at 1080p.
• Up to 36 hours of video playback on iPhone 18 Pro, compared to 33 hours on the 17 Pro.
• Up to 45 hours of video playback on iPhone 18 Pro Max, compared to 39 hours on the 17 Pro Max.
• Faster wired charging: Apple claims 50% in around 15 minutes, compared to around 20 minutes.
• 2TB storage option on the 6.3-inch iPhone 18 Pro, up from 1TB maximum.
• New Black, Silver, Glacier and Burgundy finishes, replacing Silver, Cosmic Orange and Deep Blue.
• Heavier design: The iPhone 18 Pro is 5g heavier than its predecessor, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max is 16g heavier.
• Starting price $100 higher: $1,199 for iPhone 18 Pro and $1,299 for iPhone 18 Pro Max.

iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will be available for pre-order starting Saturday, September 12 at 5 a.m. PT / 8 a.m. Eastern. The devices will then be released on Friday, September 18. If you want to be among the first to get your hands on a device, we’ve got some tips to give you the best chance on launch day.