The Glacier colorway is technically blue, although it’s a pale, cool shade that I saw a shopper at an Apple Store mistake for white after pre-ordering online, so it’s worth seeing in person before ordering. Apple sells the 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max in black, silver, glacier, and burgundy. Burgundy is my favorite of the four. It’s a deep red that almost resembles a Bordeaux wine, although it picks up fingerprints on the glass back and aluminum frame quite easily, whereas Glacier barely shows them.
Every color looks better from behind this year. The glass panel is much closer to the aluminum surrounding it, which cleans up the two-tone look of the iPhone 17 Pro. Both phones are also much less slippery than the 17 Pro, which should help you avoid dropping them – and that’s especially important for these aluminum-framed phones.
The iPhone 18 Pro weighs 211g, 5g more than the iPhone 17 Pro’s 206g, while the 18 Pro Max weighs 249g. On paper, both are technically heavier than last year’s devices, although I didn’t feel any difference in my hand, especially when comparing the 18 Pro Max to my 17 Pro Max. I have fairly large hands, so both sizes were comfortable to use with one hand. If you’re worried about using these new handsets one-handed, the 18 Pro is probably the best buy for you.
I used both phones without a case and neither is branded. The front screen is again equipped with Ceramic Shield 2, and my 17 Pro Max went the entire year without a single scratch or dent on its screen. The aluminum monocoque is slightly less forgiving, however. My 17 Pro Max has taken a few drops in the year I’ve had it, and the 18 Pro uses the same material, so expect the same if you go with a caseless case. Both are IP68 rated for water and dust resistance, although I haven’t tested it myself.
The camera control button (which isn’t technically called a button, but essentially is) is still there and I still don’t use it. I’ve never touched it once on my 17 Pro Max outside of reviewing it, and I doubt I’ll do any differently this year. The 18 Pro’s stereo speakers are among the best of any phone you can buy in 2026 and are perhaps slightly louder than last year’s. Headphones are still the right choice if you care about audio quality.
