While all eyes are on Apple’s first foldable, the company hasn’t forgotten its most capable mobile lineup, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. They look almost exactly like the previous models (except for a new burgundy color option), but they feature a slightly smaller Dynamic Island cutout. The main improvements this year are the new A20 Pro chip, as well as manual camera aperture controls, which will help creatives fine-tune their focus levels and deliver better low-light performance for photos and videos. Apple also claims the iPhone 18 Pro line has the longest battery life ever in an iPhone, as well as improved vapor chamber cooling.
It makes sense that the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max are slightly boring – Apple probably wants the spotlight on its foldable this year, and these Pro models exist primarily as an upgrade path for people who don’t want to upgrade to a whole new form factor. The increased focus on the iPhone 18 Pro’s cameras also makes them much more useful for professionals. Based on the sample videos and photos that Apple showed during its live launch, it appears that these phones will be able to handle complex low-light shots in a way never before possible with Apple hardware. (As usual, Apple also used its latest phone to film the entire launch event.)
The new variable aperture feature is reserved for the iPhone 18 Pro’s 48-megapixel Fusion main camera, so you won’t be able to use it on the telephoto or ultra-wide lenses. You’ll be able to adjust the aperture up to f/1.8, which can give images a blurred background (or bokeh) and also allow you to shoot videos in very low light conditions. Apple is also introducing a new Reference Image mode that will sign photos taken by the iPhone 18 Pro to confirm their authenticity. You can view them in the Photos app where they work “like a digital negative, to visually compare the two items and determine if any changes have been made,” according to Apple.
Thanks to the A20 Pro chip, Apple claims that the iPhone 18 Pro Max offers 40% more sustained performance than the iPhone 17 Pro and twice as much as the 16 Pro. Apple also claims that the A18 Pro has a battery life of 36 hours, while the 18 Pro Max will run for up to 45 hours.
Unfortunately, Apple hasn’t yet managed to get rid of its front-facing Dynamic Island cutout, but this time around it at least takes up less of the screen. The dynamic island can also expand to cover three live activities at once. Apple is pretty stuck with Dynamic Island because it relies on complex sensors for FaceID. In comparison, Android phones only need a small circular cutout for the front cameras.
Design-wise, I’ll miss the bright orange of last year’s iPhone 17 Pro, which seemed like a sign that Apple was finally moving toward bolder color options. The new burgundy color looks luxurious, but it definitely doesn’t attract as much attention.
The Pro line has always been the better option for demanding iPhone users: they’re thicker and heavier than the standard iPhone, but in exchange you usually get more powerful hardware, multiple cameras, and a few new exclusive features. The situation is very different this year, however, as I would bet that many Pro users will be tempted by the iPhone Duo. This is the biggest change Apple has made to its mobile lineup since the iPhone Personally, I can see myself giving up a few camera features so the Duo can turn into a mini-tablet.
Apple
You can pre-order the iPhone 18 Pro this Saturday, September 12. Thanks to the RAM and storage price crisis, both models also cost $100 more than before: the iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 and the 18 Pro Max starts at $1,299.
