Apple iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max review: It’s what’s on the inside that counts

Key Points:

• The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max focus on refinement rather than redesign, featuring a new A20 Pro chip, improved battery life (up to 45 hours of video playback), and enhanced cooling with a vapor chamber system, but their appearance is largely unchanged from the previous generation.
• The main camera introduces a physical variable aperture for the first time on an iPhone, improving low-light photography and offering new Pro controls like manual white balance and shutter speed, though other cameras see minor upgrades primarily through software enhancements.
• New features include a smaller Dynamic Island supporting three live activities simultaneously, faster wired charging (50% in 15 minutes with a 60W adapter), and iOS 27’s upgraded Siri AI and photography tools such as spatial reframing and picture clean-up.
• The iPhone 18 Pro models start at $1,199 and $1,299 respectively, with the price increasing by $100 from last year; the upgrades may not justify an immediate purchase for iPhone 17 Pro owners, but represent a significant improvement for users with older models or those needing advanced camera and battery performance.
• Apple also introduced the iPhone Duo, its first foldable phone, which has a large inner display but less powerful cameras and a much higher price; consumers unsure about the Duo are advised to wait until they can try it in person before deciding.