09.09.2026 at 20:45

Apple unveiled iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max

The new flagships received the 2-nm A20 Pro processor, a reduced Dynamic Island, a main 48-MP camera with variable aperture, and significantly increased battery life: the iPhone 18 Pro Max is rated for up to 45 hours of video playback.

Design and Display

Externally, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max continue the design language of last year’s lineup. Apple retained the aluminum chassis, the wide Plateau area with the camera module, and the glass insert on the back panel. Now the glass is matched to the color of the aluminum part of the chassis.

Four color options are available: Deep Black, Silver, Glacier, and Burgundy. The latter two appear as light blue and burgundy-red variants.

The iPhone 18 Pro features a 6.3-inch OLED display, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max has a 6.9-inch OLED screen. For the first time since the iPhone 14 Pro launch, the Dynamic Island cutout is smaller. The updated Dynamic Island can now display up to three Live Activities simultaneously.

Performance

The smartphones are based on the new Apple A20 Pro, manufactured using a 2-nm process. The chip includes a 6-core CPU and a 7-core GPU. According to Apple, graphics performance has increased by 40%.

The processor includes two high-performance Super cores and four energy-efficient cores. The A20 Pro also features a second Neural Engine, bringing the total number of neural cores to 32. Memory bandwidth has increased by 50% compared to the previous generation.

The cooling system with a vapor chamber has also been redesigned. Its area was increased approximately threefold compared to the previous version, which should help maintain high performance for longer under sustained load.

Both models are available with storage capacities of 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB.

Cameras

The main update is the primary camera with a new 48-MP sensor and a mechanically variable aperture. The lens uses six miniature blades thinner than a human hair that physically change the size of the opening.

At maximum aperture, the camera lets in approximately 50% more light. This should reduce shooting time in night mode, and adjusting the aperture also allows manual control over depth of field.

Apple has added advanced Pro Controls for photo and video. Among the available settings, manual shutter control has been introduced, allowing users to control motion blur.

Photographic Styles have also been updated. They now include separate settings for texture and image grain.

For video, 4K time-lapse recording with Dolby Vision HDR has been added. Cinematic mode effects can now be applied after recording standard video. Additionally, a 60 fps recording mode has been introduced, allowing the footage to be played back at half speed.

The front camera retains the 18-MP Center Stage sensor. It enables wide horizontal shots even when the smartphone is held vertically.

Apple also added support for Google’s SynthID to identify content with a compatible digital watermark created or modified using generative AI. Additionally, smartphones support Apple Reference Image for working with image provenance and authenticity.

Battery and charging

Apple claims the best battery life in iPhone history. With typical use, the iPhone 18 Pro is rated for up to 24 hours, and the iPhone 18 Pro Max for up to 30 hours. In video playback mode, these figures reach 36 and 45 hours, respectively. According to the company, the standard Pro’s battery life is now comparable to last year’s iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Models without a physical SIM card slot received larger batteries due to the freed-up space inside the chassis. For these models, Apple claims approximately two hours more video playback compared to versions with a physical SIM card.

Wired charging has also sped up. The iPhone 18 Pro can charge to 50% in about 15 minutes. For the iPhone 18 Pro Max, Apple states that five minutes of charging is enough for up to seven hours of video playback. The company did not specify the maximum wired charging power in watts.

With wireless charging, the battery can be recharged to 50% in approximately 30 minutes.

Software and connectivity

Smartphones run iOS 27 and have gained access to new local Apple Intelligence models. The updated Siri can perform actions within third-party apps: for example, send messages, play music, and interact with services like WhatsApp and Outlook.

The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max have received Apple’s new proprietary C2 modem with mmWave 5G support. According to the company, it delivers higher data transfer speeds and consumes 15% less energy compared to the C1X.

The Apple N1 chip handles the remaining wireless interfaces. It supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread.

iOS 27 also introduces iPhone Handoff for use with multiple iPhones. The feature allows a single phone number to be used on two devices and enables switching between them. This is a system capability of iOS 27, not an iPhone 18 Pro exclusive; initially, it is available only in the United States.