iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max reviews – faster, heavier, and more expensive

In reviews of the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max, journalists praise the record-breaking performance of the A20 Pro, battery life, improved cooling, and new manual camera settings. However, the phones look almost unchanged, are heavier and more expensive, and the main camera upgrade delivers only a modest difference in image quality.

Almost the same design, but heavier

Externally, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max almost replicate last year’s models. The OLED display diagonals remain unchanged at 6.3 and 6.9 inches respectively, with refresh rates reaching 120 Hz. Tom’s Guide measured the peak brightness of the iPhone 18 Pro Max at 2326 nits with a 25% screen fill, nearly matching the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

The main visual change at the front is a smaller Dynamic Island. Some Face ID components were moved under the display, making the cutout more compact and now capable of displaying up to three activities simultaneously. Engadget considers the change pleasant but notes that it makes little difference in daily use.

However, the smartphones have gained weight. The iPhone 18 Pro weighs 211 grams compared to 206 grams for its predecessor, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max now weighs 249 grams instead of 233 grams. The difference is especially noticeable on the higher-end model. Meanwhile, the body dimensions have hardly changed, so some cases designed for the iPhone 17 Pro also fit the new generation.

Another complaint concerns the aluminum chassis. Engadget and Gizmodo note that the aluminum frame scratches and dents more easily than the titanium construction of older Pro models.

Variable aperture is useful, but the difference isn’t always noticeable

The main camera change is the variable aperture of the primary 48-MP sensor. Six mechanical blades allow switching between f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8, and f/4. The smartphone can select the value automatically, but for the first time, users now have full manual control over the aperture in the standard camera app. Also added are shutter speed, white balance, focus settings, and a histogram.

This is where journalists’ impressions diverge significantly. WIRED considers manual settings one of the most interesting innovations: at f/1.48, the camera is indeed capable of achieving natural background blur, and closing the aperture helps increase the depth of field. The publication’s author has almost stopped using the regular portrait mode in favor of the optical effect.

The Verge and Engadget are more reserved. In most everyday scenarios, the difference between f/1.48 and f/1.8 is minimal due to the smartphone’s small sensor and computational processing. A wider aperture helps at night and allows for shorter shutter speeds in night mode, while f/4 is more useful when photographing groups of people, text, and closely spaced objects where keeping most of the frame in focus matters.

Gizmodo reached a similar conclusion. Night photos from the iPhone 18 Pro show slightly better dynamic range and preserve bright areas more carefully, but differences from the iPhone 17 Pro are minor under normal viewing. A more noticeable advantage is that night mode activates less frequently because the f/1.48 lens lets in more light.

At the same time, automatic aperture selection does not always capture the photographer’s intent. Gizmodo cites an example where the iPhone chose f/1.8 for several figurines, causing distant objects to appear blurred. To achieve the desired depth of field, it was necessary to manually switch to f/4.

There is also a rather strange limitation: the Camera Control touch button does not allow changing new manual camera parameters. The aperture, shutter speed, and other settings must be adjusted via the on-screen interface. The Verge additionally notes that the manual control elements themselves are quite small.

Zoom still lags behind some Android flagships

The remaining rear cameras retain a resolution of 48 MP. The ultra-wide camera uses a 13 mm lens with an f/2.2 aperture, while the telephoto lens offers a 100 mm equivalent, an f/2.8 aperture, and four-times optical zoom. Apple also provides eight-times “optical quality” zoom and digital zoom up to 40x.

According to Tom’s Guide tests, at low and medium zoom levels the iPhone 18 Pro Max can compete with the Galaxy S26 Ultra, but at 40x zoom Samsung retains noticeably more detail. Therefore, the new iPhone remains a powerful all-around camera phone, but maximum zoom still cannot be called its advantage over Samsung flagships.

New video features include the ability to add the Cinematic effect after recording, intelligent subject tracking, 4K time-lapse with Dolby Vision HDR, and manual shutter control. Tom’s Guide praised the option to apply blur after shooting, while Engadget noted that the result is sometimes too weak or unpredictable.

A20 Pro – the main advantage

If the impact of the variable aperture depends on the scenario, reviewers assess the performance of the new 2-nm A20 Pro much more definitively. The chip includes a six-core CPU, seven-core graphics, and two 16-core Neural Engines. Apple has also tripled the vapor chamber area compared to the iPhone 17 Pro.

In Geekbench 6, the iPhone 18 Pro scored 4735 and 12,800 points in single-core and multi-core modes, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max achieved 4741 and 12,789 points. For comparison, the Galaxy S26 Ultra received 3785 and 11,563 points, and the iPhone 17 Pro scored 3834 and 9988 points.

The results of the sustained load test were particularly interesting. In the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress Test, the iPhone 18 Pro Max achieved a stability score of 79.4%, compared to 65.2% for the iPhone 17 Pro Max and 53.9% for the Galaxy S26 Ultra. However, the standard iPhone 18 Pro scored only 62.8%, versus 61.1% for its predecessor. Thus, the most noticeable benefit from the new cooling system in Tom’s Guide’s test was seen specifically on the Pro Max.

WIRED also praised the cooling. After nearly an hour of playing Control, the chassis heated up evenly without distinct hot spots, and the enlarged vapor chamber allowed it to maintain high performance for longer.

Battery life has improved, especially on the Pro Max

Battery life has become another strong suit of the new generation. In Tom’s Guide’s test with continuous web page loading over 5G at a brightness of 150 nits, the iPhone 18 Pro lasted an average of 16 hours 17 minutes compared to 15 hours 21 minutes for the iPhone 17 Pro. The iPhone 18 Pro Max showed 18 hours 27 minutes versus 17 hours 54 minutes for its predecessor.

However, Apple did not become the absolute leader of the test. OnePlus 15 lasted 25 hours and 13 minutes thanks to a significantly larger silicon-carbon battery. Galaxy S26 Ultra showed 16 hours and 40 minutes in standard display mode.

In real-world use, impressions were similar. WIRED managed to use the iPhone 18 Pro Max for about two days with roughly five hours of active screen time per day, and by the end of the first day, around half the battery remained. Gizmodo also reports that draining the Pro Max in a single day proved difficult even while shooting 4K video, playing games, and using social media actively.

Wired charging has become faster. In Tom’s Guide tests, the iPhone 18 Pro reached 53% in 15 minutes and 80% in half an hour, while the Pro Max reached 44% and 77% respectively. To achieve maximum speed, a compatible power adapter is needed, which is not included in the kit.

Siri has become more useful, but still falls short of ChatGPT

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max ship with iOS 27 and the new Siri AI. Reviewers note significant progress: the assistant better understands personal context, on-screen information, and can execute multiple related actions from a single command.

However, Siri AI is still in beta. Tom’s Guide believes that in terms of conversational capabilities, it still lags behind Gemini and ChatGPT: for example, you cannot have the same full conversation with Siri about what the camera sees in real time. Engadget also listed Siri AI’s beta status as a drawback of the smartphone.

Is it worth updating?

Overall, early reviews agree that the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are significantly better inside, though this is barely visible externally. WIRED and Engadget gave the smartphones 9 out of 10, while The Verge awarded them 8 out of 10. Journalists cite the A20 Pro chip, cooling system, battery life, cameras, and the addition of manual controls as key strengths. Main criticisms include higher pricing, increased weight, aluminum that is prone to damage, and a relatively modest improvement in photo quality from the variable aperture in automatic mode.

Reviewers generally advise iPhone 17 Pro owners not to rush the upgrade. The changes are more noticeable for those who actively shoot photos and videos, play demanding games, or switch from smartphones of several previous generations. The Pro Max model stands out additionally with its battery life and significantly higher performance stability under sustained load.

In the US, the iPhone 18 Pro with 256 GB storage starts at $1199, and the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at $1299, which is $100 more expensive than last year’s models. Both versions are available with 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB storage options. In Germany, prices start at €1449 for the iPhone 18 Pro and €1599 for the Pro Max; in France, they start at €1479 and €1629, respectively. Sales begin on September 18.