The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max don't look that different from the previous generation, but new colors and a fresh AI push highlight the debut.

Apple's special event for September is underway, and as usual, it has launched new iPhones. Following months of rumors and speculation, the premium models for 2026 are the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.

True to form for Apple, the new Pro models look a lot like the previous generation at first glance. There are some obvious differences, such as the color range, but they are sticking to the same design for one more year.

Those four colors are Black, Silver, Glacier, and Burgundy.

As usual, the vast bulk of the improvements are internal. More performance, more battery life, and better photography.

An A20 upgrade

The main expected change for this round is the use of the A20 Pro. Using a new 2-nanometer process, the A20 Pro boasts performance improvements, including new chip packaging to improve thermal management with the vapor chamber.

That new vapor chamber design has three times the surface area of the previous model. It even covers memory, too.

The six-core CPU has two Super Cores that are 20% faster, while the four efficiency cores have neural accelerators

Glowing silver Apple A20 Pro chip centered on a dark background, softly illuminated edges creating a futuristic, high-tech appearance

The A20 Pro is the new 2-nanometer chip - Image Credit: Apple

The seven-core GPU is one more than the A19 Pro's six-core version, which will help with graphical performance, to the tone of 40%. Each also has a new version of its in-core neural accelerator, which will also assist the Neural Engine for AI processing.

The Neural Engine now has 32 cores, double the number of previous versions.

Overall, there's now a 50% increase in memory bandwidth.

Transparent smartphone chassis showing internal components, with a highlighted cluster of tiny white dots across the center and right side, suggesting internal cooling or structural mesh on a dark background

The new vapor chamber is three times bigger than the previous model. Image Credit: Apple

Chip-wise, there's also the N1 wireless networking chip, designed by Apple. It's capable of handling Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread.

It's joined by the C2, a new cellular modem with AI-powered improvements for celluylar quality and reliability. Apple says it is "meaningfully faster" than the C1X for uploads, while using 15% less energy.

Variable aperture

In 2025, the design changed to include a camera bar on the back, referred to as a plateau. However, while it keeps the same 48MP sensors in each position, Apple's changing how one of them works.

Rather than a fixed aperture, Apple's including a variable aperture system for the 48MP Main Fusion camera. A fixed aperture keeps as much of an image in focus, with any defocusing or blurring introduced computationally.

A variable aperture camera can change the amount of light hitting the sensor, affecting the exposure triangle photographers are familiar with. This affects the depth of field and the amount of bokeh, by making the aperture larger or smaller.

Close-up of a dark mechanical component with intricate circular parts and cables, set against a black background, resembling the internal mechanism of high-tech electronic or optical equipment

The iPhone 18 Pro Max variable aperture system

Six blades are used with a new rotor mechanism and a new custom-designed lens. The aperture automatically changes depending on the scene, as a normal standalone camera would.

The key benefit here is for photographers to be more in control over focus and blurring in shots, without resorting to faking it by algorithms.

There are many other benefits, including an improved sensor for better low-light coverage, and crisper detail for group shots. Photographic Styles has been upgraded with new texture and grain controls.

For video, there's Cinematic Effects on 60fps footage, 4K and Dolby Vision HDR for Time-Lapse mode, and better algorithms for Audio Mix.

Apple Reference Image will also help authenticate photographs taken on the iPhone 18 Pro, acting as a digital negative.

The new Pro Controls will provide more access to frequently-used settings and features that professional photographers would usually use. This can result in images that wouldn't normally be producible with the camera without them, enabling it to be used for more high-end artsy shots.

Around the front, the Dynamic Island still hides the camera, but it's able to shrink down a lot more. Now it can show three Live Activities at once.

Battery Life

The new battery is better than ever, with up to 36 hours of video playback on the Pro and up to 45 hours on the Pro Max. At least, that's for the eSIM-only models.

For charging, the iPhone 18 Pro can get to 50% in 15 minutes, or 30 minutes when charged wirelessly. A five-minute wired charge on the iPhone 18 Pro Max equates to about seven hours of video playback.

Storage and price rises

One of the uncomfortable truths of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max is that they are affected by the ongoing memory and storage chip crisis. After increasing the cost of other Apple products earlier in the year, it inevitably led to Apple raising the cost of the iPhones later on.

Four modern Apple smartphones standing upright in a row, showing backs with triple camera lenses, in black, silver, light blue, and deep burgundy colors against a dark background

The new colors of iPhone 18 Pro

The base iPhone 18 Pro starts from $1,199, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts from $1,299. Storage upgrades go up to 2TB for both models, not just the Max.

Preorders begin on Saturday, with availability from September 18.

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