The first reviews of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are out and without exception, they say it's unfairly overshadowed by the iPhone Duo.

Pre-orders for the iPhone 18 Pro models appeared to get off to a slow start, at least compared to how shipping was rapidly delayed for the iPhone 17 Pro. But now that reviewers are getting to test it in the real world, there is only one criticism.

"Is it expensive?" asks Marques Brownlee in his YouTube review. "Hell, yeah."

He also describes it as what Apple would previously have called an S release, a refinement to the preceding model. "I think it's tempting to be disappointed by that, but after using it for the past week, I actually think it's underrated," he continued.

"If there was a big tick in the tick/tock cycle of update [with the iPhone 17 Pro redesign] then this is a pretty good tock update," says Brownlee. "The 2nm chip is doing a lot of the heavy lifting here and the variable aperture camera it's subtle if anything but it has potential future value as cameras evolve."

Doesn't fold

"It might not fold in half, but everything else about the iPhone 18 Pro remains elite," writes Robert Leedham in a GQ review headlined "Apple's iPhone 18 Pro is still king of the camera phones."

Describing it as "the iPhone you're probably going to settle for" instead of the $2,000 iPhone Duo, Leedham concentrates on the new camera updates. "Really this expanded aperture is for photographers who know how to use it," he says.

"In many respects, the iPhone 18 Pro is a deliberately low-key release from Apple," he concludes. "All the shine is meant to be on the iPhone Duo this year, and so none of the Pro's upgrades are remotely extravagant."

"For now, I'll happily settle for the Pro's routine excellence," says Leedham, "it's elite in every respect."

Camera improvements for all

Mashable disagrees about the camera upgrades only being for professional users. "Even if you're not a pro, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max take excellent photographs," says its review.

It does say that the iPhone Duo is "the more intriguing model" of Apple's new lineup, though, and also that it isn't a necessary upgrade for iPhone 17 Pro users. "If you have an even older model," it says, "the 18 Pro will be a massive upgrade, especially when it comes to battery life."

The Verge takes a middle ground, agreeing that the camera updates are for all users, but not that they are remarkable. "The Pro's camera upgrade offers minor image quality improvements," it says, "whether or not you know what an f-stop is."

Just as all reviewers also talk about the iPhone Duo, most conclude that the iPhone 18 Pro is the more practical buy. But Mashable isn't as sure as the others.

"It's a tough call at this point," its review says. "If you're not sure, maybe wait until you can actually try the Duo in person."

Pre-orders for the iPhone Duo start on October 16, 2026. The first models will ship by October 23, which is also when it will appear in Apple Stores.