Apple iPhone 18 Pro First Look: Same design, big changes inside
Following Wednesday’s event, Apple gave selected media representatives the opportunity to take a look at the new iPhone 18 Pro models. MacRumors was there and gathered initial impressions.
Apple offers the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max in four colors: silver, black, burgundy, and glacier blue (a light blue). Burgundy looks particularly good in person, and those who missed black last year will be happy to see it return. The size and shape remain unchanged, and the models are still available with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays. Both are slightly heavier, with the iPhone 18 Pro Max weighing 16 grams more than the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Display and chipset
The display quality is the same, but Apple has slimmed down the Dynamic Island so that it takes up less space and can also display up to three live activities simultaneously.
Inside, the new 2nm A20 Pro chip powers the device. Users upgrading from an iPhone 17 Pro to the iPhone 18 Pro will likely notice no difference between the A19 Pro and the A20 Pro in everyday use. However, the iPhone 18 Pro models may run cooler. A new vapor chamber cooling system, which occupies three times the surface area, is said by Apple to deliver up to 40 percent higher sustained performance. There’s a new dual Neural Engine, but the RAM remains unchanged at 12GB.
Battery
Battery life is better on both Pro models. The iPhone 18 Pro lasts up to 36 hours when streaming video, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max lasts up to 45 hours. Charging via USB-C is faster: with a 60-watt power adapter, you can reach 50 percent battery charge in just 15 minutes. MagSafe and Qi2 wireless charging are still supported, but with a maximum charging power of 25 watts.
Cameras
The camera system consists of three lenses, including an improved main camera. The 48-megapixel main camera features a variable aperture with four stops: f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8, and f/4.0. The aperture adjusts automatically while shooting. For manual settings, the new “Pro Controls” option is available. You can adjust the aperture, shutter speed, and white balance. A histogram is also available for fine-tuning. The variable aperture and Pro Controls allow you to control the amount of light and background blur in your images.
The photo styles now offer controls for texture and grain. When filming, intelligent focus tracking keeps the subject in focus even if it moves out of the frame, ensuring sharpness at all times. For the first time, cinematic effects can be added to videos after they’ve been shot, and audio mixing now works with music. 4K Dolby Vision time-lapse videos are also supported.
All 6.3-inch iPhone 18 Pro models are equipped with the C2 modem, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max models in the US use a Qualcomm modem. iPhone 18 Pro Max models outside the US also feature the C2 modem. The reason for Apple’s choice of modem configuration is unclear. The C2 modem is faster and more energy-efficient than its predecessor, the C1X, and now supports mmWave 5G speeds in addition to sub-6 GHz frequencies.
Prices
As expected, Apple has raised the prices of its iPhones. The Pro model with 256 GB of storage is available from €1,449/$1,199, while the Pro Max costs at least €1,599/$1,299. Storage remains at 256 GB, but can be expanded up to 2 TB.
Pre-orders have been possible since Saturday. The new iPhones will be released on September 18th.
