Apple iPhone 18 Pro vs. iPhone 18 Pro Max
The Apple iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max were released earlier this month. They feature a new main camera with a variable aperture, new Pro camera controls, the A20 Pro chip, and much more. With the foldable iPhone Duo now positioned above them, the two Pro models are no longer the most expensive iPhones on offer, but they remain the iPhones with the best feature set.
Apple iPhone 18 Pro
The iPhone 18 Pro is available starting at $1,199, and the iPhone 18 Pro Max starting at $1,299. Both models are $100 more expensive than their corresponding iPhone 17 Pro counterparts. The price increases are even more pronounced with increasing storage capacity: A 1TB model now costs €300/$300 more than a 1TB iPhone 17 Pro did last year.
Both smartphones feature the same OLED Super Retina XDR always-on display with ProMotion and Dynamic Island, the A20 Pro chip, 5G connectivity, a 48-megapixel Pro Fusion camera system, and the same four color options. They are also available in the same four storage variants, including, for the first time, a 2TB option for the smaller Pro model. Although the two smartphones share most of their features, there are eight differences between the devices.
Our buying guide highlights the key differences between the Apple iPhone 18 Pro and the Pro Max, helping you decide which of the two iPhone models best suits your needs. Both models are the same thickness at 8.75 mm (0.34 inches), but otherwise differ significantly in size and weight.
| Apple iPhone 18 Pro | Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max | |
| Height | 150.0 mm/5.91 inches | 163.4 mm/6.43 inches |
| Width | 71.9 mm/2.83 inches | 78.0 mm/3.07 inches |
| Weight | 211 grams | 249 grams |
The remaining differences mainly concern the display size and battery life. As with last year’s model, there are no differences in the camera setup of the two devices. The Fusion main camera with variable aperture and the new manual Pro controls are present in both models.
Apple iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max Specs
| Apple iPhone 18 Pro | Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max |
| 6.3-inch display | 6.9-inch display |
| Resolution: 2622 x 1206 pixels | Resolution: 2868 x 1320 pixels |
| 4,056 mAh battery | 5,391 mAh battery |
| Up to 36 hours of video playback | Up to 45 hours of video playback |
| Up to 33 hours of video streaming playback | Up to 40 hours of video stream playback |
| Apple C2 modem in all countries | Apple C2 modem outside the USA, Qualcomm modem in the USA. |
Apple doesn’t list battery capacity on its product pages, but the energy labels published in Europe confirm the exact values for models with a SIM card slot. The capacities mentioned above apply to these models. eSIM versions, including all iPhones sold in the US, have slightly larger batteries because they don’t have a SIM card slot. Apple has not yet released these figures.
The Apple iPhone 18 Pro uses its own C2 modem in all countries, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max only uses it outside the US. The US versions of the larger model are instead equipped with a Qualcomm modem, and the discovered iOS code points to the same modem used in last year’s iPhone 17 Pro models – namely the Snapdragon X80.
Like the Qualcomm module, the C2 supports both sub-6 GHz and mmWave 5G. According to Apple, it is faster and more energy-efficient than the C1X and offers AI-powered improvements to mobile network quality and reliability. A direct comparison under real-world conditions will only be possible once both modules have been tested on the same networks. The most obvious indication of the hardware differences lies in the supported frequency bands: The US Apple iPhone 18 Pro supports LTE Band 106, while the US iPhone 18 Pro Max does not.
Apple iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max Prices
| 256 GB | 512 GB | 1 TB | 2 TB | |
| Apple iPhone 18 Pro | €1,449 / $1,199 | €1,699 / $1,399 | €2,199 / $1,799 | €2,949 / $2,399 |
| Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max | €1,599 / $1,299 | €1,849 / $1,499 | €2,349 / $1,899 | €3,099 / $2,499 |
Another important difference lies in the price: The Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max costs $2499 when configured with 2TB of storage.
Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max
The Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max offers the maximum performance of a conventional iPhone with the best possible battery life. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a worthwhile purchase for every user. At 249 grams, it’s heavier than all its predecessors, and with its 6.9-inch display, it’s a large and bulky device.
Some find the iPhone 18 Pro Max excessively large or uncomfortably so, while others will appreciate the larger display for media consumption. Ultimately, screen size is a matter of personal preference, and since the two Apple phones offer otherwise identical features, individual taste will be the deciding factor.
Battery life is the only area where the difference between the two models has significantly increased this year. The iPhone 18 Pro Max offers six more hours of video playback than the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and the iPhone 18 Pro offers three. The result: nine more hours of runtime for the larger model, compared to six hours for its predecessor. If getting through a long day without recharging is important to you, the Pro Max is the better choice now more than ever.
The €150/$100 price premium for the iPhone 18 Pro Max seems justified given its larger display and longer battery life. However, it’s important to weigh these factors against your own usage needs. This premium applies to all storage options, so the larger model never becomes proportionally more expensive with increasing capacity. That said, the cost of both devices increases rapidly with more storage, and the price premiums for the 1TB and 2TB versions are now significantly higher than in previous years.
Buyers in the US need to consider an additional factor. Those who opt for the iPhone 18 Pro Max in the United States will forgo Apple’s proprietary modem. While the difference in everyday use will likely be minimal, this is an unusual situation for the more expensive device. If you absolutely require the C2 modem and are purchasing in the US, the smaller model is the only way to obtain it.
The most important deciding factor is undoubtedly the display size. However, comfort, compactness, weight, battery life, and the new modem are also important criteria that depend on your personal preferences. If you’re unsure about the size and weight of the iPhone 18 Pro Max, the iPhone 18 Pro might be the better choice. With the Pro, you no longer have to sacrifice storage space for a more compact design. If size isn’t a concern, the iPhone 18 Pro Max is unlikely to disappoint, especially if price isn’t a factor.
