Apple has unveiled iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, with a new 48MP Fusion Main camera, now with variable aperture, brings creative control that wasn’t possible before, and new Pro controls let users customise their experience in the Camera app.
Both models feature a smaller and even more useful Dynamic Island, as well as A20 Pro and a next-generation vapour chamber that together deliver the highest sustained performance in iPhone history.
iPhone 18 Pro Max also delivers the largest increase in battery life ever on iPhone, thanks to advancements in Apple silicon and a larger battery.
“With iPhone 18 Pro, we’ve made advancements to the areas our users care about most: camera, performance, battery, and intelligence. And we didn’t just make incremental improvements in these areas — we took huge leaps forward to create the best Pro iPhone we’ve ever made,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.
“iPhone 18 Pro makes it easy for anyone to capture stunning photos and videos using variable aperture, while providing more versatility for creators and more control for pros. Paired with impactful upgrades to Photographic Styles and powerful video capabilities, iPhone 18 Pro unlocks entirely new ways for users to express themselves.”
An Advanced Camera System
The new 48MP Fusion Main camera with variable aperture is the most advanced camera Apple has ever made, bringing aperture control to iPhone for the first time along with even more creative control. Six laser-cut blades smoothly transition between different apertures, making it incredibly easy to capture the best shot by automatically adjusting for depth of field and lighting.
Combined with a new sensor that improves image quality, the result is better low-light photography, crisper detail in the back of group photos, and more unique shots. Variable aperture also provides more control for creative pros by giving them the ability to manually adjust any of the four aperture settings in the Camera app, and an API is available to developers for even more control across the aperture range in their apps.
With a new computational imaging pipeline, the Main camera produces sharper, more detailed shots, and upgraded Photographic Styles with new texture and grain controls let users further dial in their desired appearance and have more creative control over their photos.
Video capabilities also become more versatile, with the ability to apply Cinematic effects after capture to videos shot at up to 60 fps. In Time-lapse mode, users can now record videos in 4K and Dolby Vision HDR. Audio Mix also has new algorithms that deliver higher-quality voices and can now isolate music.
Pro controls is a new customisable experience in the Camera app for iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max that makes it easier than ever for users to access their most used settings and introduces new options for manual control. Users can now adjust settings such as lens aperture, shutter speed, and white balance, or use a histogram to check exposure levels throughout a scene.
Apple Reference Image
Users can now prove the authenticity of a photo taken on iPhone 18 Pro models with Apple Reference Image, powered by the new sensor in the Main camera that can sign every pixel it sees. When a photo is taken in the new Reference mode, the camera captures signed sensor data that Private Cloud Compute develops into an unalterable reference image.
Reference images can be viewed in the Photos app alongside the main image, like a digital negative, to visually compare the two assets and determine if any edits were made. APIs are available in iOS, iPadOS, and macOS 27 for third-party apps to enable viewing of these reference images.
Image metadata and upcoming support for the SynthID standard can also help users identify images generated or edited with AI.
Together with Apple Reference Image, this set of features represents a multifaceted approach to image authenticity — vital for photojournalists, photographers, and everyday viewers.
An Even More Useful Dynamic Island
Using advanced display technology, the Dynamic Island is redesigned to create room for additional information. The upgraded Dynamic Island can now show three Live Activities at once, while continuing to enable Face ID for securely unlocking iPhone 18 Pro models, authenticating purchases, signing in to apps, and more.
A20 Pro
Featuring 50 percent more memory bandwidth than A19 Pro, the new 6-core CPU features integrated Neural Accelerators and is faster than the competition, while the new 7-core GPU design is up to 40 percent faster than A19 Pro — a significant upgrade for graphics rendering.
A20 Pro also features a new Dual 16-core Neural Engine, which accelerates on-device AI models and computational photography, and includes 32 total cores for double the AI processing power of A19 Pro. With huge upgrades across the entire chip, A20 Pro is a powerhouse for everything from more advanced on-device AI workloads to demanding games, and is designed to deliver exceptional performance for years to come.
Both models feature N1, an Apple-designed wireless networking chip that enables Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread. iPhone 18 Pro introduces C2, Apple’s next-generation cellular modem system, which brings AI-powered improvements to cellular quality and reliability. C2 delivers meaningfully faster uploads when compared to C1X while consuming 15 percent less energy.
A New Thermal Management System
A20 Pro introduces custom packaging inspired by M-series Apple silicon that places the silicon die side by side with the memory, removing the memory from the thermal path of the chip and allowing A20 Pro to attach directly to a next-generation vapour chamber.
With new materials and three times more surface area than the previous generation on iPhone 17 Pro, the redesigned vapour chamber dramatically improves sustained performance and enables up to a 40 percent gain over the previous generation — the highest sustained performance yet.
Battery Life
iPhone 18 Pro models deliver a massive leap in battery life with new battery designs that leverage powerful silicon efficiencies. eSIM-only models deliver up to 36 hours of video playback on iPhone 18 Pro and up to 45 hours of video playback on iPhone 18 Pro Max.
iPhone 18 Pro can also charge up to 50 percent in around 15 minutes, or wirelessly charge up to 50 percent in 30 minutes.
On iPhone 18 Pro Max, five minutes of wired charging provides around seven hours of video playback, and based on a new battery usage model that leverages real-world data, it provides up to 30 hours of usage on a full charge.
iOS 27
iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max give users access to Siri AI, rolling out in beta with iOS 27. Siri AI is an entirely new version of Siri powered by Apple Intelligence that is profoundly more personal, capable, and conversational. Both models bring powerful AI capabilities together with personal context to become an intelligent personal hub with privacy and security at its core.
Siri AI can draw on personal context understanding to help users find what they need in the moment across messages, emails, photos, and more; use onscreen awareness to take action related to the content on a user’s screen; and answer questions about virtually any topic.
Siri mode in the Camera app allows users to get information and take action on what’s in front of them, and users can write with Siri by simply describing what they need. Additionally, Apple Intelligence makes apps smarter and more useful. Users can improve the composition of a photo after it’s been taken with Spatial Reframing, Extend, and upgraded Clean Up.
And now Image Playground offers photorealistic imagery. In Safari, Notify Me helps users monitor web pages for changes, like product restocks or price drops, and stay on top of updates. To protect users’ privacy, Apple Intelligence uses on-device processing and Private Cloud Compute, which extends the privacy and security of iPhone into the cloud.
iOS 27 delivers an expansive set of improvements that make iPhone more responsive, reliable, and easy to use, along with refinements to the software design and more ways to personalise the appearance of Liquid Glass.
Additionally, powerful and simple tools, based on expert guidance, give parents more flexible ways to manage what their kids can see, who they can talk to, and when they have access. iOS 27 also introduces iPhone Handoff, which allows users with supported carriers to easily switch back and forth between two iPhone models with the same phone number.
eSIM
eSIM offers greater flexibility, better security, seamless connectivity compared to traditional physical SIM cards, and more battery life on eSIM-only models.
An industry standard, eSIM is supported by over 500 carriers worldwide, including EE, O2, Vodafone, 3, Sky Mobile, and more.
eSIM-only models of iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will be available in Bahrain, Canada, Guam, Japan, Kuwait, Mexico, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the U.S., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These models feature an even larger battery, taking advantage of the space formerly occupied by the physical SIM to provide two additional hours of video playback.
New Accessories
iPhone 18 Pro models introduce a range of new Silicone Cases, TechWoven Cases, Crossbody Straps, and FineWoven Wallets — all designed to complement the four finishes.
The Clear Case features an updated design and is now compatible with the Crossbody Strap and Wrist Strap. The new Wrist Strap introduces a convenient, hands-free way to carry iPhone, AirPods Pro 2, or AirPods Pro 3. Woven with 100 percent recycled polyester yarns and embedded with flexible magnets that keep it neatly fitted together, the Wrist Strap will be available in six colours: black, taupe, olive, crisp blue, magenta, and burgundy.
Pricing and Availability
iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will be available in 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB storage capacities. Available in burgundy, glacier, silver, and black, iPhone 18 Pro starts at £1,199 or £39.96 per month, and iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at £1,299 or £43.30 per month for 24 months.
Customers in more than 65 countries and regions, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, France, Germany, India, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, Türkiye, the UAE, the UK, the U.S., andVietnam, will be able to pre-order iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max beginning at 5 a.m. PT this Saturday, September 12, with availability beginning Friday, September 18. iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will be available in 20 other countries and regions beginning Friday, September 25.
A TechWoven Case with MagSafe will be available for £59 in black, chambray blue, taupe, olive, mulberry, and burgundy. A Clear Case with MagSafe will be available for £49, and a Silicone Case with MagSafe will be available for £49 in black, navy blue, crisp blue, olive, burgundy, and magenta. A FineWoven Wallet with MagSafe will be available for £59 in black, navy blue, wildflower blue, olive, magenta, and burgundy.
A Wrist Strap will be available for £29. A Crossbody Strap will be available for £59 in black, navy blue, taupe, sand, olive, crisp blue, magenta, burgundy, and light grey.
iOS 27 will be available as a free software update on Monday, September 14. Some features may not be available in all languages or regions, and availability may vary due to local laws and regulations.
Apple Intelligence will be available with iOS 27 on Monday, September 14, for users with an Apple Intelligence-enabled device set to a supported language. Apple Intelligence is available with support for these languages: English, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Vietnamese, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Japanese, and Korean. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages.
Siri AI is rolling out with iOS 27 as a beta on Monday, September 14, for users with a supported device set to English, with support for French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish coming in October.
When outside of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage, Apple’s satellite features help iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max users stay connected and get assistance when it matters most. Apple is extending free access to satellite features for an additional year for existing iPhone 14, iPhone 15, and iPhone 16 users. The free trial will be extended for iPhone 14, iPhone 15, and iPhone 16 users who have activated their device in a country that supports Apple’s satellite features prior to midnight PT on September 9.
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