Apple officially unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max at its "Surprise and shine" event on September 9, the company's first keynote with John Ternus as CEO. Pre-orders open Saturday, September 12, and the phones launch Friday, September 18 in more than 65 countries, with 20 more countries following on September 25.
The headline upgrades
A20 Pro on 2nm. The new chip is Apple's first built on a 2-nanometer process. It has a 6-core CPU, a 7-core GPU that Apple says is up to 40% faster than the A19 Pro, and a dual 16-core Neural Engine that doubles on-device AI performance.
A camera with a real adjustable aperture. The 48MP Fusion Main camera now uses six laser-cut blades to shift between ƒ/1.48 and ƒ/4. That gives photographers true control over depth of field instead of relying only on software blur. New Pro controls let you set aperture, shutter speed, and white balance manually.
Smaller Dynamic Island. The redesigned cutout takes up less space and can now show up to three Live Activities at once.
Apple-made wireless and cellular chips. The N1 chip handles Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread, while the new C2 modem handles cellular.
Battery and charging
- iPhone 18 Pro: up to 36 hours of video playback (eSIM-only models)
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: up to 45 hours of video playback (eSIM-only models)
- Fast charging: about 50% in 15 minutes wired, or 30 minutes on wireless
A new vapor chamber with three times the surface area should help the phones hold peak performance longer during gaming and video recording.
Colors, storage, and price
The phones come in black, silver, glacier, and a new burgundy finish. Storage options are 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and, for the first time, 2TB.
| Model | Starting price (US) |
|---|---|
| iPhone 18 Pro | $1,199 |
| iPhone 18 Pro Max | $1,299 |
Software
Both phones ship with iOS 27, which includes a new AI-powered Siri (in beta, English first, with more languages starting in October) and expanded Apple Intelligence features.
What about the regular iPhone 18?
Apple did not announce a standard iPhone 18 at the event. Reports point to that model arriving in early 2027, which means the Pro lineup and the new foldable iPhone Duo carry Apple's fall lineup on their own this year.
Should you upgrade?
If you are on an iPhone 15 Pro or older, the jump in battery life, camera control, and AI performance is significant. iPhone 17 Pro owners get a better camera and a faster chip, but the case for upgrading is less urgent.
Sources: Apple Newsroom, 9to5Mac, TechRadar
