During its autumnal Surprise and Shine iPhone event today, Apple unveiled its latest flagship smartphones: the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. Although the exterior styling mirrors the prior generation, significant camera enhancements take center stage on these upgraded models.
The upgraded Pro camera system introduces a 48-megapixel sensor equipped with a six-blade variable aperture designed to boost speed and low-light performance. Photographers also gain manual pro controls for parameters like white balance, shutter speed, aperture, and a histogram display. Additionally, fresh photographic styles offering grain and texture adjustments aim to counter the Pixel 11 series for a more retro style vintage aesthetics feature.
For video, the new camera records in 4K Dolby HDR Vision and allows users to apply cinematic effects after filming.
On the front display, a reshaped, smaller Dynamic Island now enables users to monitor up to three live activities concurrently, up from two.
Under the hood, both devices run on Apple’s cutting-edge A20 Pro chip, paired with a redesigned vapor chamber for superior thermal management. Battery efficiency has also received a boost—Apple claims up to 36 hours of video playback for the iPhone 18 Pro and 45 hours for the 18 Pro Max.
Apple also previewed its upgraded Siri AI, featuring contextual on-screen intelligence. Launching in English beta alongside iOS 27 later this month, additional language support for French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish will arrive in October.
With iOS 27, users also gain an iPhone handoff capability, making it possible to link a single eSIM to two separate iPhones and switch between them effortlessly.
Color choices receive a refresh as well, with a bold new burgundy option replacing last year’s orange finish.
Pricing for the iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199, while the 18 Pro Max comes in at $1,299—reflecting a $100 price bump compared to the previous generation. Pre-orders open this Saturday, with official retail availability beginning September 18.