Buyers pay $100 more for Apple’s newest Pro phones while the company adds a higher-resolution camera and on-device AI. Apple introduced the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max at its Surprise and Shine iPhone event, pricing the models at $1,199 and $1,299 respectively, $100 above last year’s starting points.
The headline hardware change is a 48-megapixel camera that pairs a larger sensor with a variable aperture built from six thin blades. Apple said that arrangement will likely improve low-light performance and capture speed. On the software side, the phones include expanded pro controls for white balance, shutter speed, aperture and histogram, plus new photographic styles with texture and grain adjustments that Apple positioned as addressing retro-style “looks” introduced on competing phones.
Video capabilities advance as well, with 4K capture in Dolby HDR Vision and the ability to apply cinematic effects after recording. The front display includes a smaller Dynamic Island, which now supports three simultaneous live activities rather than two.
Under the hood, both models use Apple’s A20 Pro silicon and a redesigned vapor chamber for cooling. Apple said it also revised the battery design, claiming playback runtimes of 36 hours on the iPhone 18 Pro and 45 hours on the 18 Pro Max. The company also demonstrated a contextual on-screen Siri AI, which it plans to launch in English in beta alongside iOS 27 this month, with French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish arriving in October.
Software additions include an iPhone handoff feature in iOS 27 that lets two iPhones share a single eSIM and switch between devices. The new Pro lineup debuts a burgundy finish that replaces the orange option from the previous generation. Preorders open Saturday and the phones will be available on September 18.
The launch tightens Apple’s premium offering around photography and on-device intelligence while raising the entry price for buyers, and it sets a timetable for wider language support of the new Siri features in coming weeks.
