CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA / RankWire.AI / – Apple has announced the new iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, featuring upgraded camera hardware, faster processing power, and extended battery life. These models showcase a 48-megapixel Fusion Main camera with a variable aperture, along with the A20 Pro processor and an improved vapor chamber for better sustained performance. The company has also downsized the Dynamic Island while increasing its functionalities. Preorders will start on September 12, with initial retail sales kicking off on September 18.
The updated Main camera incorporates six laser-cut blades to regulate the aperture across four settings. Users can manually adjust aperture, shutter speed, and white balance directly within the Camera app. Additionally, the interface now includes a histogram to monitor exposure while framing shots. Apple has enhanced Photographic Styles by adding new controls for texture and grain. For video recording, Cinematic effects can be applied after capturing footage at up to 60 frames per second. Time-lapse recordings now support 4K video with Dolby Vision HDR.
Another feature, known as Apple Reference Image, aims to verify the authenticity of photographs. In Reference mode, signed sensor data is captured alongside a photo taken with the Main camera. This data is processed through Private Cloud Compute to generate a reference image for comparison within the Photos app. Users can then analyze differences between the reference and main image to detect any changes. Apple also plans to introduce SynthID support later in 2026. At the launch, Greg Joswiak, Apple’s global marketing chief, emphasized improvements in camera, performance, battery life, and intelligence.
New control over iPhone photography with variable aperture
The A20 Pro chip is built using a 2-nanometer manufacturing process and features a six-core CPU along with a seven-core GPU. Apple claims the GPU provides performance that is up to 40% faster than the A19 Pro. The processor also includes a Dual 16-core Neural Engine, totaling 32 cores. Its redesigned thermal system positions the processor nearer to a larger vapor chamber, which has three times the surface area of the previous version. This design allows for up to 40% higher sustained performance, according to Apple.
Battery improvements are most notable on eSIM-only variants, which utilize the space once dedicated to a physical SIM tray. The iPhone 18 Pro offers up to 36 hours of video playback during Apple’s testing, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max can last up to 45 hours. Wired fast charging can bring the battery to 50% in roughly 15 minutes. eSIM-only models will debut in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, among other supported regions.
iOS 27 introduces Siri AI and expands Apple Intelligence features
Both models of the iPhone 18 Pro will run on iOS 27 and support the latest Apple Intelligence capabilities. Siri AI enters its beta phase on September 14 for supported devices set up in English. Support for French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish will follow in October. Siri AI can utilize personal context from messages, emails, and photos when handling requests. It can also act on information displayed on the device’s screen. Cloud-supported tasks leverage Private Cloud Compute, while other Apple Intelligence features operate directly on the device.
The starting price for the iPhone 18 Pro in the United States is $1,199, with the Pro Max beginning at $1,299. Customers can choose between 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB of storage. The phones are available in black, silver, glacier, and burgundy. Preorders will open at 5 a.m. Pacific Time on September 12, with sales starting on September 18 across more than 65 countries and regions. An additional 20 markets will join the launch on September 25, broadening the availability of Apple’s new Pro series.