The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max launch tomorrow, but we were able to get our hands on one early to share some initial impressions. Both the 18 Pro and Pro Max are heavier than the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models they replace, and it’s more noticeable when you pick up the Pro Max. It was a heavy phone to begin with and now it weighs more (249 grams vs. 233 grams). If you hated last year’s two-tone design with the contrast between the aluminum frame and glass back, there’s good news. Apple now matches the glass to the frame for a more seamless look. Our review unit is Apple’s new Glacier color, which is a slightly different light blue from the other light blue shades Apple has used in the past. Unlike some of those blues, the color of the glacier actually appears blue and not silver. Apple also offers the iPhone 18 Pro models in burgundy, silver, and black. We have a burgundy model on the way and will share it in the future. There’s a fancy new 2nm A20 Pro chip inside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, but depending on where you’re upgrading from, you might not notice much in terms of performance. iPhones have used blazingly fast chips for the past few years, and you’re not stressing the processor when you’re browsing the web and scrolling through social media sites. What you might notice is the new vapor chamber cooling system. It takes up three times the surface area, so your iPhone stays cooler when you’re doing something that requires a little more processing power, like gaming. Battery life has improved, but that’s not something we’ve had time to test yet. Apple says you’ll get up to 36 hours of video playback with the 18 Pro and 45 hours with the 18 Pro Max. If you’re in the US and buy an iPhone 18 Pro, it will have Apple’s new C2 modem, but if you buy the 18 Pro Max, it will have a Qualcomm modem. Both models use the C2 outside the US. The C2 modem has mmWave 5G for the first time, plus it’s more efficient than Qualcomm modems, so it will be interesting to see some speed tests comparing the two. Apple reduced the size of the Dynamic Island by placing the infrared camera below the screen, and that’s the most notable change to the front of the device. It takes up less space and Apple also updated it so it can display three live activities at once or two in more detail. There’s a new variable aperture main camera that also has a new sensor, plus Apple tweaked its computational imaging pipeline. With a variable aperture lens, there is more control over lighting and depth of field. If it’s bright outside, the iPhone can automatically adjust the aperture to let in less light. If it’s dark, a wider aperture will let in more light. There are four aperture settings in total and it works behind the scenes so you can take photos as usual. You’ll probably notice it more in low lighting conditions. If you want to control the aperture yourself, you can do so with the new Pro Controls which also give you the option to adjust the shutter speed and white balance. There is also a histogram so you can check the exposure levels. Next week we will have a full video on the iPhone 18 Pro camera system. The iPhone 18 Pro price starts at $1,199, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at $1,299. Both new iPhones will be launched on September 18.
