Apple iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max Review: For Camera Fiends | WIREDSkip to main contentTHE WIRED APP IS HEREDOWNLOAD NOW »MenuWIREDSECURITYPOLITICSTHE BIG STORYBUSINESSSCIENCECULTUREREVIEWSMenuWIREDAccountAccountNewslettersNoise-Canceling EarbudsSmart Bird FeedersBest Standing DesksBest Apple ChargersDeals DeliveredSecurityPoliticsThe Big StoryBusinessScienceCultureReviewsChevronMoreExpandThe Big InterviewMagazineEventsWIRED InsiderWIRED ConsultingNewslettersPodcastsVideoLivestreamsWIRED StoreSearchSearchJulian ChokkattuGearSep 16, 2026 8:00 AMReview: Apple iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro MaxFun camera features help make these candy bar iPhones stand out from the dazzle of the folding iPhone Duo.Photograph: Julian ChokkattuTriangleUpBuy NowMultiple Buying Options Available$1,199 at Apple (Pro)$1,299 at Apple (Pro Max)CommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyRating:9/10Open rating explainerInformationWIREDStellar performance and cooling. Great battery life. Excellent and fun cameras with a customizable camera app. Bright, responsive screens with a smaller Dynamic Island.TIREDPricier than ever. No base model (yet). Living in the iPhone Duo's shadow.There is no iPhone 18 this year. If you were hoping to upgrade your smartphone right now, Apple is only offering the new iPhone 18 Pro models (and a very expensive folding iPhone coming next month). Don't let that be a reason to spend extra money on a phone you might not need.Apple hasn't confirmed the next base-model yet, but the iPhone 18 is expected in spring 2027 alongside a mid-tier iPhone 18e. If you've historically been more than satisfied with the base iPhone model, you should absolutely wait to upgrade. Don't let the hype machine sway you.That said, if you're a Pro connoisseur, the iPhone 18 Pro ($1,199) and its bigger sibling, the 18 Pro Max ($1,299), are very good phones, despite the $100 price hike over last year’s Pro models. No, you don't need to upgrade if you're coming from an iPhone 17 Pro, 16 Pro, or even a 15 Pro—hold onto your devices for longer!—but Apple's flagships deliver where it matters, even if they feel eclipsed by the spectacle of the foldable iPhone Duo.Minor RefreshApple says the iPhone 18 Pro models have significant upgrades, but let's be a little more measured here.Liquid Glass on the iPhone 18 Pro Max.
Photograph: Julian ChokkattuApple iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro MaxRating: 9/10$1,199 at Apple (Pro)$1,299 at Apple (Pro Max)Battery life has been stellar on the Pro models over the last few years, and that remains true here. The Pro Max is the more notable of the two because it packs a denser battery. With average use (around 5 hours of screen-on time), I hovered around 50 percent by the end of the day, and easily made it through day two on a single charge. I spent a little less time with the smaller Pro, but so far it has also comfortably gotten me through a day with around 40 percent left by bedtime. Safe to say, most people will very much enjoy the battery life, but the update doesn't feel drastic.Next, there's the processor: the A20 Pro chip. I hardly run into problems with Apple's flagship silicon, and that hasn't changed. The phones run every app fluidly, and my benchmark tests show a surprisingly sizable leap over the A19 Pro in the 17 series.It runs Control—a AAA game from 2019 ported to iOS earlier this year—decently well. However, aggressive upscaling makes the graphics look grainy, and character movements can feel a little sluggish. (I maxed out the graphics settings.) It's certainly not perfect, but I still can't believe I'm playing such a demanding title on an iPhone.Control on the iPhone 18 Pro Max.
Photograph: Julian ChokkattuMore impressive is Apple's thermal management on these phones. The company has expanded the vapor chamber's surface area by three times—the phone's cooling technology that helps spread heat around—meaning the entire phone felt toasty after close to an hour of gameplay in Control, with no uncomfortable localized hot spots. This larger vapor chamber also lets you game longer before phone’s thermal throttling kicks in and slows everything down.The iPhone 18 Pro models come with iOS 27 out of the box, which features the all-new Siri AI. Yes, Siri AI is infinitely more capable than any version of Siri that Apple has offered before. It still doesn't quite have the spark or versatility of other AI assistants, but you might be fine with that. If you throw Siri AI a question, there's a good chance it can actually give you a satisfactory answer now. Remember that Siri AI and other Apple Intelligence features aren't exclusive to the latest models, though you do need an iPhone 15 Pro or newer to access them.Apple iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro MaxRating: 9/10$1,199 at Apple (Pro)$1,299 at Apple (Pro Max)The Dynamic Island, the pill-shaped bar housing the selfie camera and Face ID sensors, is noticeably smaller this year. To take full advantage of it, you can now view three live activities—like a DoorDash order status or your Uber ETA—simultaneously inside the Island, up from two. I was navigating in Apple Maps, chatting on a phone call, and had a DoorDash order en route to my home, and it spaced out all of these activities neatly.Siri AI in iOS 27.
Photograph: Julian ChokkattuSpeaking of the iPhone 18 Pro design, I do like the new burgundy color, though I miss brighter, more playful options like last year's Cosmic Orange. But the real headline feature is almost invisible—embedded into the main camera on the back of the iPhone.Aperture PriorityApple is debuting a variable aperture in the iPhone 18 Pro models. This is by no means the first time we've seen a smartphone with a variable aperture—Samsung and Huawei both launched phones with the capability years ago. While Samsung abandoned the tech, Huawei and Xiaomi still ship it on their flagships.What is a variable aperture? Simply put, the aperture is the physical opening that lets light reach the camera sensor. A wider aperture lets in more light and has a lower “f-stop” number, while a narrower aperture restricts light. Most smartphones rely on fixed apertures—the iPhone 17 Pro's main camera, for example, is locked at f/1.78. A variable aperture gives the lens mechanical blades that physically expand or contract in a circular shape, adjusting how much light hits the sensor. Apple gives you four f-stops to select from: f/1.48, f/1.78, f/2.8, and f/4.The iPhone 18 Pro has a variable aperture. These blades restrict how much light enters the sensor.
Photograph: Julian ChokkattuApple iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro MaxRating: 9/10$1,199 at Apple (Pro)$1,299 at Apple (Pro Max)Open the aperture to f/1.48 on the iPhone 18 Pro and more light floods in, delivering cleaner low-light shots and faster Night Mode captures. This also creates a real optical bokeh—the soft blurred background effect phone makers have spent years simulating with computational Portrait modes. Step it down to f/4, this blur recedes, keeping more of the scene and background in crisp focus. All of this can be very confusing for people unfamiliar with these camera terms, which is why Apple defaults the aperture to “Auto.”I love it. I shoot manual on my mirrorless camera, so I immediately took to the new customization features in the Camera app to show Shutter Speed and Lens Aperture as easy-to-access settings. Shooting at f/1.48 delivers a nice bokeh effect—especially in low light—so I stopped using Apple's Portrait mode altogether. (Some parts of the image may look less sharp than on an iPhone 17 Pro because the plane of focus is narrower.) Apple will point out that Portrait mode is still useful, as you can always add more bokeh post-capture.1 / 16ChevronChevronPhotograph: Julian ChokkattuiPhone 18 Pro Max, main camera with a one-second shutter speed.Move to f/4 for group shots when you want everyone in the frame to be in focus. (Or if you want a very fun starburst effect with light sources!) As you change between the four aperture settings, you can see the blades moving on the main camera—it's very cool. In auto mode, the camera largely sticks to f/1.78, or f/1.48 in low light. It chooses the other two apertures for specific, usually brighter, scenes.I have also enjoyed the ability to adjust the camera’s shutter speed. Yes, you can already do this with a third-party camera app, but now it's baked in! With a one-second shutter, you can capture some fun shutter drag to accentuate motion in a photo. However, you'll definitely need to buy a neutral density filter for super-bright scenes to balance exposure. It's fun to play around with.Apple iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro MaxRating: 9/10$1,199 at Apple (Pro)$1,299 at Apple (Pro Max)I compared several of the 18 Pro’s photos with shots from Google's Pixel 11 Pro, and I do have to note that the iPhone tends to over-brighten scenes that should be very dark. So much so that it can misrepresent the dark mood you might be chasing. The Pixel tended to preserve more of those shadows, though it delivered more lifted blacks that made the image appear more matte. The iPhone can also struggle with backlit scenes, more so than the Pixel.You can manually adjust the aperture up to four stops, or let it sit on Auto.
Photograph: Julian ChokkattuApple has added texture and grain control to its Photographic Styles, and this is a fun element to sink your teeth into and explore. Phone makers have realized that ultra-clean, sharp, “perfect” shots are perhaps not what most people want, and these stylings—like the new Camera Looks on Pixel phones—offer a new degree of “authenticity.”The iPhone 18 Pro's camera system is fun without feeling overwhelming. You can pick and choose what degree of control you want, tweak Photographic Styles to your tastes, and add more depth after the fact, whether it's for videos or photos. Who knew people liked having more control? There aren't any sweeping improvements to the camera lenses or sensors, but this is a system that shutterbugs will love to experiment with, and that's what the Pro iPhone is all about.Apple iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro MaxRating: 9/10$1,199 at Apple (Pro)$1,299 at Apple (Pro Max)$1,199 at Apple (Pro)$1,299 at Apple (Pro Max)CommentsBack to topJoin the discussionCommentsBack to topTriangleJulian Chokkattu is Senior Editor, Gear at WIRED, overseeing personal technology, gadgets, and gizmos. He has been reviewing consumer products for a decade, specializing in mobile—from smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches to smart glasses and virtual reality. This is his sixth year at WIRED. Previously, he was the mobile and wearables ... Read MoreSenior Editor, GearWebsite LinkLinkedInThreadsblueskyTopicsappleiPhonesmartphonesphonesReviewsreviewiosWIRED is obsessed with what comes next. Through rigorous investigations and game-changing reporting, we tell stories that don’t just reflect the moment—they help create it. When you look back in 10, 20, even 50 years, WIRED will be the publication that led the story of the present, mapped the people, products, and ideas defining it, and explained how those forces forged the future. WIRED: For Future Reference.More From WIREDSubscribeNewslettersLivestreamsTravelFAQContact UsWIRED StaffWIRED EducationEditorial StandardsArchiveRSSSite MapAccessibility HelpReviews and GuidesReviewsBuying GuidesStreaming GuidesCouponsAdvertiseManage AccountJobsPress CenterCondé Nast StoreUser AgreementPrivacy PolicyYour California Privacy Rights© 2026 Condé Nast. All rights reserved. WIRED may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. Ad ChoicesSelect international siteUnited StatesLargeChevronItaliaJapónCzech Republic & SlovakiaFacebookXPinterestYouTubeInstagramTiktok

The Apple iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are positioned as premium devices, distinguishable from folding phone options primarily through their advanced camera capabilities. These models are priced at $1,199 for the Pro and $1,299 for the Pro Max. The overall rating awarded is 9 out of 10.

The performance of these flagships is characterized by stellar thermal management and excellent battery life. The Pro Max features a denser battery capacity, which allows it to comfortably manage extended use, with the reviewer noting it can last through day two on a single charge. The processor utilizes the A20 Pro chip, which provides fluid performance and a noticeable improvement over the preceding A19 Pro series. Thermal management has seen significant enhancements, as Apple expanded the vapor chamber surface area by three times to improve heat distribution, which allows the phones to sustain longer gameplay without thermal throttling.

The system is running iOS 27, which debuts the new Siri AI. While this AI is infinitely more capable than previous versions, it is still noted that it does not possess the full versatility of other AI assistants, although it can provide satisfactory answers. The display innovation, the Dynamic Island, has been refined, becoming slightly smaller and capable of simultaneously displaying up to three live activities, enhancing contextual information access.

A significant technological introduction is the variable aperture system implemented across these models. This feature allows the lenses to physically expand or contract, offering four selectable aperture settings: f/1.48, f/1.78, f/2.8, and f/4. This mechanism allows the user to control light intake, facilitating cleaner low-light photography and improved Night Mode performance, while also enabling the creation of optical bokeh. The user can manually adjust the aperture or select Auto mode, and the system allows for the adjustment of shutter speed, including a one-second setting, which enables creative motion accentuation in photographs.

Photography features allow for extensive user control, enabling exploration of Photographic Styles for texture and grain adjustments, catering to those who seek more control over the final aesthetic. The reviewer found that while the camera system does not involve sweeping sensor improvements, the ability to dial in these customization features appeals greatly to photography enthusiasts. The reviewer noted that the iPhone’s performance in capturing dark scenes sometimes results in over-brightening, contrasting with competitors like the Pixel, which tended to preserve shadows and offer more matte blacks.

Ultimately, the iPhone 18 Pro line offers a compelling experience defined by refined performance, advanced thermal technology, and novel, highly customizable camera controls that cater to advanced users.