First reviews of the iPhone 18 Pro
The first hands-on reviews of the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max are in, and the verdict is more divided than usual. Reviewers broadly agree that the new phones look almost identical to last year’s 17 Pro, while the real changes are inside: a 48 MP main camera with a mechanical variable aperture, a 2-nanometer A20 Pro chip with improved cooling, and larger batteries. Some reviewers are enthusiastic about the camera; others call the update “a bit boring.” This roundup, compiled from the early video reviews, summarizes where the reviewers agree and where they disagree.
What you need to know
- The 48 MP main camera gets a six-blade mechanical aperture with four settings, from f/1.48 to f/4.0.
- Tom’s Guide measured multi-core gains of up to 28 percent for the A20 Pro over the previous generation, and the new vapor chamber is said to improve cooling efficiency by almost 40 percent.
- Battery life reportedly improves by about three hours on the 18 Pro and six hours on the Pro Max, whose battery now exceeds 5,000 mAh.
- The 18 Pro Max weighs 249 grams, making it the heaviest Pro Max to date; reviewers also flag higher prices and questions about the durability of the thin aperture blades.
Design: nearly indistinguishable from the 17 Pro
Placed next to last year’s 17 Pro, the 18 Pro is hard to tell apart: the same body, the same edges, the familiar camera plateau. Nearly every reviewer noted this.
Black iPhone 18 Pro and red iPhone 18 Pro Max
Colors, however, sparked a debate. MKBHD was drawn to the matte black finish but was otherwise reserved: on the outside it is almost the same iPhone, and the substance is inside.
SuperSaf was relieved that Apple finally matched the rear glass to the frame color and brought back a proper black; he had long criticized the two-tone look of the 17 Pro. Andru Edwards, by contrast, was a little disappointed that none of the new shades is as lively as last year’s Cosmic Orange.
Display unchanged, Dynamic Island shrunk
The displays stay the same: 6.3 inches on the 18 Pro and 6.9 inches on the Pro Max, both with ProMotion at 120 Hz. MKBHD spotted a detail many will miss: the Face ID infrared sensor has moved from the center of the island to the left corner. It is visible only in bright light and, according to the reviewer, does not affect Face ID performance.
Face ID infrared sensor in the left corner of the iPhone display
The Dynamic Island itself is noticeably smaller, by roughly a quarter, and can now show up to three Live Activities at once. It is a welcome refinement rather than a revolution. For a calmer walkthrough of the interface aimed at everyday buyers, see The Tech Chap.
The variable-aperture camera: the main point of contention
The headline feature is the 48 MP main camera’s mechanical aperture: six blades, each thinner than a hair, with four settings from a wide f/1.48 to a narrow f/4.0. Opening the aperture lets in more light and produces softer background blur; closing it keeps the whole scene sharp. CNET, for example, captured genuine starburst effects from streetlights at the narrow setting. Photographic Styles also gain adjustable grain and texture.
Shooting with the iPhone 18 Pro camera
PetaPixel was skeptical after the launch presentation, but after roughly a thousand shots the outlet changed its mind: the difference is visible in real-world shooting, especially in low light and in video. Their detailed impressions are in this video.
Rear view of the iPhone 18 Pro
Mrwhosetheboss remained the chief skeptic. His argument is simple: in most scenes the lens is better left wide open, for more light and more natural blur. He did, however, praise the manual controls without reservation: shutter speed, white balance, manual focus, a histogram and subject tracking.
A20 Pro chip and cooling
The A20 Pro is built on a 2-nanometer process and pulls clearly ahead of the previous generation in benchmarks. According to Tom’s Guide measurements, multi-core gains reach up to 28 percent, and in graphics the new iPhone even outpaces the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
Gaming on the iPhone 18 Pro
More important than peak numbers is sustained performance. The new vapor chamber is said to raise cooling efficiency by almost 40 percent. Mrwhosetheboss noted that Monster Hunter runs at 120 frames per second while the body stays cool.
Battery: the reason people buy the Pro Max
Both models gain battery life. The 18 Pro adds about three hours, while the Pro Max adds a generous six, and its battery finally exceeds 5,000 mAh. Apple has disclosed the exact capacities itself.
iPhone 18 Pro battery usage chart
Andru Edwards sensibly advises not to fixate on Apple’s official video-playback figure but to look at real-world endurance, especially on the Pro Max. His approach is down to earth: the camera, cooling and battery should deliver gains in everyday use, not just in tidy lab tables.
18 Pro or Pro Max, and who should buy either
Many assume the 18 Pro and Pro Max differ only in size, but the differences run deeper than dimensions. Andru Edwards calls the standard 18 Pro an excellent choice for anyone who wants the full Pro camera without the oversized body.
Rear view of the iPhone 18 Pro Max
CNET’s Patrick Holland is blunt: the 18 Pro has become a more professional tool, but not everyone needs to buy it. If a phone is mainly for stories and social feeds, he suggests taking a look at the 17 Pro instead.
The complaints
There are few criticisms, but they are shared across most reviews. The loudest concerns price: both models are more expensive again, and SuperSaf singles out the higher-storage configurations as particularly costly.
The second recurring complaint is the sense that nothing has changed on the outside, hence the “a bit boring” verdict that recurs from review to review. Weight comes up too: the iPhone 18 Pro Max has grown to 249 grams, making it the heaviest Pro Max ever, something Mrwhosetheboss openly grumbles about.
Rear view of the iPhone 18 Pro
The durability of the new aperture is a shared worry. The blades are thinner than a hair, and nobody yet knows how they will hold up after years in a pocket and a few accidental drops. Anyone expecting a wow factor on the level of Apple’s foldable iPhone Duo will not find it here; this is a quiet generation without fireworks.
The bottom line from the reviews
The consensus is that this is a confident but measured step forward. The camera is more flexible, the chip is faster, the battery lasts longer, and for many reviewers the manual controls landed even better than the variable aperture itself. For owners of an iPhone 15 Pro or older, the reviewers consider the upgrade justified. Owners of a 17 Pro can relax: the differences are real, but there is little reason to rush to buy on launch day.
