American technology company Apple has introduced the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
The new iPhones feature a 48-megapixel Fusion main camera with a variable aperture for the first time, giving users more creative control when taking pictures.
According to Apple, the new sensor will allow for better low-light photography and clearer details in group photos.
The iPhone 18 Pro’s camera app also introduces Pro Controls, which allow users to adjust various settings including lens aperture, shutter speed, and white balance. Exposure levels can also be viewed through a histogram in the camera app.
The main camera will create clearer and more detailed images with a new computational imaging pipeline, while upgraded photographic styles include texture and grain controls.
New features have also been introduced for video. Users will now be able to apply cinematic effects to videos recorded at up to 60 frames per second after capture. Time-lapse mode can record 4K and Dolby Vision HDR videos, while audio mix has been improved with new algorithms.
New feature to verify the authenticity of images
Apple has also introduced ‘Apple Reference Image’ in the iPhone 18 Pro, through which users will be able to verify the authenticity of the image.
The reference image can be viewed alongside the original image in the Photos app so that the two images can be visually compared to see if any editing has been done to the image.
Changes to Dynamic Island as well
The Dynamic Island has also been redesigned in the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. According to Apple, the new Dynamic Island will be able to show 3 live activities simultaneously, while other authentication features including unlocking the phone through Face ID and payments will remain intact.
A20 Pro Chip and Improved Performance
The new iPhones feature the A20 Pro chip, which is built on a 2-nanometer process technology. It has 50 percent more memory bandwidth than the A19 Pro.
The 6-core CPU includes integrated neural accelerators, while the 7-core GPU is up to 40 percent faster than the A19 Pro. The A20 Pro also features a new dual 16-core Neural Engine, with a total of 32 cores to improve on-device AI and computational photography processing.
Both models also feature the Apple-designed N1 wireless networking chip that supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread.
Major improvements to battery and thermal systems
The iPhone 18 Pro Max has the largest increase in battery life in iPhone history. In models with e-SIM, the iPhone 18 Pro can provide 36 hours of video playback, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max can provide up to 45 hours.
The iPhone 18 Pro can charge up to 50 percent in about 15 minutes, while wireless charging can charge 50 percent in about 30 minutes. A 5-minute wired charge on the iPhone 18 Pro Max will be enough for about 7 hours of video playback.
iOS 27 and Siri AI
The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max also include Apple Intelligence and Siri AI features along with iOS 27. Siri AI will be available in beta and will be able to help find the desired information in messages, emails and photos by understanding the user’s personal context.
According to Apple, Apple Intelligence uses on-device processing and private cloud computing to protect privacy.
Price and Availability
iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will be available in 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB storage. Both models are offered in Black, Silver, Glacier and a new Burgundy color.
The US price of iPhone 18 Pro will start at $1,199, while the price of iPhone 18 Pro Max will start at $1,299.
Pre-orders will begin on September 12, while both models will be available on September 18, 2016.
