I requested press samples of the 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max to find out. (Consumer Reports will purchase the two devices straight from the store for our in-depth lab testing and post the results in our smartphone ratings for CR members.) After a week-long trial run, I can confirm that Apple’s latest premium phones are impressive all around … same as last year … and the year before that.
Which is to say–If you’re already sporting a new-ish iPhone Pro, expect the iPhone 18 Pro to be very familiar. Is it still technically the most capable iPhone yet? Sure, maybe. The 18 Pro models feature the new A20 Pro chip and a redesigned vapor chamber that, together, bring modest improvements in battery life and performance, Apple says. The new variable aperture and other manual camera controls are also a welcome addition for photography enthusiasts. But these are subtle changes.
Perhaps more notably, you’ll also see a $100 price increase, in line with the price bumps across Apple devices. The 6.3-inch iPhone 18 Pro costs $1,199 for the standard 256 gigabytes of storage, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max, which has the same hardware but a larger 6.9-inch display, starts at $1,299.
Other new features, like the more powerful Siri AI, arrive with iOS 27 updates available to older models, so long as your iPhone is new enough to run Apple Intelligence (iPhone 15 Pro and beyond).
So, should you upgrade? That depends. If you own an older iPhone–say, an iPhone 14 Pro or earlier–or you’re seeing lagging performance and battery health, it’s as good a time as any to move on up. By jumping multiple generations, you’ll notice cumulative upgrades to the camera and hardware, such as the larger screen, Camera Control and Action buttons, and USB-C charging port.
But if your phone is trucking along just fine, there’s no rush. You can extend the life by replacing the battery for around $100. (For the iPhone 16 Pro’s battery, for example, Apple charges just $119.) This is also a good time to snag an iPhone 17 Pro, which offers a similar suite of features for less. The decision, of course, depends on how you use your phone–do you want a best-in-class iPhone to replace a stand-alone camera, for example?–and the state of your current device.
To help you decide, here’s a rundown of what’s new on the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max, from the snappier chip to the variableaperture lens.