{"id":631233,"date":"2026-09-21T08:38:36","date_gmt":"2026-09-21T08:38:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/631233\/"},"modified":"2026-09-21T08:38:36","modified_gmt":"2026-09-21T08:38:36","slug":"ive-been-testing-the-iphone-18-pro-max-and-iphone-18-pro-your-10-biggest-questions-answered","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/631233\/","title":{"rendered":"I’ve been testing the iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone 18 Pro \u2014 your 10 biggest questions answered"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve been testing the new iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max for our review<\/a> and much more, and I know there’s a lot of questions people want answered before they decide whether to upgrade. Is the A20 Pro performance leap big enough? How good is the battery life? Which model is better for you? And should you just wait for the iPhone Duo<\/a>?<\/p>\n

I’ve scoured all of the comments and questions we’ve been getting on the Tom’s Guide YouTube<\/a> channel, TikTok<\/a> hot takes, Instagram videos<\/a> and and my recent interview with Apple CEO John Ternus<\/a>, and these are the top 10 questions you have about Apple’s new flagships along with my answers.<\/p>\n

iPhone 18 Pro & Pro Max Review! (Answering the Internet) – YouTube
\n\"iPhone<\/p>\n

Watch On <\/a>
\n‘Glad I ordered the Pro, the Pro Max looks so massive. 249 grams is a whole iPad.’<\/p>\n

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\"Apple\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)<\/p>\n

The iPhone 18 Pro Max is not quite the weight of an iPad mini, but there’s no denying that Apple’s biggest flagship has been getting heavier each generation. The iPhone 17 Pro Max weighed 8.22 ounces while the iPhone 18 Pro Max is 8.78 ounces. That’s a pretty significant increase for just one year.<\/p>\n

Latest Videos FromTom’s Guide<\/p>\n

Swipe to scroll horizontally<\/p>\n

Device<\/p>\n

Weight (Ounces)<\/p>\n

Weight (Grams)<\/p>\n

iPhone 15 Pro Max (2023)<\/p>\n

7.81 oz<\/p>\n

221 g<\/p>\n

iPhone 16 Pro Max (2024)<\/p>\n

7.99 oz<\/p>\n

227 g<\/p>\n

iPhone 17 Pro Max (2025)<\/p>\n

8.22 oz<\/p>\n

233 g<\/p>\n

iPhone 18 Pro Max (2026)<\/p>\n

8.78 oz<\/p>\n

249 g<\/p>\n

iPad mini (A17 Pro, Wi-Fi)<\/p>\n

10.34 oz<\/p>\n

293 g<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The extra heft for the new iPhone is likely due to Apple adding a bigger internal vapor chamber cooling system, as well as physical mechanical blades for the variable aperture.<\/p>\n

Plus, you get a bigger battery on the iPhone 18 Pro Max. The eSIM model of the iPhone 18 Pro Max reportedly has a 5,567 mAh battery, compared to 5,088 mAh on the iPhone 17 Pro max.<\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

If you carry your iPhone 18 Pro Max in your front pocket all day, you will feel those 249 grams. The standard iPhone 18 Pro comes in at 211 grams, which is much more manageable.<\/p>\n

‘Will my iPhone 17 Pro case fit the iPhone 18 Pro?’<\/p>\n

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\"iPhone\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Future)<\/p>\n

Yes, your iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro cases should fit your iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. Apple kept the physical height, width, and depth dimensions identical to last year’s models, so you don’t need to spend another $50 on a new case unless you just want a new style or color.<\/p>\n

Sign up to the Tom’s iGuide weekly newsletter with coverage on everything from product launches to software updates, this is your go-to source for the latest updates on all the best Apple content.<\/p>\n

If you’re looking to protect your investment, we’ve got a roundup of the 12 best iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max cases<\/a> to get, including Apple, Otterbox and Casetify.<\/p>\n

‘Can we turn the Dynamic Island off? I hate when app icons block the top’<\/p>\n

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\"Apple\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)<\/p>\n

No, you can\u2019t disable the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max. But Apple did make the cutout smaller this year by moving the infrared sensor for Face ID underneath the display glass.<\/p>\n

More good news: You can now show up to three Live Activities at once instead of just two. So I could easily toggle between a timer, Spotify<\/a> controls, and Apple Maps directions at the top of my screen.<\/p>\n

What to read next<\/p>\n

‘How does the 18 Pro battery compare to the 17 Pro Max?’<\/p>\n

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\"Apple\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)<\/p>\n

The new iPhone 18 Pro models do last longer on charge than the iPhone 17 Pro series, but it’s not quite the leap we thought it would be. Let\u2019s look at the actual Tom’s Guide lab test numbers:<\/p>\n

Swipe to scroll horizontally<\/p>\n

Row 0 – Cell 0 <\/p>\n

Hrs:Mins<\/p>\n

iPhone 18 Pro Max <\/p>\n

18:27 <\/p>\n

iPhone 18 Pro<\/p>\n

16:17<\/p>\n

iPhone 17 Pro Max<\/p>\n

17:54<\/p>\n

iPhone 17 Pro<\/p>\n

15:21<\/p>\n

Galaxy S26 Ultra <\/p>\n

16:40<\/p>\n

OnePlus 15<\/p>\n

25:13<\/p>\n

The iPhone 18 Pro lasted 16 hours and 17 minutes on the Tom’s Guide battery test, which involves web surfing over 5G at 150 nits of screen brightness. That\u2019s nearly an hour gain over the 17 Pro, but it does not beat last year’s 17 Pro Max, which hit 17:54.<\/p>\n

The iPhone 18 Pro Max is still the battery life king at 18 hours and 27 minutes. It’s the longest-lasting iPhone we have ever benchmarked and makes it among the top performers on the Tom’s Guide best phone battery life<\/a> list. It also beats the Galaxy S26 Ultra by nearly 2 hours.<\/p>\n

‘Give me an iPhone Duo with the iPhone 18 Pro camera suite. That’s literally all I want.’<\/p>\n

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\"Apple\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)<\/p>\n

I\u2019m right there with you, but here\u2019s why that camera setup is likely exclusive to the 18 Pro series. Apple likely couldn’t find the room to add a telephoto lens to the Duo, so you get just a wide and ultrawide lens.<\/p>\n

So if you want a longer 4x optical zoom, go with the iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max.<\/p>\n

\"iPhone<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Apple)<\/p>\n

In addition, Apple added six mechanical blades that expand and contract to the main 48MP camera on the Pros in order to achieve variable aperture. It shifts anywhere from f\/1.48 to f\/4.0 automatically, or you can customize it using new Pro controls.<\/p>\n

That six-blade mechanism requires physical depth. That’s why the thinner foldable iPhone Duo likely can’t fit this exact camera suite without adding a massive camera bump. See our in-depth iPhone 18 Pro Max variable aperture camera testing<\/a> for some good examples of what you can do.<\/p>\n

‘Can you actually edit Cinematic Mode AFTER you record a video now, or did I misread that?’<\/p>\n

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\"iPhone\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Future)<\/p>\n

You read that right. And this is probably my favorite software quality-of-life upgrade on the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.<\/p>\n

Historically, if you forgot to select Cinematic Mode before hitting record, you were stuck with standard video. On the 18 Pro series, you can shoot standard 4K video, open up the editor, and toggle Cinematic Mode on or off after the fact right at the top of the display.<\/p>\n

iPhone 18 Pro: Cinematic Mode on – YouTube
\n\"iPhone<\/p>\n

Watch On <\/a><\/p>\n

iPhone 18 Pro: Cinematic Mode off – YouTube
\n\"iPhone<\/p>\n

Watch On <\/a><\/p>\n

You can see the results above, as the background is more blurred out with Cinematic Mode enabled. It’s essentially like Portrait mode for video.<\/p>\n

Apple also added manual shutter speed controls for video and 4K Dolby Vision<\/a> Timelapses. If you shoot video for social media or YouTube<\/a>, this gives you way more flexibility in post-production without locking you into specific camera modes up front.<\/p>\n

‘Performance = Get the iPhone 18 Pro. Entertainment = Wait for the iPhone Duo.’<\/p>\n

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\"iPhone\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Future)<\/p>\n

This is an interesting take on the iPhone 18 Pro vs. iPhone Duo<\/a> comparison.<\/p>\n

The 18 Pro is powered by the 2nm A20 Pro chip. In our benchmark tests, it scored over 4,700 on single-core CPU tests and turned in a massive 45% graphics jump over the 17 Pro Max, also comfortably beating Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra across the board.<\/p>\n

The iPhone Duo uses this exact same processor. Our A20 Pro lab testing<\/a> proves that this chip has the raw GPU horsepower and 80% thermal stability required to run dual-screen multitasking without overheating or tanking performance.<\/p>\n

However, driving a larger display requires more resources, and it’s not clear how much the iPhone Duo’s thinner design will impact sustained performance. The bigger difference to me is likely to be battery life, though, as the iPhone 18 Pro Max is rated for 45 hours of video playback versus 31 for the Duo on its main 7.6-inch panel.<\/p>\n

If you want a traditional, ultra-durable slab phone with max camera control and 18+ hours of battery, get the 18 Pro Max. But if you want a dual-screen workstation for media and multitasking, wait for the Duo, because the chip inside should be ready for it.<\/p>\n

‘Is Siri AI on iOS 27 actually useful now?’<\/p>\n

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\"Siri\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not going to say that Siri AI<\/a> is smarter than Gemini or ChatGPT yet. But thanks to iOS 27<\/a> and the A20 Pro\u2019s new dual 16-core Neural Engine, which logged a 40% to 48% speed boost in our Geekbench AI lab tests, it\u2019s significantly more helpful.<\/p>\n

The big difference this year is personal context and multi-step voice prompts. Instead of asking Siri<\/a> to do one basic task at a time, you can do several things at once.<\/p>\n

For example, I could ask for Siri to check my calendar for any openings for lunch with my brother, research restaurants around Bryant Park and include recommended dishes and send a text to him in a single prompt.<\/p>\n

I just wish that you could talk to Siri in real time while looking at live video, as you can with Gemini and ChatGPT Voice.<\/p>\n

‘Is there actually $100 more worth of upgrades here?’<\/p>\n

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\"iPhone\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Future)<\/p>\n

This question is referring to the $100 price hike for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, which is likely due to the component shortage. So, what does that extra $100 actually buy you under the hood?<\/p>\n

A blazing A20 Pro chipA physical, six-blade mechanical variable aperture main cameraAn internal vapor chamber that’s three times larger for sustained coolingUpgraded 60W fast chargingSolid battery life gains for both models<\/p>\n

Whether these upgrades justify the extra cash depends on your current iPhone. If you’re coming from an iPhone 17 Pro, paying $100 is a tough sell.<\/p>\n

But if you’re upgrading from a an iPhone 14 Pro<\/a> or iPhone 15 Pro<\/a>, that $100 gets you a massive 50% performance leap, real optical aperture control, and over three additional hours of screen time.<\/p>\n

‘Should I get the iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max?’<\/p>\n

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\"Apple\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Tom’s Guide)<\/p>\n

This is not an easy call. There\u2019s four main differences between the iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone 18 Pro Max<\/a>.<\/p>\n

No. 1 is the display size. The 6.3-inch OLED panel on the iPhone 18 Pro is great, but the 6.9-inch screen on the Max gives you a more immersive viewing experience for playing games and watching movies. Plus, there\u2019s more info on screen at once when reviewing documents or surfing the web.<\/p>\n

Second, you get more battery life on the iPhone 18 Pro Max, hitting nearly 18.5 hours \u2014 which is a bit over 2 hours more than the iPhone 18 Pro.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, the iPhone 18 Pro is more compact and lighter. It\u2019s like having a stealth bomber in your pocket with all that A20 Pro power. And the iPhone 18 Pro starts at $100 less. That might not seem like much but you can put that savings towards additional storage.<\/p>\n

For me I\u2019d get the iPhone 18 Pro Max but it really comes down to screen size and price.<\/p>\n

Bottom line<\/p>\n

The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max might not look radically different at first glance, but underneath, the A20 Pro chip, camera hardware, and thermal redesign set a new baseline for Apple flagships.<\/p>\n

Did we answer your key questions about the 18 Pro series? Are you picking one up, or holding out for our full iPhone Duo review? Let us know in the comments!<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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\"Google\n<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Follow Tom’s Guide on Google News<\/a> and add us as a preferred source<\/a> to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. <\/p>\n

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