We received an iPhone 18 Pro ahead of its September 18 launch and our initial impressions focus on new colors and design tweaks, a smaller Dynamic Island, a 2nm A20 Pro chip with expanded cooling, a variable-aperture Main camera, and U.S. modem differences.
iPhone 18 Pro design and colors
The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max ditch last year’s two-tone contrast by matching the glass back to the aluminum frame for a more uniform look. Our review unit is the new glacier color, a light blue that—unlike some prior light-blue finishes—appears distinctly blue rather than silver. Apple will also offer burgundy, silver, and black; a burgundy unit is on the way.
Both the 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max are heavier than the iPhone 17 Pro models they replace. The difference is most noticeable with the Pro Max, which now weighs 249 grams versus 233 grams for the previous Pro Max.
Smaller Dynamic Island and front-facing changes
Apple slimmed down the Dynamic Island by placing the infrared camera under the display, reducing the visible cutout. The updated Dynamic Island can display three Live Activities at once or two with more detail.
Performance, cooling and battery
Inside is Apple’s new 2nm A20 Pro chip. In everyday tasks like web browsing and social media, performance gains may not be obvious because recent iPhone chips were already very fast. The phone does include a redesigned vapor chamber cooling system that covers three times more surface area, which Apple says keeps the iPhone cooler during heavier workloads such as gaming. Apple also claims improved battery life, stating up to 36 hours of video playback for the 18 Pro and 45 hours for the 18 Pro Max; we have not tested battery life ourselves.
In the U.S., the iPhone 18 Pro ships with Apple’s new C2 modem while the 18 Pro Max uses a Qualcomm modem; both models use the C2 modem outside the U.S. Apple says the C2 includes mmWave 5G for the first time and is more efficient than Qualcomm modems, and the differences between U.S. models may prompt comparative speed tests.
Camera system and Pro Controls
The Main camera gains a variable-aperture lens paired with a new sensor and computational imaging updates. The system offers four aperture settings and operates automatically to adjust light and depth of field—wider apertures for dark scenes and smaller apertures for bright conditions—so typical shooting remains simple. Apple also adds Pro Controls that let users manually adjust aperture, shutter speed, and white balance, and a histogram is available to check exposure. A full camera video review is planned for next week.
Price and availability
Apple lists the iPhone 18 Pro starting at $1,199 and the iPhone 18 Pro Max starting at $1,299. Both models launch on September 18.
