Take

“The 18 with its new A20 Pro chip absolutely murdered the other devices.”

Pros

• Almost entirely matching the 17 Pro Max in battery life.
• Maintains a significant lead in sustained performance during stress tests.

Cons

• AI performance gains are not as significant as advertised and not felt in day-to-day tasks.
• Variable aperture camera often defaults to f1.8, offering minimal improvement over previous models in most situations.

Take

“the A20 Pro inside the iPhone 18 Pro series represents a massive architectural jump worth digging into.”

Pros

• A20 Pro chip brings substantial gains in graphics and sustained thermal performance
• Expanded internal vapor chamber cooling system by three times

Cons

• Battery life gains are only a 30-minute improvement year over year for the Pro Max model

Take

“For the average person, this is not going to be a big deal.”

Pros

• New adjustable aperture opens up to F1.48, helpful for low-light photography.
• Manual controls for shutter speed, focus, and white balance are now available in the camera app.

Cons

• The moving aperture offers a pretty minor improvement in detail over the 17 Pro.
• The reviewer doesn't find the moving aperture particularly useful or fun.

Take

“I think that because you as the photographer get to make the decision, you get to choose.”

Pros

• New main camera with f/1.48 variable aperture for creative control and low light.
• A20 chip offers a significant performance increase.

Cons

• Incremental changes from the iPhone 17 Pro, making it less of a must-upgrade for recent buyers.
• ISO is not manually adjustable in the main camera app.

Take

“So, we're going to get up to 50% better performance, sustained performance, and maybe the screen will stay brighter for longer, as well, on this sunny California day.”

Pros

• Massive improvements to battery
• Variable aperture for wider aperture down to F 1.48 to F4
• Wider aperture lets in up to 50% more light
• Much faster night mode, better low-light photography