iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max Are Incremental Upgrades With Variable-Aperture Camera, Engadget Says

According to Engadget, the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max add enough features to be described as an incremental 'S' iPhone rather than a major redesign. Most changes are identical across the standard and Max models, including the same camera hardware, so buyers do not need the larger phone to get the better camera. The larger iPhone 18 Pro Max does get a bigger battery-life boost, but it also gains more weight.

Apple kept the aluminum unibody design it introduced or reintroduced with the iPhone 17 Pro series, Engadget said. The dimensions are unchanged: the iPhone 18 Pro measures 5.91 by 2.83 by 0.34 inches, and the iPhone 18 Pro Max measures 6.43 by 3.07 by 0.34 inches. Weight, however, has increased. The iPhone 18 Pro is 2.4 percent heavier than the iPhone 17 Pro, at 7.44 ounces versus 7.27 ounces. The iPhone 18 Pro Max is about 6.9 percent heavier than its predecessor, at 8.78 ounces versus 8.22 ounces. Both lineups retain Ceramic Shield 2 on the front, Ceramic Shield on the back and IP68 water resistance.

Apple also changed the color options, Engadget reported. The iPhone 18 Pro series replaces last year's Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue and Silver with Black, Silver, Glacier and Burgundy. Engadget described Burgundy as this year's 'Look, I got the new iPhone' color.

The core display specifications are unchanged, according to the comparison. The standard iPhone 18 Pro has a 6.3-inch OLED display, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max uses a 6.9-inch OLED panel. Both 460 PPI displays support variable refresh rates up to 120Hz, always-on functionality and outdoor brightness up to 3,000 nits. The notable display change is a smaller Dynamic Island on the iPhone 18 Pro series. Apple achieved this with a region of brighter pixels that lets enough infrared light through for Face ID to work beneath the display, allowing a smaller black cutout. The Dynamic Island also supports up to three ongoing Live Activities at once, compared with two on the iPhone 17 Pro.

Engadget identified the main camera as the most significant change. The megapixel count remains 48 megapixels, but the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max use a fixed f/1.78 aperture. The new main camera in the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max can switch between f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8 and f/4.0. A narrower aperture keeps more of the scene in focus, while a wider one can collect more light and create greater focal contrast between the subject and the background. The devices can choose automatically, which Engadget expects most people will use, but users who want more control over depth of field can adjust the aperture manually. Apple also added manual controls for shutter speed and white balance, plus an on-screen histogram. Otherwise, both iPhone 18 Pro models have the same three-camera setup: a 48-megapixel main camera, a 48-megapixel Ultra Wide camera and a 48-megapixel 4x Telephoto camera. Their listed resolution, focal length and aperture specs are unchanged from last year's models.

Video also gets an upgrade. Rear-camera Cinematic mode now records up to 4K at 60 frames per second, compared with 4K/30 fps on the iPhone 17 Pro series, though the front camera remains limited to 4K/30 in Cinematic mode. The phones can apply cinematic-style background effects after recording, but Engadget said its testing produced hit-or-miss results and that the best results come with relatively still, clearly separated subjects.

Another new feature, Apple Reference Image, can save sensor-signed RAW data alongside the normally processed photograph, giving users a version to compare against edits. Engadget said an obvious purpose is verifying that a photo was untouched by AI or regular editing. The downside is that users must shoot in a special mode because the feature will not activate automatically.

Editor's Summary Engadget's comparison shows Apple's iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max are incremental updates over the iPhone 17 Pro line, with a variable-aperture 48-megapixel main camera as the main advancement. The phones keep the same core design and display specs while adding weight, new colors and some video and photo tools. The larger Pro Max gains more battery life but also more weight, leaving buyers to weigh those trade-offs.