iPhone 18 Pro review finds refinements, variable aperture and bigger batteries, but added weight

The review said the iPhone 18 Pro keeps the aluminum unibody, rear extension platform and Ceramic Shield back of the iPhone 17 Pro, so most changes are not immediately visible. The iPhone 18 Pro’s weight rises to 211 grams from 204 grams, and the iPhone 18 Pro Max goes from 231 grams to 249 grams. Battery capacity increases from 3,988mAh to 4,056mAh on the smaller model and from 4,823mAh to 5,391mAh on the Max, an increase of nearly 12%. Apple replaced last year’s popular orange finish with burgundy and glacier blue, brought back black, and changed the silver model’s back panel to a silver-gray closer to the aluminum frame.

On the front, the review said Apple reduced the area occupied by the TrueDepth camera system. When no Live Activity is shown, the black area is visibly smaller than on earlier Dynamic Island phones, and the Dynamic Island can display up to three Live Activities at once. Apple moved the infrared camera from the center cutout to the upper left and placed it under the display. To let infrared light through, Apple halved the pixel density in that area and doubled the brightness of remaining pixels, the review said. Face ID also uses additional image data processed by a dedicated Secure Exclave. The reviewer found no noticeable display difference and no change in unlock speed.

The main camera is a new 48-megapixel Fusion camera with a six-blade variable aperture. Its maximum aperture widens to f/1.48 from f/1.78, and it can switch among f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8 and f/4. By aperture area, the review said, the largest setting can gather nearly 50% more light than the previous generation, which can shorten exposure times in low light or reduce noise at similar shutter speeds. In testing, sharpness was highest at f/2.8, followed by f/1.8; f/4 showed slight diffraction, and f/1.48 was the softest. The review said f/1.48 suits low light and close subjects, f/1.8 is the automatic default, f/2.8 offers better clarity, and f/4 can keep group portrait rows in focus or create starburst effects.

The camera app now shows a customizable row of shortcuts above the viewfinder, with up to eight settings. iPhone 18 Pro exclusive Pro controls add lens aperture, shutter speed, white balance, histogram and manual focus. The reviewer called white balance and shutter speed the most useful additions, citing more stable color in mixed indoor light and the ability to freeze motion or create blur. However, the review said the controls sit at the top of the viewfinder and are hard to reach in portrait orientation, and manual adjustments take time that phone photography often does not allow. It suggested shutter speed could offer common preset values for quicker switching.

The review said the new Photographic Styles may be more useful to most users than the Pro controls. Apple added texture and grain controls. Texture offers soft skin, glow and film effects, each with adjustable intensity. Grain is a separate on/off toggle that can be layered over any texture, though it cannot be adjusted in size or strength. On video, iPhone 18 Pro can add a Cinematic effect and adjust depth of field to regular video at up to 60 fps in post. Timelapse now supports 4K Dolby Vision HDR, and the audio mix feature improves voice extraction and adds music separation.

Performance and battery life improved slightly, according to the review. After two hours of video playback, social media and gaming, the iPhone 18 Pro retained about 3% more battery than an iPhone 17 Pro with 99% battery health; over a full day out, it typically retained 6% to 7% more. The review said the A20 Pro chip and system efficiency helped despite little change in the smaller model’s battery capacity. The vapor chamber is three times larger than the previous generation. During testing in Hangzhou in late September, the iPhone 18 Pro did not dim its screen from heat outdoors, while the iPhone 17 Pro occasionally dimmed after continuous shooting.

Charging brought mixed results. The iPhone 18 Pro supports USB PD 3.2 SPR AVS, allowing peak wired power of about 43W, up from about 37W on the iPhone 17 Pro, the review said. But Apple’s charging strategy remains conservative: power falls below 30W after the battery reaches 30%, so overall charging time does not change noticeably. Users need a charger that supports SPR AVS to reach the higher peak. The iPhone 18 Pro also supports eSIM. The China version keeps two physical nano-SIM slots and can store up to two eSIMs, meaning it can hold four numbers and keep two active, the review said. China Unicom has opened a limited online eSIM trial, allowing selected users to apply through its app instead of visiting a store.