Apple has presented its latest smartphones. Compared to the previous model, the improvements of the iPhone 18 Pro (Max) are somewhat disappointing, especially considering the price increase of € 150. There are no striking new features, and the innovation is mainly found in the details.
The new Pro is even more aimed at the professional photographer, with unique Pro features in the Camera app and a 48-MP Fusion Main Camera with variable aperture. This ensures improved photos and videos in low-light conditions, as well as impressive depth of field. Time to take a closer look at the differences with the iPhone 17 Pro (Max).
Renewals iPhone 18 Pro ▸ iPhone 17 Pro
In the overview below we briefly summarize the iPhone 18 Pro innovations compared to the iPhone 17 Pro. This means that the options, capabilities and hardware below are only available on the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. At the bottom of this overview we explain some of the differences in detail, so that you get a good idea.
- Aluminum unibody with a Ceramic Shield back in the same shade as the aluminum (less color difference)
- A20 Pro chip: 6-core CPU with 2 performance and 4 efficiency cores, 7-core GPU with Neural Accelerators and a Dual 16-core Neural Engine
- Second Generation Vapor Chamber: Larger advanced cooling system that places a sealed chamber of liquid above the chip for better performance
- Small Dynamic Island with space for three live activities
- 48-MP Fusion Variable Aperture Main Camera with ƒ/1.48, ƒ/1.8, ƒ/2.8 and ƒ/4.0 options
- Pro controls for aperture, shutter speed, white balance and histogram
- Photographic Styles 3 with texture improvements
- Smart continuous focus (photo and video)
- Film mode effects from video (add afterwards)
- Better photos and videos in low light
- Record timelapse video with stabilization up to 4K Dolby Vision
- Tap the screen to zoom and rotate the 18MP Center Stage front camera
- Improved battery life thanks to processor and larger battery (especially with the iPhone 18 Pro Max)
- Charges up to 50% within about 15 minutes with an adapter suitable for 60 W
- C2 modem for even better and more stable mobile connections, powered by AI
- Available in premium colors Bordeaux Red, Glacier, Black and Silver
- Standard 256 GB storage space, up to 2 TB for both models
- Price: iPhone 18 Pro from € 1479 | iPhone 18 Pro Max from €1629
- Extensive information about the iPhone 18 Pro
A20 Pro chip the heart of the iPhone
The A20 Pro is Apple’s first 2-nanometer chip for the iPhone and is the main chip in the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max. The CPU has six cores in a 2+4 layout: two new “super” performance cores that are up to 20% faster than the A19 Pro, and four efficiency cores for everyday tasks. All six cores have Neural Accelerators, small AI accelerators close to the computing cores. This makes it possible to process heavy Apple Intelligence tasks, such as on-device language models and complex Siri questions, faster and without a cloud.
For graphics and AI-heavy tasks, the A20 Pro has a 7-core GPU, one core more than the A19 Pro. Apple promises up to 40% better graphics performance and higher memory bandwidth through a wider memory interface (96-bit LPDDR5X). This is especially noticeable with games, pro apps and extended use. The GPU also includes new Neural Accelerators with approximately twice the FP8 computing power, which is ideal for large language models and on-device generative AI.
In addition, Apple has improved AI performance with a Dual 16-core Neural Engine, which offers a total of 32 cores and delivers up to twice the AI computing power of the previous generation. This ensures faster image and speech processing, better translations and more advanced Apple Intelligence features without lag.
Second generation vapor chamber
The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max get significantly improved cooling thanks to a second-generation vapor chamber with approximately three times as much surface area as the iPhone 17 Pro. Demineralized water circulates in this vapor chamber, absorbing heat from the processor, evaporating, going to a cooler area, condensing there and flowing back again. Apple calls this a mini water cycle inside the phone, intended to distribute heat around the chip and prevent overheating.
48MP Fusion Main Camera with Variable Aperture
The new 48MP Fusion Main Camera of the iPhone 18 Pro is the first iPhone camera with a mechanical variable aperture. The lens contains six laser-cut blades of a special polymer that physically narrow or widen the opening.
This switches the camera between four modes: ƒ/1.48, ƒ/1.8, ƒ/2.8 and ƒ/4.0. In low light, the aperture opens to ƒ/1.48, allowing up to approximately 50% more light to reach the sensor than the previous generation. In bright situations or landscapes, the aperture closes down to ƒ/2.8 or ƒ/4.0, so you get a greater depth of field and more of the scene remains in focus, from foreground to background.
Pro controls in Camera app
The new Pro controls in the Camera app of the iPhone 18 Pro give you manual control over key exposure parameters: choose one of four aperture settings (ƒ/1.48, ƒ/1.8, ƒ/2.8, ƒ/4.0) to control the amount of light and depth of field, set the shutter speed to freeze motion or add motion blur, and adjust the white balance so that colors remain natural under artificial light or mixed lighting.
While composing, a live histogram shows how the exposure is distributed over the tones, so that you can immediately see whether you are burning out highlights or closing shadows and can make more targeted adjustments; This Pro interface works for both photos and video and is also available via an API for third-party camera apps.
Other software camera functions
Not only has Apple improved the hardware, the camera software also provides new possibilities. In addition to the Pro controls, the options below are only available on the iPhone 18 Pro (Max).
- Smart continuous focus: When taking photos or videos, on‑device AI lets you automatically focus and focus on a subject as it moves. Even if it disappears from view and comes back again.
- Photographic Styles 3: In addition to tint and color, you can now also adjust the texture and grain to soften details in the skin, for example. Or to give your photo a cinematic look. And you can always reverse or adjust the effects.
- Audio mix for music: With Audiomix you can now easily filter out unwanted background noise, so that music and voices in your videos stand out better.
- Ability to add Film Mode effects to videos afterwards
- Photos taken with iPhone 18 Pro (Max) contain a digital invisible watermark that guarantees the authenticity of the photo (Reference Image Data)
- Pro controls for aperture, shutter speed, white balance and histogram
- Record timelapse video with stabilization up to 4K Dolby Vision
Switching from an iPhone 16 Pro or 15 Pro
Do you own an iPhone 17 Pro? Then it is not necessary to switch to the new iPhone 17 Pro (Max). Of course, the innovations are a bonus, but the price still remains high and the new options are limited. Apple has tried to make the update as interesting as possible, but most of the innovations are really only for Pro users.
The Dynamic Island has become slightly smaller in width, but in practice you will hardly notice this; the height and status bar remain unchanged. The new camera system is excellent, but adds little in the way of daily innovation. The 48MP Fusion Main Camera with variable aperture delivers better photos and videos in low light and offers professional photographers significantly more freedom.
In terms of performance, the 17 Pro (Max) will not be inferior to previous generations, but the second generation vapor chamber can actively help to ensure top performance for a longer period of time. The extra battery life that the iPhone 18 Pro Max has is also a bonus.
If you have an iPhone 17 Pro (Max), it may not be necessary to switch now. However, this changes for the iPhone 15 Pro and older models, where you will see significant improvements in camera, performance and battery life. For the iPhone 16 Pro it is a gray area; The switch to the iPhone 18 Pro does offer a significantly improved and advanced camera system, but this device still performs very well.
Order iPhone 18 Pro
You can order the new iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max via the Online Apple Store, your favorite webshop or provider. This is possible at, among others, Bol.com, Coolblue, MediaMarkt, Amazon, Yorcom, Expert, Mobiel.nl, Odido, KPN and Vodafone.
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