The second most interesting iPhone

The iPhone 18 Pro is overshadowed by Apple's foldable iPhone Duo launching next month. It's so similar to the 17 Pro it uses the same cases.

A moving aperture inside

Apple added a variable aperture to the main camera, controlling how much light hits the sensor. It's a big deal in concept, but small in practice.

Wider and narrower options

The maximum aperture is now f/1.48 versus f/1.8, and can stop down to f/1.8, f/2.8, and f/4. Both changes offer only marginal improvements.

Background blur barely changes

The wider f/1.48 aperture doesn't create much more background blur than f/1.8. The phone's small lens keeps most things in focus anyway.

Low light gains are subtle

More light should mean better photos, but the difference between f/1.48 and f/1.8 in low light is hard to spot unless you look closely.

Night Mode gets slightly faster

At f/1.48, Night Mode uses a shorter capture time than at f/1.8. That means less time holding still and less noise to process out.

Smaller aperture sharpens close-ups

Stopping down to f/4 keeps more in focus when shooting close subjects like statues. But again, the benefits are marginal.

Auto mode works fine

The aperture adjusts automatically based on lighting, staying at f/1.8 most of the time. It opens to f/1.48 in dim light and closes to f/4 for groups.

Manual controls finally arrive

You can now adjust aperture, shutter speed, white balance, and focus in the stock camera app. No direct ISO control, though.

Less processed photos possible

Using manual shutter speed captures a single frame instead of multi-frame processing. You lose dynamic range but get a less processed look.

Film-inspired texture controls

New Photographic Styles let you add glow to highlights, overlay film grain, or soften skin. Apple is catching up to film simulation trends.

“It's another first for Apple: the ability to make your photos a little bit worse. But you know, tastefully.”

Still feels like a phone

Despite the updates, shooting with the 18 Pro never stops feeling like using a phone. Small controls, spam calls, and battery anxiety persist.

Reference Image verifies authenticity

A new system adds encrypted sensor data to photos from the main camera, letting people verify images haven't been tampered with.

Video gets smarter tracking

AI-powered focus tracking sticks to subjects even if they briefly leave the frame. You can also convert regular video to Cinematic mode after shooting.

Prices jump $100 higher

The 18 Pro starts at $1,199 with 256GB, while the Pro Max starts at $1,299. The 2TB versions cost $2,399 and $2,499 respectively.

Apple's first in-house modem

The 18 Pro uses Apple's new C2 modem, the first time a Pro iPhone has shipped with Apple-made cellular chips. It performs well.

Dynamic Island shrinks down

The black bar is smaller because Face ID now hides under the screen. It's barely noticeable in daily use.

iOS 27 brings better Siri

The new AI Siri can search across email and messages at once. It's less chatty than ChatGPT or Gemini, which feels refreshing.

The aperture stays invisible

Most people will never see the tiny aperture mechanism. It works in the background, helping when needed without requiring your attention.

“It's as small as my thumbnail, and it's under layers of optical glass.”

A little better than before

The 18 Pro upholds the iPhone's mission to always take a usable photo. It's iterative, not revolutionary, and that's exactly what it should be.

“As long as you don't expect a revolutionary new camera experience, then the 18 Pro is what it should be: a little better than the version that came before it.”