Apple iPhone 18 Pro
Specs, US price, release date, and Android Hire verdict
The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 in the US and goes on sale 18 September 2026. It is Apple's first variable-aperture 48MP Fusion Main camera, on a 2nm A20 Pro, in a 6.3-inch 120Hz Super Retina XDR body.
Apple iPhone 18 Pro at a glance
- US price: $1,199 (256GB), $1,399 (512GB), $1,799 (1TB), $2,399 (2TB).
- On sale 18 September 2026; pre-orders opened 12 September.
- First iPhone with a variable-aperture 48MP Fusion Main (f/1.48–f/4).
- A20 Pro (2nm) with a larger vapor chamber; iOS 27 and Siri AI at launch.
- 6.3-inch 120Hz OLED, 211g, 150.0 × 71.9 × 8.75 mm, eSIM-only in the US.
- Buy it over the 17 Pro for the camera and chip; wait for reviews if you already own a 17 Pro.
- First iPhone with a variable-aperture 48MP Fusion Main camera (f/1.48–f/4) and Apple Reference Image authenticity mode
- A20 Pro on 2nm with 50% more memory bandwidth than A19 Pro and a Dual 16-core Neural Engine
- Next-generation vapor chamber is three times the surface area of the iPhone 17 Pro's, for the highest sustained performance Apple has shipped
- Smaller Dynamic Island can show three Live Activities at once without dropping Face ID
- 50% wired charge in about 15 minutes; C2 modem adds mmWave in the US and 15% lower cellular energy use than C1X
- 256GB base storage, 12GB RAM, and a new 2TB tier — iOS 27 with Siri AI at launch
- US launch price is $1,199, $100 above the iPhone 17 Pro, with no 128GB option
- Independent camera and battery reviews are not out yet — availability is 18 September 2026
- US models are eSIM-only, with no physical SIM tray
- Aluminum unibody continues the 17 Pro's finish rather than returning to titanium
- Siri AI launches as a US English beta; several languages arrive later
Android Hire Verdict — The camera leap the Pro line needed
On paper the iPhone 18 Pro is the most interesting Pro upgrade since the 15 Pro's USB-C switch: variable aperture is a real creative control, A20 Pro plus a larger vapor chamber is a sustained-performance story rather than a benchmark spike, and the smaller Dynamic Island is the first useful redesign of that cutout. It is also $100 more than last year and ships before independent tests exist. If you are already on an iPhone 17 Pro, wait for reviews. If you are coming from anything older, this is the US iPhone to pre-order.
Apple iPhone 18 Pro video
Apple's official Introducing film for iPhone 18 Pro — variable-aperture Fusion camera, A20 Pro, and Siri AI.
Official video: Apple. Embedded from the brand channel — watch on YouTube for the original.
Apple iPhone 18 Pro in depth
Who the iPhone 18 Pro is for
This page is for US shoppers comparing iPhone 18 Pro specs, price, and the 18 September 2026 launch against last year's 17 Pro and against the Galaxy S26 Ultra and Pixel 11 Pro. If you want a 6.3-inch iPhone you can use one-handed, this is the 2026 Pro. If you want a 6.9-inch panel and 45 hours of rated video, the Pro Max is the same cameras and chip for $100 more.
It is not a must-buy if you already own an iPhone 17 Pro: the jump is the variable-aperture main camera, A20 Pro, and a smaller Dynamic Island that can show three Live Activities. Independent camera and battery tests are not out yet because retail units arrive 18 September.
iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone 17 Pro
Apple raised the US starting price $100, from $1,099 to $1,199, and dropped 128GB again. Display size stays 6.3 inches at 2622 × 1206. The body is 150.0 × 71.9 × 8.75 mm and 211 g. Video playback is rated up to 36 hours on eSIM-only US units, versus 33 hours on last year's Pro.
The 48MP Fusion Main is the real year-over-year change: six laser-cut blades move between f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8 and f/4. The 48MP 4x Fusion telephoto and 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide carry over the 17 Pro's triple-48 layout. A20 Pro is Apple's first 2nm iPhone chip, with a Dual 16-core Neural Engine and a vapor chamber Apple says has three times the surface area of the 17 Pro's.
Variable aperture is the actual headline
Night mode opens the aperture to pull in more light; group shots can stop down so faces at the back stay sharp. Manual Pro controls in the Camera app expose aperture, shutter speed, white balance and a histogram. Apple Reference Image, in Reference mode, signs every pixel and stores an unalterable digital-negative companion in Photos via Private Cloud Compute — aimed at journalists who need to prove a shot was not generated.
Video adds 4K Dolby Vision up to 120fps on the Fusion Main, ProRes / ProRes RAW with external recording, Apple Log 2, 4K Dolby Vision time-lapse, and cinematic effects after capture up to 60fps. The front camera is an 18MP Center Stage ultrawide.
A20 Pro, C2 modem, and charging
A20 Pro uses a 6-core CPU (2 performance + 4 efficiency), a 7-core GPU Apple says is up to 40% faster than A19 Pro, and 50% more memory bandwidth. Memory sits beside the die so the chip can sit on a larger vapor chamber. Treat AnTuTu figures on this page as directional estimates until labs publish device results.
US units use Apple's C2 modem with mmWave and N1 for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread. Wired charging reaches 50% in about 15 minutes with a 60W-class USB-C adapter. MagSafe / Qi2 hits 50% in about 30 minutes. US, Canadian and Japanese models are eSIM-only.
Apple iPhone 18 Pro benchmarks
Independent device tests are not published yet — the phone goes on sale 18 September 2026. Figures are chipset-class estimates from A20 Pro's published 2nm design, 50% extra memory bandwidth, and Apple's claim of up to 40% faster GPU versus A19 Pro. Treat them as directional, not lab results.
Apple iPhone 18 Pro vs the competition
How the Apple iPhone 18 Pro compares against the Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and the Google Pixel 11 Pro — its closest rivals in our directory.
| Spec | Apple iPhone 18 Pro | Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra | Google Pixel 11 Pro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launch price | $1,199 | $1,299 | $1,299 | $1,099 |
| Display | 6.3" LTPO OLED 120Hz | 6.9" LTPO OLED 120Hz | 6.9" QHD+ LTPO 120Hz | 6.3" LTPO OLED 120Hz |
| Chipset | Apple A20 Pro (2nm) | Apple A20 Pro (2nm) | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 | Google Tensor G6 |
| Camera | 48MP variable aperture | 48MP variable aperture | 200MP + 5x + 3x + UW | 50MP + 48MP 5x + 48MP UW |
| Battery | Up to 36h video (eSIM) | Up to 45h video (eSIM) | 5000mAh · 60W wired | 4850mAh · 30W / 25W Qi2.2 |
| AnTuTu 10 | ~3,100,000 (est.) | ~3,100,000 (est.) | ~2,628,000 | ~1,460,000 |
| Our score | 92/100 | 93/100 | 90/100 | 88/100 |
Apple iPhone 18 Pro full specifications
Launch
- Announced
- September 9, 2026
- Released
- September 18, 2026
- Status
- Pre-order · Available September 18, 2026
Network
- Technology
- GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
- 5G bands
- Sub-6 + mmWave (US); C2 modem
- Speed
- HSPA, LTE, 5G
Body
- Dimensions
- 150.0 x 71.9 x 8.75 mm
- Weight
- 211 g
- Build
- Ceramic Shield 2 front, aluminum unibody, color-matched back glass
- SIM
- eSIM only (USA); Nano-SIM + eSIM internationally
- Durability
- IP68 dust-tight and water-resistant (up to 6m for 30 min)
Display
- Type
- LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz ProMotion, Always-On, Dolby Vision, 3000 nits peak
- Size
- 6.3 inches
- Resolution
- 1206 x 2622 pixels, ~460 ppi
- Protection
- Ceramic Shield 2, anti-reflective coating
- Other
- Smaller Dynamic Island; up to 3 Live Activities
Platform
- OS
- iOS 27 with Apple Intelligence and Siri AI (beta)
- Chipset
- Apple A20 Pro (2 nm)
- CPU
- 6-core with integrated Neural Accelerators
- GPU
- 7-core Apple GPU (up to 40% faster than A19 Pro)
- NPU
- Dual 16-core Neural Engine (32 cores)
Memory
- Card slot
- No
- Internal
- 256GB / 512GB / 1TB / 2TB, 12GB RAM
- Technology
- NVMe
Main Camera
- Setup
- Triple 48MP Fusion
- Wide
- 48 MP Fusion Main, variable aperture f/1.48–f/4, 24mm, sensor-shift OIS
- Telephoto
- 48 MP Fusion, 4x optical zoom
- Ultrawide
- 48 MP Fusion Ultra Wide, macro
- Features
- Pro controls, Apple Reference Image, Photographic Styles (texture/grain), Photonic Engine
- Video
- 4K up to 120fps Dolby Vision, ProRes / ProRes RAW, Apple Log 2, 4K time-lapse HDR, cinematic effects after capture (60fps)
Selfie Camera
- Single
- 18 MP Center Stage ultrawide
- Video
- 4K Dolby Vision, cinematic effects after capture
Sound
- Loudspeaker
- Yes, stereo speakers
- 3.5mm jack
- No
Comms
- Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi 7 (N1)
- Bluetooth
- 6.0 (N1)
- Other
- Thread, NFC, UWB, dual-frequency GPS, Satellite SOS
- USB
- USB Type-C 3.2, DisplayPort
Features
- Fingerprint
- No (Face ID via Dynamic Island)
- Sensors
- Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, LiDAR
- Other
- Emergency SOS via satellite, Crash Detection, Camera Control button, Action button
Battery
- Type
- Li-Ion; up to 24 hours typical use (Apple)
- Rated video
- Up to 36 hours video playback (eSIM-only models)
- Charging
- 50% in ~15 min with 60W+ USB-C; 50% in 30 min MagSafe/Qi2
Misc
- Colors
- Black, Silver, Glacier, Burgundy
- Price
- $1,199 US (256GB); $1,399 / $1,799 / $2,399
Apple iPhone 18 Pro FAQ
How much does the iPhone 18 Pro cost in the US?
It starts at $1,199 for 256GB — $100 more than the iPhone 17 Pro. 512GB is $1,399, 1TB is $1,799, and a new 2TB tier is $2,399. Pre-orders opened 12 September 2026 at 5 a.m. PT. Apple Trade In lists $175–$885 of instant credit on iPhone 13 or later.
When is the iPhone 18 Pro release date?
Apple announced it on 9 September 2026. US pre-orders began 12 September. It goes on sale Friday, 18 September 2026 at Apple, carriers, and major retailers. That is one day earlier than last year's 17 Pro launch.
iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone 18 Pro Max: which should I buy?
Same cameras, same A20 Pro, same iOS 27. The Pro is the 6.3-inch 211 g phone with up to 36 hours of rated video. The Pro Max is 6.9 inches, 249 g, $1,299, and up to 45 hours of video. Buy the Pro for one-handed use; buy the Max if you want the larger screen and battery.
Is the iPhone 18 Pro worth upgrading from the 17 Pro?
Only if you care about the new variable-aperture main camera, A20 Pro, or the smaller Dynamic Island. Display size, rear camera count, and the aluminum unibody are the same class. Wait for independent photo tests after 18 September if you are happy with a 17 Pro today.
Does the iPhone 18 Pro have a physical SIM tray?
Not in the United States. US, Canadian, Japanese and several Gulf models are eSIM-only. International models still ship with a physical tray. Apple says eSIM-only units get about two extra hours of video playback from the recovered internal volume.
What colors does the iPhone 18 Pro come in?
Black, Silver, Glacier, and a new Burgundy. All four share the aluminum unibody with Ceramic Shield 2 on the front and Ceramic Shield on the back. Storage is 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB, with 12GB of RAM across the line.
What chip is in the iPhone 18 Pro?
Apple A20 Pro, Apple's first 2nm iPhone chip: a 6-core CPU, 7-core GPU, Dual 16-core Neural Engine, and 50% more memory bandwidth than A19 Pro. It is paired with a next-generation vapor chamber. Independent device benchmarks are not published yet.
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