iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max Debut: What's New

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Apple has officially introduced the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, which promise significant leaps in camera technology, battery efficiency, and artificial intelligence (AI) processing performance. Powered by the A20 Pro chip built on a 2-nanometer architecture, Apple's flagship phone introduces a main camera with a variable aperture—a first for the iPhone.

"This is the best Pro lineup we’ve ever made, with advancements across camera, performance, and battery. And we didn’t just make incremental improvements in these areas — we took huge leaps forward," said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, in a statement on the company's official website on Thursday, as quoted by ANTARA.

The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max share the same camera system, which is one of the key highlights of this lineup. This time, Apple introduces a 48MP Fusion main camera featuring the first variable aperture technology on an iPhone. The camera utilizes six laser blades to adjust lighting and depth of field, either automatically or manually.

The feature is supported by a new computational image processing pipeline, full manual control modes (shutter speed, white balance, and histogram), support for 4K 120 fps Dolby Vision video recording, and the digitally signed Apple Reference Image photo authentication feature.

Beyond the camera, another equally compelling highlight is the processing unit, powered by the A20 Pro chip based on 2-nanometer architecture. This chip integrates a 6-core CPU, a 7-core GPU, and a dual 16-core Neural Engine for on-device AI processing. Its sustained performance has improved by up to 40 percent, thanks to a new vapor chamber thermal system with three times the surface area of its predecessor.

This new chip is more efficient, delivering more reliable battery life. The iPhone 18 Pro offers up to 34 hours of video playback, with a 50 percent charge in about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, the iPhone 18 Pro Max delivers up to 43 hours of video playback or up to 29 hours of daily use, with just a five-minute charge providing enough power for up to seven hours of video playback.

Regarding the display, both the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max feature Super Retina XDR panels paired with a more compact Dynamic Island design. The latest Dynamic Island can now display up to three Live Activities simultaneously without interfering with Face ID security functions. In terms of size, the iPhone 18 Pro is more compact with a 6.3-inch display, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max measures 6.9 inches.

For connectivity, both the iPhone 18 Pro and the iPhone 18 Pro Max are equipped with the N1 wireless chip—supporting Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread—as well as an AI-based C2 cellular modem that is up to 15 percent more power-efficient.

This performance runs on iOS 27, which features an updated Liquid Glass interface and expanded child safety protection.

Apple offers storage capacity options of 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, and up to 2 TB for both models, with color choices of Burgundy, Glacier Blue, Silver, and Black.

In the U.S. market, the iPhone 18 Pro starts at US$1,199 (Rp21.1 million), while the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at US$1,299 (Rp22.9 million).

Read: Apple Event 2026: Apple Unveils Foldable iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro and AI Upgrades

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