Apple has launched the iPhone 18 Pro from $1,199 and iPhone 18 Pro Max from $1,299, alongside the first foldable iPhone Duo from $1,999.
A20 Pro vs A19 Pro
The iPhone 18 Pro moves from the A19 Pro to Apple's 2nm A20 Pro.
| iPhone 17 Pro | iPhone 18 Pro | |
| Chip | A19 Pro | A20 Pro |
| Process | 3nm-class | 2nm |
| CPU | 6-core | 6-core + Neural Accelerators |
| GPU | 6-core | 7-core |
| GPU performance | — | Up to +40% |
| AI compute | — | 2x |
| Memory bandwidth | — | +50% |
| Sustained performance | — | Up to +40% |
| Vapor chamber | 1x | 3x surface area |
A20 Pro uses a 32-core Neural Engine built from dual 16-core engines. The 50% increase in memory bandwidth is particularly relevant for local LLM inference and other memory-heavy AI workloads.
The redesigned thermal system allows the SoC to contact the vapor chamber directly, helping maintain performance during gaming, video processing and sustained AI workloads.
48MP Camera: ƒ/1.48 to ƒ/4
The 48MP Fusion Main camera now has a physical variable aperture:
ƒ/1.48 → ƒ/4
The iPhone 17 Pro uses a fixed-aperture main camera. The wider ƒ/1.48 setting maximizes light intake, while stopping down increases depth of field. Apple also adds manual controls for:
- aperture
- shutter speed
- white balance
- exposure histogram
Video adds 4K Dolby Vision HDR Time-lapse, while Cinematic effects can be applied after capture to footage recorded at up to 60 fps.
Apple Reference Image
The iPhone 18 Pro can cryptographically sign sensor data when a photo is captured. Apple Reference Image creates a verifiable reference that can later be compared with the edited image. Instead of trying to detect AI manipulation from pixels alone, the system provides proof of the original camera capture.
APIs are available in iOS 27, iPadOS 27 and macOS 27 for third-party apps. Apple is also adding support for Google SynthID for identifying supported AI-generated and AI-edited images. Reference Image capture will not initially be available in the EU or China.
C2 Modem and Battery
Apple replaces C1X with its new C2 modem, claiming:
- 15% lower power consumption + faster uploads
- C2 also supports mmWave in the US.
- Wireless connectivity is handled by Apple's N1 chip with Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread.
Battery life reaches:
| Video playback | |
| iPhone 18 Pro | 36 hours |
| iPhone 18 Pro Max | 45 hours |
Wired charging reaches 50% in about 15 minutes with compatible USB-C PD hardware.
iPhone Duo: Apple's First Foldable
The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 and uses the same A20 Pro platform.
| Spec | iPhone Duo |
| Outer display | 5.4" |
| Inner display | 7.6" |
| Peak outdoor brightness | 3,000 nits |
| Refresh | ProMotion |
| Chip | A20 Pro |
| Storage | 256GB–2TB |
| Frame | Grade 5 titanium |
| Protection | IP68 |
| Authentication | Touch ID |
The 7.6-inch internal screen provides about 50% more display area than the iPhone 18 Pro Max.
The hinge contains 100+ components and uses a 3D-printed titanium cover. The flexible display uses reinforced glass layers and a polymer cover that Apple claims is 40% stiffer than comparable materials.
Duo Performance
Compared with the A19 Pro platform, Apple claims:
- CPU: +20%
- GPU: +40%
- AI compute: 2x
- Memory bandwidth: +50%
Sustained performance is rated up to 35% higher than the iPhone 17 Pro.
The Duo uses two batteries positioned on opposite sides of the hinge:
- 31 hours video playback on the inner display
- 44 hours using the outer display
- ~24 hours with mixed dual-screen usage
Charging reaches 50% in approximately 20 minutes.
iOS 27 Adds Foldable Multitasking
The Duo supports Split View with two apps simultaneously and can run two windows of the same app. App pairs can be saved, while developers get updated APIs and Duo support through Xcode Device Hub.
The hardware shift is substantial: 2nm A20 Pro, +40% GPU, 2x AI compute, +50% memory bandwidth, variable-aperture 48MP camera and a 7.6-inch foldable iPhone starting at $1,999.
