Apple has officially introduced the iPhone 18 Pro as the successor of last year’s iPhone 17 Pro at the Surprise and Shine event. The new device brings a new camera system with mechanical variable aperture, a new A20 Pro chip built on a 2nm process and a larger vapour chamber for improved sustained performance. The company has also offered increased battery life and brought the next-generation C2 modem. Adding on the iPhone 18 Pro gets new colours and a redesigned Dynamic Island. Here is how the new iPhone compares with the iPhone 17 Pro.
Among the biggest changes is the camera. The iPhone 18 Pro bags a new 48-megapixel Fusion Main sensor with a six-blade mechanical variable aperture. Users can choose between f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8 and f/4.0 settings, giving more control over light and depth of field. The company has also added manual controls for aperture, shutter speed and white balance, along with a live histogram. New camera features include Smart focus tracking, upgraded Photographic Styles and the ability to apply Cinematic effects after recording. The iPhone 17 Pro has a 48MP Fusion camera system but does not offer the new mechanical aperture controls.
The iPhone 18 Pro is powered by the A20 Pro chip, manufactured using a 2nm process. It features a six-core CPU, seven-core GPU and a dual 16-core Neural Engine. Apple says the GPU is up to 40 percent faster than the previous generation, while the new vapour chamber can deliver up to 40 percent better sustained performance than the iPhone 17 Pro.
The overall design remains similar, but Apple has introduced Burgundy, Glacier, Black and Silver colour options. The Dynamic Island has also been redesigned and can display up to three Live Activities simultaneously.
Also read: Apple Event 2026: iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and other key announcements
If we talk about the battery, the iPhone 18 Pro supports up to 36 hours of video playback, compared with up to 33 hours on the iPhone 17 Pro. Apple has also improved wired charging, with the new model reaching 50 percent in around 15 minutes.
The iPhone 18 Pro also introduces Apple’s C2 modem system, replacing the Qualcomm modem used in the previous generation. Apple says the C2 modem improves upload speeds while using less power and supports mmWave in the US.
Speaking of the prices, the iPhone 18 Pro starts at Rs 1,64,900 in India for the 256GB variant, which is Rs 30,000 more than the iPhone 17 Pro’s original starting price of Rs 1,34,900. The new model is available in 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB configurations. Pre-orders for the iPhone 18 Pro will begin in India on September 12, with sales starting September 18.
If you want my opinion, the iPhone 18 Pro is more than a routine performance refresh. It gets the variable aperture camera, faster A20 Pro chip, improved thermal management, longer battery life and new modem which makes it a decent upgrade over the iPhone 17 Pro. However, the Rs 30,000 price does feel like a little steep hike.