iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max launch with variable aperture and A20 Pro chip

Apple announced the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max at its "Surprise and shine." event on September 9, 2026 (JST), featuring a variable aperture camera and the new A20 Pro chip, available in four colors. The phones launch on September 18, with pre-orders starting September 12. The A20 Pro chip uses 2-nanometer technology with a 6-core CPU, including two super cores up to 20% faster, and a GPU with up to 40% better performance. The event also highlighted new Apple Intelligence features, including an upgraded Siri AI that works across over 300,000 apps, with Japanese language support arriving in October. The new Siri offers on-device processing for improved voice input, customizable voices, and proactive notifications. A new Image Playground tool was also introduced, with some cloud-based features subject to usage limits that can be raised via an iCloud+ subscription.