iPhone 18 Pro hands-on: two compelling reasons to upgrade

Apple unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max at its September 2026 event, highlighting a variable-aperture camera and a smaller Dynamic Island as key upgrades, with preorders starting September 12 and launch on September 18. The 48-megapixel main camera offers four manual apertures (ƒ/1.48 to ƒ/4.0) for improved low-light shots, while the reduced Dynamic Island shows up to three Live Activities with more detail. New colors include Burgundy, Glacier, matte Black, and Silver, powered by the faster A20 Pro chip. Pricing rises $100 to $1,199 (Pro) and $1,299 (Pro Max) for 256GB, with configurations up to 2TB. The phones promise longer battery life and cooler operation, though the author notes the design largely continues the 17 Pro generation.