Apple has launched the iPhone 18 Pro Max and the iPhone 18 Pro smartphones. The phones were announced at te Apple keynote event in Cupertino alongside its first foldable device. The iPhone 18 Pro series is powered by the A20 Pro chip, is the first Apple device to come shipped with new Siri AI, and has a host of camera features including the variable aperture. Apple calls the new camera system 'more versatile than ever'.
iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone 18 Pro price, availability
The new iPhone 18 Pro Max price starts at $1299 and the iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1199. Pre-orders begin on September 12 and the phones will be available from September 18. The phones are available in Deep Black, Burgundy, Glacier
The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are headlined by a reworked Siri built around Apple Intelligence, a redesigned Dynamic Island, and the company's first 2-nanometer chip. The new Pro lineup arrive alongside new accessories, and centres its pitch on artificial intelligence woven through the camera, keyboard, and voice assistant rather than on hardware alone.
Siri gets an AI overhaul
The standout change is Siri AI, which Apple says now understands personal context and can complete tasks across roughly 300,000 apps — from adding items to a grocery list to sending a WhatsApp message or pulling up restaurant recommendations. Apple has also introduced a Siri mode within the Camera app, expressive voice options for Siri's responses, and more accurate dictation, all pitched as productivity boosts for everyday use. The company said Siri AI already fields 2.5 billion requests a day, and confirmed the assistant will expand to 16 languages when the next iOS update rolls out.
A20 Pro chip drives performance and AI gains
Powering both models is the new A20 Pro chip, built on 2-nanometer process technology with a 6-core CPU that Apple calls the fastest in any smartphone, delivering a 20 percent speed gain over its predecessor. The chip also brings a 40 percent jump in graphics performance and pairs with a 32-core Neural Engine that doubles processing power, aimed squarely at improving on-device AI tasks such as image generation. Memory bandwidth is up 50 percent, and Apple said redesigned packaging improves thermal management, helping the chip sustain performance under heavier AI workloads.
Faster charging and a variable aperture camera
On battery, Apple said the iPhone 18 Pro can reach a 50 percent charge in about 15 minutes, with just five minutes of charging enough for six hours of use. The camera system also gains a variable aperture, giving users more control over depth of field and light intake - a first for the iPhone lineup.
(This is a developing story)
