Apple announced the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max earlier this month, arriving three years after the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Three generations of changes make for a substantial upgrade, bringing larger displays, an all-new design, improvements to every camera, significantly longer battery life, and faster charging.

The iPhone 16 Pro introduced larger displays with thinner borders, the Camera Control, a 48-megapixel Ultra Wide camera, and improved video and audio recording. The iPhone 17 Pro replaced the titanium frame and glass back with an aluminum unibody, added vapor chamber cooling and Ceramic Shield 2, and upgraded both the telephoto and front-facing cameras. This year's refresh centers on the A20 Pro chip, a variable-aperture Main camera, a smaller Dynamic Island, and a further increase in battery capacity.

For iPhone 15 Pro owners, all three sets of changes accumulate. The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 for 256GB, $200 more than the iPhone 15 Pro's $999 launch price, although the entry storage tier has doubled from 128GB. The iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at $1,299, $100 more than the iPhone 15 Pro Max's equivalent starting configuration.

Key differences include a shift from a brushed titanium frame to an aluminum unibody, larger 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays with thinner borders, and a jump from Ceramic Shield to Ceramic Shield 2 with 3x better scratch resistance. Display brightness increases to 3,000 nits peak outdoors. The A20 Pro chip powers the lineup, featuring a variable-aperture Main camera and a smaller Dynamic Island supporting up to three simultaneous Live Activities. Battery capacity sees a further increase in the Pro Max model.