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Reviewers testing Apple's new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are highlighting notably longer battery life and a more flexible camera system as the standout upgrades this generation. Specific technical details beyond these highlights were not disclosed in the available source material.
Apple has introduced an opt-in feature called Apple Reference Image on the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max that signs pixel data straight off the camera sensor before any software processing occurs, creating what Apple calls a 'secure digital negative.' To turn this file into a usable photo, the device sends it to Apple's Private Cloud Compute, which verifies sensor and Secure Enclave signatures and device identity before producing a JPEG with a composite RSA-3072 and post-quantum ML-DSA-87 signature.
Apple is reportedly shifting its iPhone camera strategy toward giving users more manual control over how photos are processed, rather than relying solely on automatic computational adjustments. The change is expected to arrive with the iPhone 18 Pro, allowing photographers greater flexibility in shaping the final look of their images.
After hands-on testing of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, a ZDNET reviewer found the two models are nearly feature-identical this generation, aside from screen and battery size differences. Both share the same triple-camera system with variable aperture technology and matching durability, prompting a shift in buying advice toward the smaller Pro model.
Apple has released the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, which reviewers say deliver notable gains in battery life, processing performance, and camera quality over the prior generation. These improvements reportedly put the devices ahead of competing premium Android flagships in overall capability.
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max bring a redesigned back where the glass camera cutout now matches the aluminum color, addressing criticism of last year's contrasting two-tone look. The phones also gain a variable aperture camera, faster performance, longer battery life, and added weight, and come in burgundy, glacier, silver, and black.
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro introduces a variable aperture camera with six blades controlled by a rotor, letting users choose between four settings from f/1.48 to f/4.0 directly in the Camera app. The update is paired with other imaging features including cinematic effects for standard video, Apple Reference Image, Photographic Styles 3, and an Audio Mix tool for music. According to early hands-on testing, the new aperture control produces more natural soft-focus effects than the phone's existing Portrait mode.
Apple has explained the technical workings of Reference Image mode, a new opt-in feature on the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max that cryptographically signs photos at the moment of capture. The camera sensor uses a unique private key generated during manufacturing to sign image data, which Apple's cloud service later verifies against a certified public key, while the phone's security processor also signs and cross-checks the sensor's identity.
WIRED's review of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max highlights strong multi-day battery life, especially on the larger Pro Max, along with a significant performance jump from the new A20 Pro chip. The devices can run demanding console ports like Control, aided by a vapor chamber with triple the surface area for cooling. The phones also ship with iOS 27 and an upgraded Siri AI that remains less capable than rival assistants.
Filmmaker Todd Vaziri posted a video comparing Apple's 2026 keynote opener to scenes from the James Bond film Skyfall, pointing out matching camera angles and framing used to introduce Tim Cook and new CEO John Ternus. He also noted a gunbarrel-style sequence referencing the iPhone 18 Pro's variable aperture camera.
CNET is revisiting its original 2007 review of the first iPhone, written by Kent German and Donald Bell, as Apple prepares to launch the foldable iPhone Duo starting at $2,000. The original review praised the iPhone's design but criticized its missing features, slow EDGE network, and $499 price tag, which required a two-year AT&T contract.
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max launched alongside the more radical foldable iPhone Duo, arriving next month, but the Pro models are largely incremental. They share the same case design as the iPhone 17 Pro and use a new A20 Pro chip with improved thermal management for sustained performance, while the standout hardware change is a moving aperture in the main camera that adjusts how much light reaches the sensor.