GoKawiilThe iPhone 18 Pro is Apple doubling down on what it thinks a “Pro” iPhone should be. It’s faster, heavier, has longer-lasting battery life, and more capable. Plus, there’s a new variable aperture camera leading the way.
I’ve spent the last week using the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. Here’s everything you need to know.
Design and colors
Apple debuted a striking new design with last year’s iPhone 17 Pro lineup, including a full-width camera bump plateau and a two-tone back.
In my review, I described the changes as “polarizing.” I said the camera plateau along the back was Apple finally embracing the camera bump, but that I’d prefer consistency between the aluminum and glass cutout on the back.
I think that has been the general public reaction, too. I heard from a lot of iPhone 17 Pro buyers who didn’t like the two-tone design and opted to cover it up with a case when they might have otherwise gone case-less.
With the iPhone 18 Pro, Apple has debuted a new color-matched back design. That is, the glass cutout on the back now matches the color of the aluminum, for the most part. It looks fantastic. You can still see and feel the seam where the glass meets the aluminum, but the overall appearance here is much better.
The iPhone 18 Pro is available in four colors: burgundy, glacier, silver, and black. If I had to pick a “flagship” color for this year, I’d say it’s burgundy. It’s not as bright and flashy as last year’s cosmic orange, but it’s unlike anything we’ve seen on an iPhone before. It’s a beautiful mix between a deep red and purple, shifting depending on lighting.
Meanwhile, glacier is a light blue that I’d describe as similar to, but slightly lighter than, the sierra blue of the iPhone 13 Pro. However, unlike the sky blue MacBook Air that can easily pass for silver, it is unmistakably blue.
Of all the iPhone 17 Pro colors, the silver was most afflicted by the two-tone back design. Apple’s signature silver aluminum design was marred by the white glass on the back. This year, the silver iPhone 18 Pro looks stunning thanks to Apple color-matching the silver aluminum to the glass.
... continue reading