Apple has launched the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the most significant change sits inside the main camera. For the first time on an iPhone, the 48MP Fusion Main camera gets a variable aperture that physically controls how much light reaches the sensor. The new Pro models also get the 2nm A20 Pro chip, a larger vapour chamber, longer battery life, a smaller Dynamic Island and Siri AI, Apple’s all-new assistant that arrives with iOS 27.The upgrades come at a higher price in India. The iPhone 18 Pro starts at Rs 1,64,900 and the iPhone 18 Pro Max at Rs 1,79,900, both Rs 30,000 more than the starting prices of last year’s iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max. Storage still begins at 256GB, and the smaller Pro now gets a 2TB option too. Here are nine biggest features you need to know before you pre-order one tomorrow or even ordering one on September 18.
Apple iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max price in India , availability and pre-orders
iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max come in four storage variants, starting at 256GB. Here is what each one costs in India.
| Storage | iPhone 18 Pro | iPhone 18 Pro Max |
| 256GB | Rs 1,64,900 | Rs 1,79,900 |
| 512GB | Rs 1,89,900 | Rs 2,04,900 |
| 1TB | Rs 2,39,900 | Rs 2,54,900 |
| 2TB | Rs 3,14,900 | Rs 3,29,900 |
Apple iPhone 18 Pro price in India
- 256GB: Rs 1,64,900
- 512GB: Rs 1,89,900
- 1TB: Rs 2,39,900
- 2TB: Rs 3,14,900
Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max price in India
- 256GB: Rs 1,79,900
- 512GB: Rs 2,04,900
- 1TB: Rs 2,54,900
- 2TB: Rs 3,29,900
Apple iPhone 18 Pro availability, pre-orders and offers
- Pre-orders: From 5:30 PM IST on Saturday, September 12
- Sale date: Friday, September 18
- Colours: Black, Silver, Glacier and a new Burgundy
- Bank offers: Instant cashback on American Express, Axis Bank and ICICI Bank cards
- No Cost EMI: From Rs 26,316 a month for the iPhone 18 Pro and Rs 28,817 a month for the iPhone 18 Pro Max over six months, including instant cashback
- Trade-in: Credit of Rs 21,000 to Rs 81,500 for an iPhone 13 or newer
- SIM: Indian units support both a nano-SIM and eSIM
iPhone 18 Pro is the first iPhone with a variable aperture camera
Six laser-cut blades move the main camera between four apertures: f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8 and f/4.0. The camera switches automatically based on light and depth of field, or users can pick a setting themselves. At f/1.48, Apple claims around 50% better low-light performance and quicker Night mode shots. At f/4.0, more of the frame stays sharp, which helps with group photos. A new sensor sits behind the lens, and developers get an API to control the aperture in their own apps.
Pro controls bring manual shutter speed and white balance to the Camera app
Pro controls lets users customise the Camera app by pinning their most-used settings to the top. They can manually adjust aperture, shutter speed and white balance, with a histogram to check exposure. Photographic Styles 3 adds texture and grain controls to soften skin detail or add a film look, and these edits can be reversed later. The other rear cameras are 48MP too: a 13mm Ultra Wide and a Telephoto with 4x and 8x optical-quality zoom.
Apple Reference Image helps iPhone 18 Pro users prove what the camera saw
In the new Reference mode, the main camera’s sensor signs the pixel data as the photo is taken. Apple’s Private Cloud Compute then develops it into a reference image that cannot be altered. This sits next to the regular photo in the Photos app, so users can compare the two and spot edits. The feature is opt-in and will not be available in China at launch. Apple also plans to add support for Google’s SynthID standard, which identifies AI-generated or AI-edited images, later this year.
iPhone 18 Pro can add Cinematic mode effects after a video is shot
Cinematic mode effects, which blur the background, can now be applied to regular videos after recording, including clips shot at up to 60fps. Time-lapse mode now records in 4K with Dolby Vision HDR, and Audio Mix can separate music from background noise. For filmmakers, both phones support 4K 120fps Dolby Vision recording, ProRes RAW, Apple Log 2 and genlock for syncing multiple cameras.
A20 Pro chip is built on 2nm and doubles AI processing power
Built on a 2-nanometre process, the A20 Pro uses a 6-core CPU with two super cores and four efficiency cores. Its 7-core GPU is up to 40% faster than the A19 Pro’s, according to Apple. The Dual 16-core Neural Engine has 32 cores in total, giving the chip twice the AI compute of last year’s model, and memory bandwidth is up 50%. Both phones also get Apple’s C2 modem, which the company says improves cellular reliability while using 15% less energy.
A bigger vapour chamber keeps iPhone 18 Pro performance up for longer
Apple has borrowed from its M-series Mac chips for the A20 Pro’s packaging. The silicon die now sits beside the memory, which takes the memory out of the heat path and lets the chip attach directly to the vapour chamber. The chamber has three times the surface area of the one in the iPhone 17 Pro and uses new materials. Apple claims up to 40% better sustained performance, so demanding games and larger on-device AI models can run for longer.
iPhone 18 Pro Max battery lasts up to 43 hours of video playback in India
The Indian iPhone 18 Pro Max gets up to 43 hours of video playback and up to 29 hours of typical use on a charge, according to Apple. The iPhone 18 Pro gets up to 34 hours of video playback. eSIM-only models sold in the US and some other markets get two extra hours. Wired charging reaches 50% in around 15 minutes on both phones, but only with a 60W adapter that supports Adjustable Voltage Supply, sold separately.
A smaller Dynamic Island shows three Live Activities at once
New display technology lets Apple shrink the Dynamic Island while keeping Face ID inside it, and it can now show three Live Activities together. The displays stay at 6.3 and 6.9 inches, with ProMotion up to 120Hz. Both phones use an aluminium unibody with Ceramic Shield 2 on the front and an IP68 rating. The Pro weighs 211g and the Pro Max 249g. Apple’s EU repairability filing rates both class C, with a score of 3.14 against 3.04 for the iPhone 17 Pro models.
Siri AI arrives on iPhone 18 Pro with iOS 27
iOS 27 rolls out on September 14, bringing Siri AI in beta. The new assistant can find information across messages, emails and photos, take action on what is on screen, and answer questions using online information. It can also draft text in the user’s own writing style in Messages and Mail, while a Siri mode in the Camera app answers questions about what is in front of the lens. Siri AI starts in English, with French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish coming in October.Features that run on Apple’s servers, including Siri AI, come with daily usage limits, and Apple says expanded access will cost extra in the future.
