Updated

Updated · Engadget · Sep 16

Engadget Calls $1,199 iPhone 18 Pro Apple’s Camera Benchmark as Upgrades Stay Iterative

Updated

Updated · Engadget · Sep 16

Engadget Calls $1,199 iPhone 18 Pro Apple’s Camera Benchmark as Upgrades Stay Iterative

Q: With the radical iPhone Duo looming, is buying the iterative iPhone 18 Pro actually a massive mistake for upgraders?

No — for most upgraders, buying the iPhone 18 Pro is not a massive mistake, but it is only clearly smart for a specific kind of buyer. The evidence across reviews points to an “S-year” device: familiar design, same screen sizes, and modest visible changes beyond the smaller Dynamic Island and new finishes. The real gains are in the camera, battery life, and chip. The variable-aperture main camera, added manual controls, and Apple Reference Image are meaningful if you care about photography, video, or image authenticity. The A20 Pro also appears to deliver a notable efficiency and performance jump, and battery life is one of the strongest positives, especially on the Pro Max. That said, the case for upgrading depends heavily on what you own now. If you have an iPhone 17 Pro, or even a 16 Pro that still performs well, the higher starting price — $1,199 for the Pro and $1,299 for the Pro Max — makes this a harder sell unless you specifically want the new camera controls, better endurance, or top-tier performance. Siri AI is not yet a decisive reason to buy because it remains inconsistent, region-limited, and in some cases tied to rollout constraints. The looming iPhone Duo changes the psychology, not necessarily the math. At $1,999, it is far more expensive, unproven as a first-generation foldable, and not shipping yet. Buyers who want Apple’s safest, best-developed flagship phone today are still better served by the 18 Pro. Buyers mainly tempted by novelty should wait.

3 articles · Updated · Engadget · Sep 16

Engadget says the iPhone 18 Pro feels like an “S-year” update, with the biggest gains centered on photography, performance and battery rather than a major redesign.
The standout hardware change is a variable-aperture camera with four settings from f/1.48 to f/4.0, plus manual shutter controls up to 1/6000s, which the review says narrows Apple’s gap with Google on portrait and night shots.
A smaller Dynamic Island can now show three live activities, while the A20 Pro chip and next-generation vapor chamber kept heat mostly in check; early battery life landed around 1.5 to 2 days.
New iOS 27 features were mixed in testing: Apple’s Reference Image tool was praised as a simple authenticity check against edits, while Siri AI improved on some tasks but still showed uneven understanding.
At a starting price of $1,199—$100 above last year’s Pro—the review says the phone is still Apple’s best non-folding iPhone for cameras and performance, especially for users on an iPhone 16 Pro or older.