iPhone 18 Pro Max Buyer Regrets $1,200 Upgrade as iPhone Duo Delivery Slips Into 2027
Updated
Updated · Tom's Guide · Oct 17
iPhone 18 Pro Max Buyer Regrets $1,200 Upgrade as iPhone Duo Delivery Slips Into 2027
1 articles · Updated · Tom's Guide · Oct 17
Summary
$1,200 for the iPhone 18 Pro Max quickly felt unjustified to the reviewer, who said the new model was hard to distinguish from the iPhone 17 Pro Max after setup.
A20 Pro performance gains, 30 minutes of extra battery life and faster 60W wired charging were described as real but barely noticeable in everyday use, leaving the variable-aperture camera as the only obvious novelty.
8.78-ounce weight versus 8.22 ounces on the prior model was one of the few immediately tangible differences, reinforcing the view that the phone feels more like an iterative '17S' update than a major new release.
iPhone Duo is drawing far more excitement because its foldable design, larger tablet-like display and revised interface promise a visibly different experience for Apple users.
Delivery estimates for the cheapest iPhone 18 Pro Max stretched to 2 to 3 weeks, but iPhone Duo preorders reportedly pushed shipping into 2027 within an hour, underscoring stronger demand for Apple's new form factor.