Apple’s iPhone Pro models have evolved since they were introduced in 2019. What began as a premium tier alongside the standard iPhone has become a showcase of the company’s best cameras, processors and battery performance.
The iPhone 18 Pro continues that approach, with those three categories receiving its biggest upgrades. There’s a new flagship A20 Pro chipset, a larger battery and cameras that introduce variable aperture.
The updates may sound incremental, but after testing the phone over two weeks, the most noticeable and crucial upgrade is the battery life. I no longer take along a power bank when leaving home. This is major for someone whose phone doubles as a mobile office.
The other big change is the 48MP rear cameras. Apple has introduced variable aperture, with the main lens opening from f/1.48 to f/4.0.
It gives you more control over depth of field, but I found myself dialling back the blur, like on food shots at restaurants. The flexibility is welcome, but it’s not a setting I use often.
And in portrait mode, when I tap to focus, it takes a bit longer, as if the lens is struggling to comply. It’s frustrating when you want to capture something quickly.
Low-light images are on par with Android flagships, but at some point you know it’s computational photography delivering enhanced, sometimes unnatural-looking shots, rather than what you physically see.
Video remains a major strength. I use an iPhone extensively for this, and the quality is unmatched. Thus far, it has not let me down as my primary content-creation camera.
Then there’s a new chip. Apple continues to set the benchmark for smartphone performance. The iPhone 18 Pro is snappy in day-to-day use, especially when jumping between a multitude of apps without having to close any of them.
Editing older photos is occasionally sluggish; I suspect this is due to the 40,000-plus gallery items transferred from my previous iPhone while pulling from the cloud.
The transition itself was seamless since my entire digital life sits on iCloud. In about 45 minutes, my apps, photos, settings and passwords moved over without fuss.
While last year’s design revamp was not my favourite — that orange hue — this year’s protruding camera bump doesn’t bother me as much. Dimensions are identical, but the darker burgundy colourway hides most of what I disliked.
The advantage of keeping the dimensions identical is that phone cases are a bit cheaper, as you’re buying stuff intended for the “older” 17 Pro.
The 18 Pro is a faster, longer-lasting and more capable upgrade to an already excellent handset, improving on what was already a very capable device without making its predecessor feel obsolete. Hardware has become so good that consumers are holding onto devices beyond the upgrade cycle, which means replacing it every two years is no longer essential. That said, if you’re a power user or content creator, you may want to upgrade. It retails for R28,799 for the 256GB variant.
Cool factor: 5/5
Usability: 4/5
Value for money: 4/5
