iPhone 18 Pro & Pro Max launched in SA: Subtle looks, major upgrades - IOL
The iPhone 18 Pro introduces a game-changing physical variable aperture, sleek Burgundy finish, and faster A20 chip, making it a powerful upgrade for older model owners. Picture: HECTOR RETAMAL / AFP
At first glance, the new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max look almost identical to last year’s 17 series. Under the hood, however, Apple has delivered several notable quality-of-life upgrades.
The headline feature is the physical variable aperture, allowing you to adjust shutter settings directly on the camera—a crucial capability missing from last year’s release.
This addition offers far better manual control over depth of field and low-light shooting. Paired with the new A20 chip and a 40% faster GPU, night photography becomes practically effortless.
Beyond performance, you get solid battery life improvements, with the Pro Max reportedly boasting up to six additional hours of video playback compared to its predecessor.
Both models can also fast-charge to 50% in just 20 minutes. Overall camera quality remains top-tier, featuring exceptional 8x zoom capabilities. While competitors like the Huawei P90S set high industry benchmarks, Apple’s image processing continues to impress.
Visually, a new refined Burgundy replaces the loud orange of the previous generation, offering a much sleeker, more subtle finish that feels genuinely sophisticated and premium.
In daily use, performance feels incremental if you are coming from an iPhone 16 or 17. As a general rule, it’s best to wait three to four generations before upgrading your primary device. If you already own a 16 or 17, you can safely skip this generation. However, if you are running an older phone or simply want the absolute latest mobile tech, the 18 Pro is a phenomenal device.
The iPhone 18 Pro starts at R28,799, while the top-tier 18 Pro Max begins at R31,299.
While the improvements on this year's lineup are considerable, the previous-generation iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max still offer a compelling value proposition. The 17 Pro currently retails for R24,999, while the 17 Pro Max sits at R27,999 (pricing based on baseline 256GB models).
