Apple has unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, bringing a major camera upgrade, a new A20 Pro chip, longer battery life and expanded AI features to its flagship lineup.

The biggest change is the camera. Both models feature a 48MP Fusion Main camera with variable aperture, a first for iPhone. The system uses six laser-cut blades to adjust aperture for different lighting and depth-of-field effects, with the camera opening as wide as ƒ/1.48 for low-light photography.

A new set of Pro controls also lets users manually adjust aperture, shutter speed and white balance, while a histogram provides greater control over exposure.

More powerful performance

The new A20 Pro chip is built on a 2-nanometre process and features a six-core CPU, seven-core GPU and Dual 16-core Neural Engine.

Apple says it delivers 50 per cent more memory bandwidth than A19 Pro, up to 40 per cent faster GPU performance and double the AI processing power.

A redesigned vapour chamber, with three times the surface area of the previous generation, is designed to improve sustained performance by up to 40 per cent.

Bigger battery gains

Battery life also gets a boost. The eSIM-only iPhone 18 Pro offers up to 36 hours of video playback, while the Pro Max reaches up to 45 hours.

Apple says five minutes of wired charging on the Pro Max can provide around seven hours of video playback.

The Dynamic Island has also been redesigned and can now display up to three Live Activities at once.

AI and photo authenticity

The new iPhones run iOS 27 with Apple Intelligence and Siri AI. The upgraded Siri can use personal context, understand onscreen content and provide information through the Camera app.

Apple has also introduced Apple Reference Image, which creates an unalterable reference version of a photo using signed sensor data. The feature is designed to help users verify whether an image has been edited.

UAE prices, colours and storage

In the UAE, the iPhone 18 Pro as per reports is expected to start at Dh5,099, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at Dh5,499.

Both models are available in burgundy, glacier, silver and black, with storage options ranging from 256GB to 2TB.

Customers trading in an iPhone 13 or later can receive between Dh640 and Dh3,260 in instant credit, depending on the device.

Pre-orders begin September 12, with availability starting September 18.