Apple has officially unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, bringing major upgrades to performance, photography, battery life and artificial intelligence. In India, the iPhone 18 Pro starts at ₹1,64,900, while the Pro Max is positioned as Apple’s flagship model with up to 43 hours of video playback. 

The new Pro lineup introduces an A20 Pro chip, a next-generation vapour chamber, a redesigned 48MP Fusion Main camera with variable aperture and an 18MP Center Stage front camera. Apple is also expanding its Apple Intelligence ecosystem with the new Siri AI experience. 

iPHONE 18 PRO PRICE IN INDIA AND AVAILABILITY

The Apple iPhone 18 Pro starts at ₹1,64,900 for the 256GB variant in India. The 512GB model is priced at ₹1,89,900, while the 1TB and 2TB versions are available at higher prices. The iPhone 18 Pro Max also starts at ₹1,64,900 according to Apple’s India store listings, with pricing varying by storage and model configuration.

Pre-orders for the new iPhone 18 Pro lineup begin at 5:30 PM IST on September 12, with availability starting September 18 in India.

 

New Aluminium Unibody Design and Four Colours

The iPhone 18 Pro moves to a durable aluminium unibody design, complemented by Ceramic Shield 2 on the front and Ceramic Shield on the back. Apple says the new front glass offers three times better scratch resistance compared with the iPhone 16 Pro. 

The smartphone is available in Burgundy, Glacier, Silver and Black. Buyers can choose between the 6.3-inch iPhone 18 Pro and the larger 6.9-inch iPhone 18 Pro Max. Both models feature Super Retina XDR OLED displays with ProMotion technology supporting adaptive refresh rates of up to 120Hz. 

The redesigned Dynamic Island can display up to three Live Activities simultaneously, while Camera Control and the Action button continue to provide quick access to key functions. 

48MP Pro Fusion Camera System Gets Variable Aperture

One of the biggest upgrades comes to the camera system. The iPhone 18 Pro features a 48MP Pro Fusion camera system, consisting of a 48MP Fusion Main, 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide and 48MP Fusion Telephoto camera. 

The new 48MP Fusion Main camera introduces variable aperture, with options ranging from ƒ/1.48 to ƒ/4.0. The aperture can automatically adjust according to lighting and depth-of-field requirements, while users can also access manual Pro controls. Apple says the ƒ/1.48 setting enables around 50% better low-light performance compared with the previous generation. 

The telephoto camera supports 4x and 8x optical-quality zoom, while the overall optical-quality zoom range extends to 16x. Digital zoom reaches up to 40x for still photography. 

For video creators, the iPhone 18 Pro supports 4K Dolby Vision recording up to 120fps, ProRes up to 4K at 120fps with external recording, ProRes RAW, Apple Log 2 and Genlock support. 

A20 Pro Chip Brings More Performance

Powering the iPhone 18 Pro is Apple’s new A20 Pro chip, featuring a six-core CPU, seven-core GPU with Neural Accelerators and a dual 16-core Neural Engine. Hardware-accelerated ray tracing is also supported.

A new vapour-cooled thermal architecture is designed to help the smartphone maintain high performance during demanding workloads, including gaming and intensive AI processing. Apple positions the A20 Pro as a major part of the phone’s performance and AI capabilities. 

Up to 43 Hours of Video Playback

Battery life receives a significant upgrade, particularly on the iPhone 18 Pro Max. Apple claims up to 43 hours of video playback on the Pro Max, making it the longest battery life offered on an iPhone. The standard iPhone 18 Pro provides up to 34 hours of video playback. 

The new phones also support faster wired charging, reaching up to 50% charge in around 15 minutes with a compatible 60W-capable adapter or higher. MagSafe and Qi2 wireless charging support up to 25W. 

Apple Intelligence and Siri AI

The iPhone 18 Pro is built around Apple’s next-generation Apple Intelligence capabilities. The new Siri AI is designed to be more personal, conversational and powerful, with Apple highlighting new expressive voices and system-wide dictation. Siri AI is currently rolling out in English. 

The combination of the A20 Pro’s Neural Engine and Apple’s software ecosystem is designed to handle AI workloads while maintaining Apple’s focus on privacy.

18MP Center Stage Front Camera

Apple has also upgraded the front camera to an 18MP Center Stage camera. The system can automatically keep users centred during video calls and supports Center Stage features for photos and video calls. Ultra-stabilised video and Dual Capture are also available. 

iPHONE 18 PRO: A MAJOR PRO UPGRADE

With its variable-aperture 48MP camera, A20 Pro processor, improved thermal management, longer battery life, 120Hz ProMotion displays and expanded AI capabilities, the iPhone 18 Pro represents one of Apple’s most significant Pro-series upgrades.

For Indian buyers, the combination of a ₹1,64,900 starting price, professional-grade camera system and new A20 Pro performance puts the iPhone 18 Pro directly at the premium flagship end of the smartphone market.