iPhone 18 Pro review: an optional upgrade in every way
5/10/2026
Translation: Patrik Stainbrook
Pictures: Samuel Buchmann
Apple’s new flagship model features a variable aperture, longer battery life and a faster chip. On top of that, Siri AI is making its beta debut. None of this is bad, but none of it is a reason to buy either.
2026 is an unusual year for the iPhone. The new foldable received the most attention at the September keynote; a standard model won’t be available until spring. The only constant is the iPhone 18 Pro. It’ll be released one year after its predecessor as usual.
After two weeks with the new flagship model, I’m neither disappointed nor thrilled. Sure, an iPhone 18 Pro is undoubtedly the smartphone I’d spend my money on – but only if my old phone were broken or at least three years old. Because the improvements provided make less and less of a difference in everyday use from one version to the next.
Design: new colours, smaller island
The new Pro model looks exactly like the old one. Only the colours have changed. I really like my Polar test model. It’s less prone to attracting fingerprint smudges and scratches than black or dark red burgundy. However, I wouldn’t buy any of these three colours; instead, I’d go for the timeless and durable silver.
On a positive note, I have some good news to share about Apple’s TechWoven case, now available in new colours. I used the dark grey model nonstop for a year with my iPhone 17 Pro, and it still looks as good as new. Neither the back nor the sides show any signs of wear. Several falls onto hard surfaces left no visible marks on the case or the smartphone. Since the TechWoven case also feels high-quality and isn’t too bulky – it’s the best original case I’ve had so far.
Looking at the iPhone 18 Pro head on, I see the Dynamic Island has shrunk. To do this, Apple moved the infrared camera for Face ID under the display. This iFixit teardown video shows what it looks like under a microscope. I’m not sure if I like the change. I get the impression that Face ID works less reliably as a result than it did on the previous model. Especially in dark surroundings. However, I can’t provide any empirical evidence for this.
The upside of a smaller Dynamic Island is the extra space to the left and right of the recess. iOS uses this to display up to three Live Activities at the same time. This is useful sometimes, but rarely for me. Two simultaneous activities on the iPhone 17 Pro were enough for me.
Camera: software over aperture
The headline feature of the iPhone 18 Pro is its variable aperture. It apparently «adjusts for better lighting and depth of field automatically». True, but only to a small extent. Its real advantage lies in allowing Apple to use a more light-sensitive lens without compromising sharpness in good lighting conditions. The other cameras haven’t changed compared to the iPhone 17 Pro.
After two weeks, I’ve realised that in the vast majority of cases, I leave the aperture on automatic. By default, the iPhone 18 Pro usually selects ƒ/1.8 or ƒ/2.8. Probably because the lens achieves optimal sharpness in this range. It only switches to ƒ/1.48 in low-light conditions. I only actually use the manual control option in two cases. One, to make an object stand out a little more from the background at ƒ/1.48 without using Portrait Mode. Or two, for sunrays at ƒ/4, which look cooler than I expected.
As expected, the more light-sensitive lens produces better images at night. The difference compared to the iPhone 17 Pro isn’t huge (see the comparison in this article), but it’s noticeable. In Night Mode, Apple makes extensive use of computational photography, combining multiple individual shots and using AI-powered noise filters. The results are impressive. Using a high ISO setting, an exposure time of several seconds and a wide aperture, I can even capture moonlight and stars.
Apple has expanded its Photographic Styles feature. In addition to the familiar Palette (customisable colour and contrast filters), they now also include settings for Texture. There, you can choose between Soft Skin, Glow and Film – and optionally add grain. The intensity of all textures can be adjusted. The skin-smoothing effect remains relatively subtle. Still, I’d rather turn it off or only use it occasionally. The film look increases contrast, and I really like the added grain depending on the scene. Filters like these were already available in other apps. But since I prefer using native applications, I still welcome the new options.
Also new in iOS 27: two generative AI functions. Extend is the opposite of a crop. You can use it to make a photo bigger, even though I never took it that way. Reframe takes things a step further. This feature expands the frame too, but it also lets you change the angle of a shot after the fact – as if you’d physically moved to a different place while taking the photo.
It works much better than I’d have thought. Especially in landscapes, added areas look deceptively real. The iPhone uses its Depth Map for perspective correction, using algorithms to estimate the distance between various objects in a 2D photo. Strictly speaking, the result is no longer a real photo. But Apple’s keeping a low profile when it comes to generative AI and won’t let me make any major changes to an image. As a result, it doesn’t feel like AI slop. However, you do need an internet connection to do all this. The calculation exceeds the smartphone’s processing capabilities, and is performed in encrypted form in Apple’s cloud.
Siri AI: still far behind
I’ve been waiting a long time for the new Siri, which Apple postponed several times. Well, here it is. Almost: starting with iOS 27, you can enable the beta version in Switzerland if you change your iPhone’s language to English. Support for additional languages, including French, will be added in October. However, Siri isn’t available in German either. That likely won’t change until Apple reaches an agreement with the EU on various regulatory issues in dispute.
After using Siri AI in English for two weeks, my initial impression’s mixed. First, the good news: I think Apple’s integration of the chatbot is great. You can activate Siri using a voice command, by pressing and holding the lock button or by swiping down on the Dynamic Island. Pressing and holding the camera control button opens the camera in AI mode, which immediately analyses the image content. Since Siri can see what’s on your screen, you can also ask questions about it from anywhere. Even the simple transition – swiping from a small preview bubble to the dedicated app – is handled elegantly and seamlessly.
Compared to before, Siri understands me better and can do more. She handles simple knowledge-based questions relatively reliably using web searches. You can also ask questions in the app. The voice assistant can finally understand multiple commands, like this one: «Create a calendar entry titled Team Meeting for tomorrow at 4 p.m. and send the details to Florian Bodoky via WhatsApp.»
In many respects, however, I can clearly tell that this is a beta version. Compared to other chatbots like Claude or ChatGPT, Siri feels miles behind. For example, the competition reliably corrects words that were recognised incorrectly based on context. With Siri, I often have to repeat commands several times before she understands what I mean. She also often doesn’t let me finish what I’m saying. Even brief pauses in speech are enough for it to start processing, even though I still want to add a second instruction or need to think for a moment.
Siri also freezes up completely from time to time or can’t do things I’d expect it to. Here’s an example: when given the command «Take me to the settings where I can change this iPhone’s ringtone,» it responds either with «Sorry, I can’t do that» or «I’m afraid I don’t understand you,» even though the voice command was registered correctly. It also doesn’t seem to have indexed either my e-mails or my calendar entries. She can’t parse anything there at all.
Siri’s less chatty than Gemini, Claude and ChatGPT. She doesn’t try to drag me into conversations just for the sake of it. I welcome this, just as I do Apple’s privacy policies. In the end, though, none of this matters if the AI makes too many mistakes – and that’s exactly what Siri’s doing right now. Let’s hope she becomes more competent with future updates.
Chip: big leap, small impact
Usually, smartphone chips don’t interest me at all. I do always acknowledge technological progress, but even after several years, iPhones still feel responsive enough that I don’t notice much of a difference when switching to a new generation. This time, things are a little different.
The reason for this is the AI functions mentioned above. Some of them run locally and require computing power. The more of this data is available, the faster Siri can analyse screen content, for example. Depending on the task, this can sometimes take half a second less than with the iPhone 17 Pro. Sounds irrelevant, but it feels big. However, it’s only noticeable when you compare performance side by side.
Benchmarks show the performance leap of the A20 Pro compared to its predecessor. The CPU achieves a score that’s about 28 per cent better in Geekbench 7 (first slide in the chart above). GPU performance has increased by 41 per cent (second slide). If a test requires ray tracing, such as 3DMark’s Solar Bay Extreme, the improvement’s as high as 46 per cent (third slide). If you play graphically demanding games, you’ll enjoy this significantly stronger performance.
The new Neural Engine has twice as many cores as the A19 Pro. For example, the Single Precision Score in Geekbench has increased by 32 per cent (fourth slide from the top), the Quantized Score by 41 per cent (fifth slide). The latter most closely simulates the typical workload of on-device assistants such as Siri AI.
Battery: just keeps going, and going and going…
The A20 Pro isn’t just faster, it’s also more efficient. This is evident in the battery life. I already praised it in the previous model. The iPhone 18 Pro lasts a little longer, even though the battery has virtually the same capacity (4056 mAh vs. 3988 mAh). With moderate usage, I often don’t have to charge it until two days later. If I use Google Maps, Siri AI and take a lot of photos and videos, the battery drains faster. Even then, though, it still easily lasts me a full day.
Just how big the difference is compared to earlier models or those from other manufacturers depends heavily on the application. Comparison tests conducted by various tech websites have yielded differing results. Everyone agrees that the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max have better battery life than their predecessors. In certain tests, however, the 18 Pro comes close to matching the performance of the 17 Pro Max, while in others it’s only marginally better than the 17 Pro.
In a nutshell
The upgrade cycle’s getting longer
Is the iPhone 18 Pro an outstanding smartphone? Yes. Does it represent a major improvement over its predecessor? No. The battery lasts a little longer, the camera’s a bit better and the chip handles demanding tasks faster. But these improvements are only noticeable in a direct comparison. Especially since most software updates are also available for older models.
So, from a rational standpoint, there’s absolutely no justification for upgrading from the iPhone 17 Pro. Even the iPhone 16 Pro is too close for my liking. It’s only among even older models that the gap begins to grow. For example, if a friend takes photos of the same things using an iPhone 14 Pro, she’ll end up preferring my pictures. After all, I have a main camera with stronger low-light performance, a better telephoto camera, an improved selfie camera, access to Photographic Styles and AI functions for post-processing. And while her battery barely lasts through hikes with navigation and high brightness, mine still has 40 per cent left in the evening.
Siri AI isn’t a selling point right now. Apple’s new voice assistant currently only understands English and lives up to its beta label. It’s well integrated, but in its current state, it’s not useful enough for me to use regularly. If I ever need a chatbot, I’ll continue with Claude, Gemini and ChatGPT. They understand me so much better and just do way more. Even Apple’s improved privacy features can’t make up for Siri’s shortcomings.
Pro
- High-aperture main camera
- Excellent image processing
- Long battery life
- High-performance chip
- Pretty design
- Well-integrated AI
Contra
- A 100-franc price increase
- Expensive storage upgrades
- Only minor progress
- Siri AI still limited
Samuel Buchmann
Senior Editor
Samuel.Buchmann@digitecgalaxus.chMy fingerprint often changes so drastically that my MacBook doesn't recognise it anymore. The reason? If I'm not clinging to a monitor or camera, I'm probably clinging to a rockface by the tips of my fingers.
These articles might also interest you
Show all
These articles might also interest you
73 comments
later