On September 9th, 2026, Apple achieved a historic milestone when the iPhone 18 Pro was launched, and for the first time in its history, the company increased the prices of all other iPhone models in stores, even though they are identical.
The iPhone 18 Pro and the iPhone 18 Pro Max are equipped with the all-new 2nm A20 Pro chip, the world’s first variable-aperture camera on a smartphone, the largest battery ever fitted into an iPhone, and a completely redesigned Siri incorporating powerful AI.
At the iPhone’s “Surprise and Shine” event, Apple officially announced the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, with the event broadcast live from Apple Park in Cupertino, California. This event was the first iPhone conference to take place after Tim Cook left his position as CEO, with James Ternus appointed as the new CEO on September 1, 2026. The change is that Tim Cook is moving on to become Executive Chairman of the Board.
Pre-order sales began on September 12, 2026, and shipping of the units started when the units became available in stores around the world on September 18, 2026, in over 65 countries, with a further wave of countries following on September 25.
The reasons for Apple’s decision to build two launch windows in 2026
For the first time, Apple is doing what it has never done before, which is to release its iPhone 18 range at two different times.
The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max will once again be available for sale in September 2026, but the regular iPhone 18 and the more affordable iPhone 18e won’t appear until spring 2027 (either March or April). A second-generation iPhone Air should also be released around the same time.
To conclude, the only way to buy a brand-new iPhone before 2027 is to get the Pro model; this is a deliberate business strategy on Apple’s part to reserve the holiday season for its most expensive and top-end products.
The price is now at an all-time high… And there isn’t expected to be a new iPhone in the mid-range until spring 2027. If waiting isn’t something you can do, you’ll find some very good alternatives in our article reviewing the best smartphones under ₹50,000 in India.
Apple raises the price of all iPhones – even those that are older!
The information that left the tech world astonished was that on the day the iPhone 18 Pro was launched, Apple raised the price of all its other available phones—the iPhone 16, the iPhone 17, the iPhone 17e, and the iPhone Air—by $100. These models had not had any of their specifications changed.
The cause of this situation is the global shortage of DRAM and NAND flash memory chips, which are key components, as reported by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and a number of industry analysts. Global demand for memory has surged due to AI infrastructure, driving up the cost of memory components for all device manufacturers. Apple has already been raising the prices of its Mac and iPad products this year – the iPhone followed suit not long after.
|
iPhone Model |
Old Price |
New Price |
|
iPhone 16 |
$699 |
$799 |
|
iPhone 17e |
$599 |
$699 |
|
iPhone 17 |
$799 |
$899 |
|
iPhone Air |
$999 |
$1,099 |
|
iPhone 18 Pro |
— |
$1,199 |
|
iPhone 18 Pro Max |
— |
$1,299 |
For the first time in its history, Apple has raised the price of its new iPhone rather than offering it at a reduced rate for older iPhone models.
Apple India has announced the official prices for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. The prices below include all taxes (MRP).
iPhone 18 Pro — Price in India
|
Storage |
MRP (Incl. Taxes) |
No Cost EMI From |
|
256GB |
₹1,64,900 |
₹26,316/mo. |
|
512GB |
₹1,89,900 |
₹30,483/mo. |
|
1TB |
₹2,39,900 |
₹38,817/mo. |
|
2TB |
₹3,14,900 |
₹51,317/mo. |
iPhone 18 Pro Max — Price in India
|
Storage |
MRP (Incl. Taxes) |
No Cost EMI From |
|
256GB |
₹1,79,900 |
₹28,817/mo. |
|
512GB |
₹2,04,900 |
₹32,983/mo. |
|
1TB |
₹2,54,900 |
₹41,317/mo. |
|
2TB |
₹3,29,900 |
₹53,817/mo. |
Most peoples think that when the iPhone 18 will launch they will buy iPhone 17 in some discounted price, but this is not happened this year because of heavy demands of chipset and memory like RAM or SSD and Apple has to increase the prices of due to this shortage. So from now on the iPhone 17 in India will be sold with a new price of 1 lakh rupees.
All iPhone models in India are available with instant cashback and no-cost EMI through Apple’s financial partners. The base price of the iPhone 18 Pro Max, at ₹1,79,900, is the highest starting price ever for any iPhone in India. The 2TB Pro Max model, priced at ₹3,29,900, is certainly on a par with the MacBook Pro.
The first 2nm processor from Apple is the A20 Pro Chip.
The iPhone 18 Pro will be the first iPhone to use a 2-nanometer chip, while the A20 Pro represents a major improvement over the 3nm-class A19 Pro found in the iPhone 17 Pro.
The smaller the transistors, the more processing power you can fit into the same area and the less power the device will need. Compared to its predecessor, the A20 Pro provides around 15% higher CPU performance and uses about 30% less power. It also has 12GB of RAM and 50% more memory bandwidth, which in turn affects the complexity of an AI model that can be run on the device locally.
At the same time as the new A20 Pro, Apple has also launched the new C2 cellular modem. The modem, which is designed by Apple themselves, has entirely replaced Qualcomm. It is used for mmWave 5G, which allows for ultra-fast connections in crowded places such as stadiums and airports, and is about 15% more power-efficient than the earlier C1X modem.
The iPhone 18 Pro also features a redesigned vapor chamber thermal system, unlike that of the iPhone 17 Pro, which has three times the surface area and thus helps to keep the phone cool when being used for extended gaming sessions, 4K video editing, and continuous AI work.
The Variable Aperture Camera (VAC) is the first of its kind on smartphones.
The most important camera feature is that the iPhone 18 Pro will be the first iPhone to have a physical variable aperture on its main camera, the 48MP Fusion camera now being able to change the aperture from f/1.6 to f/4.0 with actual lens movements (not by software simulation).
- The aperture is f/1.6, which is the widest and allows the most light to enter, making it suitable for use in low light and for producing portrait bokeh.
- Aperture f/4.0, providing deep focus (useful for landscapes, architecture, and groups).
It isn’t just a software approximation; rather, it’s a genuine hardware feature and the difference in image quality is obvious, especially in difficult lighting conditions. Moreover, third-party developers have been given access to it via a specific API so that professional camera apps will be able to control the entire aperture range.
Other camera improvements are:
- All three of the rear cameras now have 48MP sensors.
- The Periscope telephoto lens on the Pro has an optical zoom of 5 times.
- The optical zoom of the iPhone 18 Pro Max is 10 times.
- The FaceTime camera has also been upgraded from 12 megapixels to 24 megapixels (front facing).
- The Camera app that comes with the device has also had a redesign, including the manual controls for aperture, shutter speed and white balance, which had previously been available only through third-party apps.
- The battery upgrade represents the biggest single advancement in the iPhone’s history.
- Apple says that this is the biggest single generation improvement in battery capacity ever, and that is accurate.
- iPhone 18 Pro Max — 5,567mAh (eSIM-only) or 5,391mAh (physical SIM)
- Pro Max is capable of playing up to 45 hours of continuous video.
- Including up to 36 hours on the Pro
- Pro Max can be used for a total of 30 hours each day.
- Wireless fast charging up to 50% charge in 15 minutes
- The Pro Max can be charged via a cable in just five minutes and provides seven hours of video use.
The charger isn’t included yet, as Apple still doesn’t include one with its devices; in order to achieve the maximum wired speeds you need the 60W AVS-compatible adapter (which is sold separately) and for the fastest MagSafe wireless charging the 35W adapter.
What’s Different about Design?
The iPhone 18 Pro is not a new version of the iPhone 17 Pro but rather an update of its design; the chassis, the Ceramic Shield on the back and the Ceramic Shield 2 display cover are all kept.
The most noticeable latest change is that the Dynamic Island has been made 35% narrower. In order to achieve this, Apple has had to move the Face ID infrared flood illuminator below the display. The speed and accuracy of Face ID remain unchanged. With the iPhone 17 Pro, the smaller island was able to show only two Live Activities; nowadays it can support three.
The iPhone 18 Pro is available in four colours: black, silver, glacier and burgundy. The most notable of these colours is burgundy, which has a deep wine-colour finish with purple-brown undertones. This colour is more upscale than Apple’s usually rather funky Product Red and is already the best-seller among the colours in this generation.
iOS 27 and the new Siri AI — completely redesigned.
The iPhone 18 Pro will come with iOS 27, and one of the main features of that operating system is Siri. The previous version of Siri no longer exists. The new Siri AI has been developed in cooperation with Google and is based on Google’s Gemini AI.
It is located in the Dynamic Island, is able to see what you are viewing, has an understanding of the context of the content in your messages, emails, photos, and calendar, and can respond in a personal rather than a generic manner.
The new Siri is capable of carrying out tasks inside third-party applications, for example by booking a restaurant, arranging a ride or filling out a form. All the conversations are saved in a dedicated Siri app which syncs between the iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Moreover, iOS 27 includes a full redesign of its visual elements, with iPhone Handoff (the ability to use a single phone number on two iPhones), improved parental control features and support from Apple Intelligence for Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish and Turkish.
For buyers in India: Apple Intelligence, featuring the new Siri AI, will be made available in English (India) at launch in iOS 27; however, support for regional languages (such as Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu) is not guaranteed, although it may be included in a future update.
Note that Siri AI will not be available in the EU at launch because of regulatory issues.
- iOS 27 was released as a software update on 14 September 2026.
- For the Pro Models, 2 TB is now available.
The 2TB storage version of the standard iPhone 18 Pro is now on sale – earlier this storage capacity was available only on the iPhone 18 Pro Max.
It is important since spatial video, ProRes 4K footage and local AI models all use up storage space very quickly; for power users who are looking for a smaller phone, having 2TB in the more compact Pro form factor is a major achievement.
Is the upgrade from the iPhone 17 Pro to the iPhone 18 Pro worth it?
That will vary depending on the way you use your iPhone 17 Pro for ordinary tasks—like sending messages, browsing the web and streaming media—the A19 Pro and A20 Pro will be alike.
You can find it in the following areas: the iPhone 17 Pro’s variable aperture camera, since the device cannot afford to do without it; the battery life, which is reported to be considerably longer; and the AI tasks, which will be considerably faster as a result of the higher memory bandwidth.
The iPhone 18 Pro represents a major improvement in every respect for people who are using an iPhone 15 Pro or a more recent model.
What’s ahead for the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e?
The standard iPhone 18 and the iPhone 18e model will be launched in the spring of 2027; it is believed that the A20 chip (in the non-Pro version) will be included in the regular iPhone 18, while the ProMotion display and Dynamic Island will be reserved for the iPhone 18e.
It is thought that the 2027 range will also be sold at premium prices because of the global shortage of memory chips and Apple’s price increases in September 2026.
Final Verdict
The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are the most different iPhones that Apple has seen in years, but it is because of the significant differences that they are the best iPhones the company has ever made.
The A20 pro equipped with a 2nm process is the most powerful and efficient mobile chip; this isn’t just a marketing claim since the variable aperture camera represents the first such feature in smartphones. This battery offers a longer usage time than any that have come before. Furthermore, the inclusion of Siri AI, backed by Gemini, provides a preview of what it would be like to have true on-device AI.
The cost is currently at its highest level ever. The iPhone 18 Pro starts at ₹1,64,900 in India; the Pro Max starts at ₹1,79,900. The 2TB Pro Max, at ₹3,29,900, is comparable to the price of a laptop. Plus, there is no new iPhone in the middle ground until spring 2027, so those looking to buy one are stuck with a pricey new iPhone or an older iPhone that is now even more costly.
The iPhone 18 Pro (and Pro Max) pre-orders are now available on Apple.com and at Apple Stores around the world. Shipping began on September 18, 2026.
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