Apple has unveiled its latest iPhone 18 Pro lineup, introducing major upgrades in camera technology, performance, battery life and artificial intelligence as the company expands its premium smartphone portfolio.
The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max were launched on Wednesday at Apple’s ‘Surprise and Shine’ event, alongside the Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4 and AirPods 5.
In India, the iPhone 18 Pro will start at Rs 1,64,900, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max will be priced from Rs 1,79,900. Both models will be available in 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB storage variants.
The new Pro models come in four colour options—black, silver, glacier and a new burgundy shade.
Apple said pre-orders for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max in India will begin on September 12, with retail availability starting September 18.
The biggest changes in the new iPhone lineup centre around its camera system. The iPhone 18 Pro models feature a new 48-megapixel Fusion main camera with variable aperture, marking the first time Apple has introduced aperture control on an iPhone.
The variable-aperture system uses six laser-cut blades that can move between different aperture settings. The aperture can be adjusted automatically according to lighting and depth-of-field requirements, while users can also control it manually through the Camera app.
Apple has also introduced a new sensor and computational photography system for the main camera, which the company says will deliver improved low-light photography, sharper details and better overall image quality.
Video recording has also received several upgrades. Users can apply Cinematic effects after recording videos at up to 60 frames per second, while time-lapse recording now supports 4K resolution and Dolby Vision HDR. The upgraded Audio Mix is designed to improve voice quality and provide greater control over music and other audio elements.
The iPhone 18 Pro series is powered by Apple’s new A20 Pro chip, manufactured using a 2-nanometre process. According to the company, the chip offers 50 per cent more memory bandwidth than the previous-generation A19 Pro.
The six-core CPU features integrated Neural Accelerators, while the seven-core GPU is claimed to deliver up to 40 per cent faster graphics performance. The chip also includes a dual 16-core Neural Engine aimed at accelerating on-device artificial intelligence and computational photography.
Apple has paired the processor with a redesigned vapour chamber and an expanded thermal system, which it says has three times more surface area than the previous generation. The changes are aimed at maintaining performance during demanding tasks such as gaming, video editing and AI workloads.
Connectivity has also been upgraded, with the new N1 wireless networking chip supporting Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread. A new C2 cellular modem is designed to improve cellular reliability while reducing power consumption.
Battery life is another focus of the new models. Apple claims the eSIM-only iPhone 18 Pro can deliver up to 36 hours of video playback, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max can offer up to 45 hours.
Siri AI, Apple Intelligence features
The new iPhones also introduce a wider range of artificial intelligence capabilities through iOS 27.
Apple’s new Siri AI, currently rolling out in beta, can use personal context from messages, emails, photos and other information to help users locate information and complete tasks. The assistant can also understand what is displayed on the screen and take actions based on that content.
Apple Intelligence has also gained new photography and visual tools, including Spatial Reframing, Extend and an improved Clean Up feature.
Image Playground can now create photorealistic visuals, while Safari’s Notify Me feature can alert users when information on a webpage changes, including when a product becomes available or its price drops.
Apple said its AI features rely on a combination of on-device processing and Private Cloud Compute, with privacy and security remaining central to the system.
Apple Watch Series 12, Ultra 4 launched
Alongside the iPhone lineup, Apple introduced the Apple Watch Series 12 with a new Health Sensing System and the S11 chip.
The smartwatch can take higher-frequency heart-rate and heart-rate variability measurements and introduces a new Readiness feature. The feature analyses recent activity, training load, vital signs and sleep data to generate a score between 0 and 10, along with recommendations such as Recover, Pace Yourself, Ready or Go For It.
The Apple Watch Series 12 offers up to 24 hours of regular battery life and up to 10 hours during outdoor workouts. It will start at Rs 56,900 in India and go on sale from September 18.
The rugged Apple Watch Ultra 4 also comes with the Health Sensing System, Readiness feature and S11 chip.
It offers up to 50 hours of regular battery life and up to 84 hours in Low Power Mode. Outdoor workout tracking can continue for up to 45 hours in Max Extended Workout mode.
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 will be priced from Rs 1,09,900 in India and will be available from September 18.
AirPods 5 get active noise cancellation
Apple has also launched the AirPods 5, bringing Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) to its open-ear AirPods design.
The new earbuds feature redesigned acoustic architecture and improved computational audio. Apple claims the AirPods 5 can reduce external noise by up to 50 per cent more than the AirPods 4 with ANC.
The AirPods 5 also support Siri AI and Live Translation when paired with a compatible Apple device. Users can interact with Siri through head gestures, while Live Translation is designed to enable conversations to be heard in a preferred language.
In India, the AirPods 5 will start at Rs 14,900, while the version with a Wireless Charging Case will cost Rs 17,900. Both variants are available for pre-order and will go on sale from September 18.
With the iPhone 18 Pro series at the centre of its latest product launch, Apple has placed greater emphasis on camera capabilities, processing power, battery performance and AI, while extending several of these features across its smartwatch and audio ecosystem.
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