iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone 17 Pro: Is the upgrade worth it?

1. The camera

Let’s start with the hype around the iPhone 18 Pro. Every model, from the iPhone 14 Pro to the iPhone 17 Pro, used a fixed aperture of f/1.78, meaning the lens aperture couldn’t physically change. The iPhone 18 Pro features a 48MP Fusion main camera with a mechanical aperture that adjusts between f/1.48 and f/4 using six laser-cut blades. This is the first iPhone with a physically adjustable aperture.

You can let the Camera app automatically choose the aperture or select from four settings yourself. Apple also added manual controls for aperture and shutter speed, as well as white balance and a histogram.

The wider f/1.48 aperture lets in approximately 45% more light than the previous f/1.78 lens, depending on the difference in aperture area. This can be useful in dark environments and produce a shallower depth of field for portraits. At f/4, the smaller aperture keeps more of the scene in focus, which can be useful for landscapes, group photos, and daylight shots. The iPhone 17 Pro relied on software to approximate some of these effects.

Apple made a few other changes to the camera on the new phone:

• Smart Focus tracks your subject while you shoot.
• Night mode works faster.
• Cinematic effects now support up to 60fps.
• 4K Dolby Vision HDR time-lapse recording is available.
• Apple Reference Image saves an intact original with verification data, allowing a photo to be verified as a real capture rather than an AI-generated image.

Apple hasn’t bothered to mess with the ultra-wide and front-facing cameras, while the telephoto camera retains the 4x and 8x optical-grade zoom options introduced with the iPhone 17 Pro. That is to say, the main camera is the only major camera upgrade in the iPhone 18 Pro.

2. Performance

The iPhone 18 Pro runs on Apple’s A20 Pro, built on a 2nm process, compared to the iPhone 17 Pro’s 3nm A19 Pro. Both phones have 12GB of RAM, but the newer chip pairs a six-core CPU with a seven-core GPU. Apple claims the GPU is up to 40% faster than the previous generation, while memory bandwidth has increased by 50%.

The A20 Pro also has dual 16-core neural engines, which double the AI ​​processing capability of the previous chip. This additional hardware supports the next generation of Apple’s on-device AI features, including the new Siri AI.

Cooling is another important part of the upgrade. The iPhone 17 Pro introduced a vapor chamber, but the iPhone 18 Pro uses a newer version attached directly to the chip, with three times the surface area of ​​the previous model. Apple claims this improves sustained performance by up to 40%.

Benchmark backs up Apple’s claims, meaning better performance on demanding tasks, such as extended gaming sessions, 4K video exports, and intensive AI processing. These workloads can heat up a phone and cause its performance to drop over time, so better cooling can help the iPhone 18 Pro maintain its speed longer.

However, for daily use, the difference will probably be less. The A19 Pro is already powerful enough to handle today’s apps and games. The biggest advantage of the A20 Pro therefore lies in the additional performance headroom it offers for future software and more demanding tasks. This will be useful if you plan to keep the phone for four or five years.

3. Battery and charging

Apple claims the iPhone 17 Pro can last up to 33 hours of video playback, while the eSIM-only iPhone 18 Pro can go up to 36 hours. The newer model also charges faster, reaching 50% in around 15 minutes, compared to around 20 minutes for the iPhone 17 Pro using a 40W adapter.

There are two things to keep in mind, however. First, the 36-hour validity period applies to the eSIM version only sold in the United States, Canada, Japan, Mexico, and eight other markets. Buyers elsewhere should check the specifications of the version available in their region. Second, Apple’s battery figures are estimates rather than independent test results.

The iPhone 18 Pro also includes Apple’s C2 modem, which the company says uses 15% less power than the C1X and supports mmWave 5G in the US. Its N1 wireless chip adds support for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread.

4. Design and display

There is little difference between the screens of the two phones. Both feature a 6.3-inch OLED panel with 120Hz ProMotion and up to 3,000 nits of peak brightness, as well as an aluminum unibody. The iPhone 18 Pro weighs 211 grams compared to 206 grams for its predecessor, while the overall dimensions are essentially the same: you can use the case from your iPhone 17 Pro, if you wish.

One notable hardware change is that Dynamic Island is smaller on the newer model and can display up to three live activities at a time, instead of two. Additionally, Apple hid the Face ID camera under the display and moved it to the top left, and the rear glass panel now matches the color of the surrounding camera area.

The available colors show a more noticeable visual difference. The iPhone 18 Pro is available in black, silver, glacier and burgundy. Black returns after being absent from last year’s lineup, while the iPhone 17 Pro’s signature Cosmic Orange is no longer available.

Apple also added a 2TB storage option, the first for an iPhone.

5. iOS 27 and Siri AI

The iPhone 18 Pro comes with iOS 27 and the latest generation of Apple Intelligence, including the new Siri AI. But software alone isn’t a good reason to upgrade, since iOS 27 became available as a free update on September 14, four days before the phone went on sale.

The hardware difference is how much AI processing the phone can handle locally. The A20 Pro’s neural engines and higher memory bandwidth give it more capacity for on-device tasks. Apple’s May summary of expected upgrades for the iPhone 18 Pro had already highlighted camera, performance, battery and AI as the main areas of change.

6. Price: What the extra $100 gets you

The iPhone 17 Pro launched at $1,099 for the 256GB model, while the iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 for the same storage capacity. Apple’s installment plan puts the new model at $49.95 per month for 24 months. The price increase is less than some buyers expected after an IDC forecast in June suggested the price could rise by $200.

For the extra $100, you get the variable aperture main camera, the A20 Pro chip, improved cooling, a better battery, and faster charging. The display, overall design, and zoom range remain largely the same.

The iPhone 17 Pro is now in a generation, which could make it a better deal as retailers and carriers reduce its price. Check current deals before deciding, as a discount could make the price difference between the two models considerably larger than Apple’s initial $100 gap.

7. Who should upgrade?

iPhone 17 Pro owners: Most can keep their current phone. The display, size, zoom range, and day-to-day performance remain similar, so the camera is the main reason to upgrade. It may be worth it if you regularly shoot in low light or want to benefit from the new aperture and manual controls. People who play demanding games or edit 4K videos on their phones can also benefit from improved cooling.

iPhone 16 Pro owners: Upgrading makes more sense because you get two generations of changes. The iPhone 17 Pro introduced an aluminum design, vapor chamber, 48 MP resolution on all three rear cameras, and 4x and 8x telephoto zoom. The iPhone 18 Pro adds to these changes the new chip, a larger cooling system, an adjustable main camera and a longer battery.

iPhone 15 Pro owners or anyone with an older model: The iPhone 18 Pro brings more substantial improvements in capabilities, performance, battery life, and camera storage. If your current phone is starting to look dated, upgrading to the newest model might be more worthwhile than upgrading it every year to get one set of changes at once.

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