Apple, on Wednesday, September 9, introduced the all-new iPhone 18 Pro models. The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max come with major upgrades to the camera, performance, battery life, and artificial intelligence. Both models are powered by Apple’s A20 Pro chip and run on iOS 27, with Siri AI and Apple Intelligence features built into the experience.

The iPhone 18 Pro starts at Rs 1,64, 900 and the iPhone 18 Pro Max at Rs 1,79,900. The models are being offered in 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB storage configurations, and come in four new colourways – black, silver, glacier, and the new burgundy shade. For India, pre-orders will begin on September 12, with the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max going on sale from September 18.

iPhone 18 Pro series: Major upgrades

Perhaps the most noteworthy upgrade to the new line of shiny iPhones comes to the camera system. The Cupertino-based tech giant has introduced a new 48MP Fusion main camera with variable aperture, making it the first time an iPhone gets aperture control. The system uses six laser-cut blades that can move between different aperture settings. The camera can automatically adjust the aperture depending on the lighting conditions and depth-of-field requirements; at the same time, users can also manually control it through the camera app. Meanwhile, the main camera also gets a new sensor and a new computational photography pipeline.

According to Apple, this amounts to improved low-light photography, sharper details, and better image quality, etc. On the other hand, video features have also been expanded. One can now apply Cinematic effects after recording videos at up to 60fps. Time-lapse recording can now be done in 4K and Dolby Vision HDR, while AudioMix have improved voice quality and the ability to isolate music.

The iPhone 18 Pro series comes with the new A20 Pro chip, built using a 2-nanometre process. According to Apple, the chip has 50 per cent more memory bandwidth than the previous-generation A19 Pro. The six-core CPU comes with integrated Neural Accelerators and the seven-core GPU can deliver up to 40 per cent faster graphics performance than the A19 Pro. It also features a new dual 16-core Neural Engine designed to accelerate on-device AI and computational photography.

The A20 Pro is paired with a redesigned vapour chamber to improve sustained performance. Meanwhile, the new thermal system is claimed to have three times more surface area than the previous generation, helping the phones maintain performance during demanding workloads.

When it comes to connectivity, the phones also include Apple’s N1 wireless networking chip, supporting Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread. A new C2 cellular modem system is designed to improve cellular quality and reliability while using less power. Battery life is another major focus of the new Pro models. Apple says eSIM-only versions can deliver up to 36 hours of video playback on the iPhone 18 Pro and up to 45 hours on the iPhone 18 Pro Max.

Story continues below this ad

Siri AI comes to iPhone

Another major highlight is the slew of new artificial intelligence features. With iOS 27, users get access to Siri AI that is rolling out in beta. The new Siri can gather personal context from messages, emails, photos, and other information to help users find what they need. Apple said that it also understands what is being displayed on the screen and takes actions based on that content.

Besides, Apple Intelligence brings features like Spatial Reframing, Extend, and an upgraded Clean Up tool for photos. Image Playground can now generate photorealistic visuals, while Safari’s Notify Me feature alerts users when information on a webpage changes, such as when a product comes back in stock or a price drops. According to Apple, these AI features use a combination of on-device processing and Private Cloud Compute to keep privacy and security at the centre of the experience.

Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4

Alongside the iPhone 18 Pro lineup, Apple has introduced the Apple Watch Series 12, featuring a new Health Sensing System and the S11 chip. The latest watch offers higher-frequency heart-rate and heart-rate variability measurements and introduces a new Readiness feature. It analyses recent activity, training load, vitals and sleep data to provide a score from 0 to 10, along with recommendations such as Recover, Pace Yourself, Ready or Go For It. Apple Watch Series 12 offers up to 24 hours of everyday battery life and up to 10 hours during outdoor workouts. It starts at Rs 56,900 in India and will be available from September 18.

Apple Watch Ultra 4.

Meanwhile, the more rugged Apple Watch Ultra 4 also gets the new Health Sensing System, Readiness and the S11 chip. It offers up to 50 hours of everyday battery life and up to 84 hours in Low Power Mode. Outdoor workout tracking can run for up to 45 hours in Max Extended Workout mode. Apple Watch Ultra 4 starts at Rs 1,09,900 in India, with availability beginning September 18.

Story continues below this ad

AirPods 5 bring ANC to the open-ear design

Apple has also introduced AirPods 5, adding Active Noise Cancellation to its more affordable open-ear AirPods design. The new AirPods use a redesigned acoustic architecture and improved computational audio. Apple said that they can remove up to 50 per cent more external noise than AirPods 4 with ANC. AirPods 5 also support Siri AI and Live Translation when paired with a compatible Apple device. Users can interact with Siri using head gestures, while Live Translation allows conversations to be heard in a preferred language. AirPods 5 start at Rs 14,900 in India. A version with a Wireless Charging Case costs Rs 17,900. Both models can be pre-ordered now and will be available in stores from September 18.

With the iPhone 18 Pro series at the centre, Apple’s latest lineup puts greater focus on cameras, performance, battery life and AI, while the new Apple Watch and AirPods expand those features across its wider ecosystem.