iPhone 18 Pro Max review: The best iPhone, probably

In any other year, I’d find a novel way to say that the iPhone 18 Pro Max is the best iPhone ever. While that’s true at the time of writing, it’s probably only going to be that for a vanishingly small amount of time.

This year is the first where the iPhone Pro Max isn’t the most exciting model in Apple’s lineup. That honor goes to the iPhone Duo, Apple’s first foldable device and one that won’t hit store shelves until weeks after this review is published. And that leaves me at something of a disadvantage.

If you’re reading this after Friday, October 23, 2026, you already know how the iPhone Duo stacks up. Early reviews will be out, and early adopters will have their new phones in their pockets.

There’s no denying the iPhone Duo’s shadow leaves the iPhone 18 Pro Max in an unusual position. For a few weeks, it sits atop the iPhone lineup, with a premium price point and top-tier features.

And the truth is, it’ll still have those post-Duo. The arrival of the foldable iPhone won’t make the iPhone 18 Pro Max any less of a stellar device. And let there be no doubt about it: this is every bit the flagship iPhone.

But no matter how good the display is, how impressive the A20 Pro might be, or how long its battery lasts, I can’t tell you whether or not you should buy it. I don’t even know if it’s the best iPhone for me right now.

However, what I can tell you is that the iPhone 18 Pro Max is the best iPhone Pro Max ever. Let me explain why.

iPhone 18 Pro Max review: Design

The design of any new iPhone is always the first thing you notice, and it’s no different with the iPhone 18 Pro Max. Unfortunately, that means you also notice that it looks very familiar indeed.

The new burgundy iPhone 18 Pro

At first blush, the iPhone 18 Pro Max is identical to the iPhone 17 Pro Max that was released a year prior. At 6.43 inches tall, 3.07 inches wide, and 0.34 inches deep, the two share the same dimensions. It’s a hair heavier at 8.78 ounces compared to the 17 Pro Max’s 8.22 ounces.

The aluminum unibody design is maintained, this time with 40% recycled metal. But the two-tone finish on the rear is gone, replaced by a seamless unified matte finish. Apple chose to make the glass match the metal this time around.

The colors have changed this time out, too. Out is the stunning Cosmic Orange of the iPhone 17 Pro lineup, with Deep Blue following it through the door. In come Burgundy, Glacier Blue, and Black to join the existing Silver option.

There’s a design change on the inside, too, with Apple revamping the iPhone’s vapor chamber. The aim is to help the new A20 Pro chip (more on that later) stay cool for longer.

Back to the exterior, the iPhone 18 Pro Max still features the large camera area we’ve become accustomed to. Perhaps “large” doesn’t do it justice, but it does at least mean the iPhone 18 Pro Max doesn’t wobble when on a table.

Moving around the edges, the iPhone 18 Pro Max maintains the same layout as its predecessor. That means you’ll find the power and Camera Control button on the right, the volume and Action Button on the left, and a USB-C port on the bottom.

That USB-C port offers fast USB 3 data transfer speeds of up to 10 Gbps. Charging is faster this time around, bumping the maximum speed up to the 45W mark when paired with a suitable charging brick. The iPhone 17 Pro Max topped out at around 40W.

Finally, the iPhone 18 Pro Max is IP68-rated, as has become the norm. That means it’s capable of surviving up to 30 minutes underwater at up to six meters depth.

iPhone 18 Pro Max review: Display

You know what you’re going to get from an iPhone Pro Max, and that’s the biggest display of the lineup. This year that means a 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR display, just as it did last year.

The new Dynamic Island – image credit: Apple.

Running through the most important specifications, the display has a 2868 x 1320 resolution for a pixel density of 460 pixels per inch. It has a typical peak brightness of 1,000 nits, which increases to 3,000 nits outdoors when the need arises.

This is also a ProMotion display, meaning it has a variable refresh rate from 1Hz to 120Hz for buttery smooth scrolling. It also helps to avoid tearing and other weirdness with fast-paced games.

Like the iPhone 17 Pro Max, the 18 Pro Max sports Apple’s Ceramic Shield 2 finish and an anti-reflective coating. The latter means it’s easier to see what’s on-screen under bright lights. The former should help prevent day-to-day scratches.

One area where the 18 Pro Max does differ from the outgoing model is its Dynamic Island. The change also impacts another important feature in the form of Face ID.

This year, Apple has placed the infrared sensor used for Face ID behind the display. In previous years, a hole was cut in the display to allow infrared light in.

Now, the sensor sits behind a row of display pixels with some of the sub-pixels removed to allow infrared light to pass through. Other pixels around the area have been made brighter to compensate. The effect is that the sensor is invisible to the naked eye.

Thankfully, it also doesn’t seem to have impacted performance. Face ID continues to work as it always has, unlocking the iPhone 18 Pro Max just as quickly and reliably as the iPhone Air I’ve been using the last 12 months.

Moving the infrared sensor means the iPhone 18 Pro Max now has a smaller Dynamic Island as standard. But it also means that it can now display up to three Live Activities simultaneously. It won’t change anyone’s life, but it’s a welcome feature regardless.

iPhone 18 Pro Max review: Cameras

For many, buying the Pro iPhones is all about getting the best cameras. That’s no different in 2026, with Apple bringing its best camera features to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.

The iPhone 18 Pro Max has three rear cameras, two of them the same as the ones found on the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

That means buyers will get a 48-megapixel telephoto camera with a 4x optical zoom. That’s paired with a 48-megapixel ultra wide camera. Up front, there’s an 18-megapixel Center Stage camera for selfies.

But the 48-megapixel Fusion Main camera is where the new magic happens.

48-megapixel Fusion Main camera

We’ll cut to the chase. The iPhone 18 Pro Max has the first variable aperture to ever find its way to an Apple smartphone. And Apple is making a big deal about it.

Apple’s physical mechanical aperture has four settings: f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8, and f/4. It defaults to f/1.8, which just so happens to be almost identical to the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s fixed f/1.78 aperture.

iPhone 18 Pro Max review: The main camera rarely disappoints

As photographers will no doubt tell you, the aperture of a camera dictates how much light is allowed into its sensor. The sensor captures the image, so giving it more or less light will change the resulting image in any given situation.

For that reason, allowing as much light into the sensor as possible is obviously beneficial when taking nighttime shots. It should also allow for sharper images when taking shots in daytime lighting because the sensor doesn’t need to be open for as long. There’s simply less chance for the image to be blurry.

Finally, photographers like to adjust the aperture because it gives them more creative control. Choosing a narrow aperture and extending the shutter time can capture stunning motion blur, for example.

In theory, bringing a custom aperture to the iPhone 18 Pro Max opens the door to all of these benefits. In reality, whether or not you see them will depend on how you use your iPhone’s camera.

If you’re an iPhone photographer and you like to dive in and tweak settings, you’ll love the custom aperture. Apple has added new Pro Controls to the Camera app so you can tweak them to your heart’s content.

But for the rest of us who just want to take a good photo with our phones, the custom aperture is less noticeable. We simply won’t spend our time changing these settings to create the amazing images we know these phones can capture.

iPhone 18 Pro Max review: Pin-sharp images are the norm

The good news is the iPhone 18 Pro Max still has the ability to make automatic choices for all of the settings photographers like to tweak. And it does an excellent job of doing it, too.

I’ve been using the iPhone 18 Pro Max as a point-and-shoot camera, doing little more than tapping what I want to focus on. The results have been hugely impressive. Photos look great, videos are vibrant, and my iCloud storage is almost full. All signs of a good camera.

None of this is to say I haven’t noticed any improvement as a result of that variable aperture. There’s one big one, and it’s very welcome.

I’ve never really been a fan of the iPhone’s Night mode, the feature that captures as much light as possible in low-light situations. I’ve always found it to result in images that are too soft and overly bright.

But the iPhone 18 Pro Max’s variable aperture has allowed me to turn Night mode off completely. And I’m able to take photos that much better resemble what I can see with my own two eyes. I’m a big fan.

48-megapixel Fusion Ultra Wide camera

The ultra wide camera is something that I rarely missed during my last year with the iPhone Air, but it’s back with the iPhone 18 Pro Max. With its 48-megapixel sensor, it’s capable of capturing some lovely images and videos at 0.5x.

iPhone 18 Pro Max review: The ultra wide helps when you can’t step any further away

The usefulness of a 0.5x camera will depend on your location and the subject you’re trying to capture. I’ve said in previous reviews that I rarely find myself in need of such a camera, and that’s still the case today.

But like many features, the iPhone’s ultra wide camera is nice to have, just for those times when it proves to be useful. It helps that it does an admirable job when those times come around, including the iPhone’s macro mode.

Apple’s ultra wide cameras doing double duty as macro cameras is nothing new, of course. It’s been doing it for years, and it’s another nice-to-have feature. Just in case.

Designed for capturing close-ups of a subject, like a flower, the macro camera is more than up to the job. The Camera app automatically switches to macro mode when it’s needed, but you can manually enable it as well.

48-megapixel Fusion Telephoto camera

Behind the main camera, the telephoto is the one I’ve found myself using the most during my testing. Like the other cameras, it has a large 48-megapixel sensor, but this time with a 4x optical zoom attached to it.

iPhone 18 Pro Max review: A telephoto lens certainly has its uses

Apple’s Camera app also offers an 8x zoom for those times when you need to get a little closer. But it’s a faux zoom: Apple simply switches from capturing a 24-megapixel shot to a 12-megapixel one, punching in on the pixels in the center of the sensor.

For objects even further away, a 40x digital zoom is available. Let’s just say that I suggest putting your iPhone back in your pocket and getting physically closer to your subject instead. Your photos will thank you for it.

That is to say, especially at 4x, the iPhone 18 Pro Max’s telephoto camera takes excellent shots. And you might be surprised how often it comes in useful, from capturing a dog on a walk to getting a closer look at a new building in the distance.

iPhone 18 Pro Max review: Optical zoom at play

Apple’s decision to ditch the 12-megapixel telephoto camera for a 48-megapixel Fusion camera on the iPhone 17 Pro Max was a good one. It’s a decision that remains so with its successor today.

iPhone 18 Pro Max review: Performance

While new cameras often drive new iPhone sales, Apple’s new chips help bring new features to those cameras. They also make iPhones some of the best-performing phones in the world. One even powers the MacBook Neo.

For the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, Apple introduced the A20 Pro. Built on TSMC’s new 2nm platform, it’s incredibly capable and impressively power-efficient.

Each A20 Pro ships with six CPU cores (two performance, four efficiency) and seven GPU cores with per-core Neural Accelerators. It also doubles the number of Neural Engine cores from 16 to 32 for the first time.

iPhone 18 Pro Max review: The A20 Pro is a quick chip indeed

It’s no surprise that Apple has brought even more Neural Engine cores to the iPhone, especially if it intends for the A20 Pro to be used in a future MacBook Neo.

These cores, coupled with improved GPU performance, make the A20 Pro the perfect chip for faster, local AI workloads. With Siri AI on board, the iPhone 18 Pro Max is best placed for faster responses and generative AI processing.

iPhone 18 Pro Max review: The A20 Pro excels in multi-core tests

Keeping that chip cool is a priority for the iPhone 18 Pro Max, which is why Apple has expanded and redesigned its vapor chamber thermal design. It provides up to 40% better sustained performance for longer gaming sessions and video work. All while keeping the iPhone from getting too hot to the touch.

All of these changes, coupled with up to 50% increased memory bandwidth, make the iPhone 18 Pro Max a dream to use. It’s fast, it’s reliable, and it doesn’t hiccup.

Of course, all of those things could be said about the A19 Pro, too. I never once found the iPhone Air lacking in performance. I highly doubt many iPhone 18 Pro Max buyers will, either.

My testing has shown the iPhone 18 Pro Max to be a capable gaming device, especially when paired with a controller. Touchscreens are great for some things, but I have yet to be convinced that gaming is one of them.

Games perform admirably, and, importantly, the iPhone 18 Pro Max has yet to get overly warm. It cools down pretty rapidly once the gaming gives way to my usual social scrolling and Reddit browsing.

Wrapping up the speeds and feeds section of this review, this iPhone uses Apple’s N1 wireless networking chip. That means Bluetooth 6 and Wi-Fi 7 support, with Thread networking tech thrown in.

Interestingly, the UK iPhone 18 Pro Max I’ve been testing uses Apple’s C2 cellular modem. If you buy an iPhone 18 Pro in the United States, you’ll get the same modem as well. But not if you choose the iPhone 18 Pro Max.

As for why that’s the case, Apple hasn’t said. What we do know is that the iPhone 18 Pro Max sold in the United States seems to be the only model not to use the C2. Whether that’s down to Apple’s ongoing agreement with Qualcomm, we may never know.

The good news is that it likely matters not one bit. Just a quirk of Apple’s supply chain and no more.

iPhone 18 Pro Max review: Battery

Ever since the iPhone Pro and Pro Max received feature parity in terms of camera technologies, there are two reasons to choose the latter. The Pro Max has the larger display, which is important to some people. For others, it’s all about the battery life.

Bigger displays mean bigger phones, and Apple can use that extra space to install larger batteries. The iPhone 18 Pro Max has a big ol’ battery, and that’s reflected in how it performs.

Apple says the iPhone 18 Pro Max is rated for up to 45 hours of video playback on a single charge. That sounds impressive but ultimately means very little.

That’s why Apple now offers “typical use” figures, with a claimed iPhone 18 Pro Max battery life of up to 30 hours. The iPhone 18 Pro is rated for 24 hours.

I’m writing this review after a week with the iPhone 18 Pro Max, and I’ve found no reason to doubt Apple’s claims. The first few days of any new iPhone are always full of app-installing and data-caching, so battery life often suffers.

But since then, I’ve found the iPhone 18 Pro Max to be every bit the battery life champ it’s claimed to be. I can easily see it lasting two days between charges if needed, especially during light usage.

The good news keeps coming, too, because charging the iPhone 18 Pro Max is incredibly fast. Even a relatively short time connected to a charger can make a huge difference.

The iPhone 18 Pro Max can be charged to 50% capacity in around 15 minutes when using a charger rated for at least 60W. It’ll need to be a charger that supports Adjustable Voltage Supply, so your older charger might not be up to the task.

Wireless charging is also surprisingly impressive. 30 minutes connected to a MagSafe charger will get you to 50% battery.

All of this is to say that even when an iPhone 18 Pro Max battery is low, getting it back to 50% or more isn’t the chore it once was. Just remember Apple won’t give you any kind of charger in the box, although it still ships iPhones with USB-C cables. For now, at least.

iPhone 18 Pro Max review: Better than ever

The iPhone 18 Pro Max is the best non-folding iPhone money can buy. For a lot of people, it will simply be the best iPhone, too. The iPhone Duo won’t be for everyone, even if we put its $1,999 price to one side.

iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and iPhone Duo

This thing has the best display ever put into an iPhone. It has the fastest chip. Its main camera has its first variable aperture. The battery lasts longer than ever before. It has fast wireless networking. It has fast wired connectivity. It comes in some cool colors.

I could go on. The iPhone 18 Pro Max runs faster for longer thanks to its new cooling system. It has great stereo speakers, and it even looks good.

As Steve Jobs famously said, “Are you getting it?”

The iPhone 18 Pro Max also runs iOS 27, Apple’s latest iPhone software. That brings new Apple Intelligence features and Siri AI, albeit in beta form for the time being.

It also means new child safety features. Accessibility improvements. A custom EQ for AirPods owners. Improved iCloud Shared Album support.

“Are you getting it?”

If you’re someone who normally buys the biggest, best, and most feature-laden iPhone, you already know you’re buying an iPhone 18 Pro Max. I’m here to tell you that you won’t be disappointed with what you get.

But there’s a wildcard. The iPhone Duo is the new king, but it’s no Pro Max. It won’t have a variable aperture, nor will it have a telephoto camera at all. There’s no Face ID.

Money no object, the iPhone 18 Pro Max buying decision comes down to a trade-off. You need to decide which matters most to you. Better cameras and Face ID, or an iPhone that turns into an iPad.

I write this review still not knowing my answer to that question. Hopefully, by the time you read it, you’ll know yours.

iPhone 18 Pro Max review: Pros

• The most performant ever
• Adjustable aperture is big for photographers
• No phone takes better photos or videos
• A big, gorgeous display
• Multi-day battery life

iPhone 18 Pro Max review: Cons

• The iPhone Duo is the new hotness, and it looms
• It’s one heavy phone
• A $100 higher starting price

Rating 4.0 out of 5

The iPhone 18 Pro Max is for those who want the best features, the longest battery life, and the biggest display. Its new main camera will make these new Pro phones the go-to for photographers and videographers everywhere.

But if you buy the iPhone Pro Max because it’s the coolest phone that Apple has to offer, the iPhone 18 Pro Max might not hit the spot. If you’re ready for something new after years of big slabs of metal and glass, the iPhone Duo might be worth considering instead.

Where to buy the iPhone 18 Pro Max

Deals on Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are in effect now, with wireless carriers offering up to $1,200 off via bill credits.

You can jump straight to the offers below or compare incentives in our iPhone 18 Pro Max Price Guide.

• Get up to $1,200 off the iPhone 18 Pro Max with any condition trade-in on an Experience Beyond plan at T-Mobile*
• Get an iPhone 18 Pro Max from $2.78/mo with eligible trade-in and plan at AT&T*
• Get up to $1,200 off via myPlan with a qualified trade-in at Verizon*


*Terms and conditions apply. Please see the wireless carrier’s site for details.