Trusted Reviews characterize the iPhone 18 Pro as an ‘S’ upgrade rather than a revolutionary leap. Despite this, the reviewer ultimately concluded that the 18 Pro remains the best iPhone purchase of the year.
The device maintains its premium status within the 2026 range, even with the debut of the foldable iPhone Duo. Priced at £1199 for the 256GB model, the 18 Pro features the A20 Pro chipset. This chip includes a 6-core CPU and a 7-core GPU.
Performance benchmarks show the A20 Pro chip is class-leading. In Geekbench 7’s GPU test, the 18 Pro posted scores roughly 20 times that of the Pixel 11 Pro XL and three times those of Qualcomm’s 2026 flagship chip. The performance remained steady during prolonged tests, improving over the 17 Pro, which was prone to throttling.
Beyond raw power, the chip performs strongly in AI workloads, finishing ahead of the Pixel 11 and Z Fold 8 Ultra in Geekbench’s AI benchmark. It also completes Siri AI requests faster than the iPhone 17 Pro.
Hardware upgrades centered on the camera system. The 48MP main sensor introduces a new mechanical aperture, which allows the camera app to select from four light settings: f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8, and f/4.0. This variable aperture controls the light reaching the sensor.
Image capture performance compares favorably against competitors. In optimal light, the 18 Pro and the Pixel 11 Pro match up to 8x zoom, with Apple achieving a rendering that is more true-to-life. At night, the iPhone utilizes shorter exposures, a style the reviewer preferred over the artificial lighting seen in the Pixel and Galaxy S26 Ultra.
Video remains a standout feature. The 18 Pro is described as the best phone for shooting video, producing footage that is sharp, smooth, and attractive. Cinematic effects can now be applied or removed after the video has been recorded.
Battery life demonstrated marked improvement. The reviewer observed that the battery life is the best seen in a smaller Pro iPhone in years, easily supporting a full day of harder use. Charging by cable is quick, reaching 50% capacity in 15 minutes and filling completely using a MacBook Pro adapter within an hour.
Physically, the 18 Pro weighs 211g, a minor increase of 5g over its predecessor. The screen is a 6.3-inch 120Hz ProMotion OLED boasting Ceramic Shield 2 protection. A slight change involved a smaller Dynamic Island, caused by relocating the Face ID components.
Software features include iOS 27 and an updated Siri AI, designed to anticipate needs and understand context from what is on the screen. The camera app also introduced significant manual control, allowing users to adjust focus, white balance, and shutter speed, though the reviewer noted this control was unavailable within Camera Control.
Overall, the consensus is that the iPhone 18 Pro is a comprehensive device. While it lacks one defining new feature, its combination of improved battery life, top-tier performance, and camera capabilities makes it a highly dependable all-rounder.
