Name: Apple iPhone 18 Pro
Brand: Apple

Our verdict

The iPhone 18 Pro has a 6.3-inch OLED screen with ProMotion, Apple’s name for a refresh rate of up to 120Hz, which makes scrolling look smooth. The A20 Pro chip scored 11,523 in Tech Advisor’s Geekbench 6 multi-core test, a measure of how fast it handles heavy work. The 48MP main camera has a variable aperture: the opening that lets light in can change size, from f/1.48 to f/4.0, so the phone can keep more of a group photo in focus. Apple claims up to 34 hours of video playback, and Tech Advisor measured 77% charge in 30 minutes with a fast charger. Its UK RRP is £1,199 for 256GB. We have not tested it ourselves: this review draws on Apple’s specifications and reviews by Tech Advisor, Expert Reviews and What Hi-Fi?.

Buy it if

You play games or use heavy apps and want a phone that stays cool under load
You take lots of group, portrait or zoomed photos
You want a Pro iPhone that is still easy to use one-handed

Skip it if

You rely on Siri for complex questions, as its new AI features gave mixed results in Tech Advisor’s testing
You do not want to buy a 60W USB-C charger for the fastest charging
You want the biggest screen and longest battery life (look at the Pro Max)

Featured in

iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone 17 Pro: Is the New Model Worth the Upgrade?

How it would fit your home

Family and group photos

The variable aperture can narrow to keep more people in focus. Expert Reviews found it worked well in automatic mode without needing to adjust settings.

Zooming in at events

The 4x telephoto and 8x optical-quality zoom suit concerts and school events. Tech Advisor found shots stayed clear at 2x, 4x and 8x.

Gaming and heavy apps

Tech Advisor found it barely warmed up playing Genshin Impact, and the vapour chamber cooling system helps it keep up speed for longer.

The details, in plain English

Speed and heat

The A20 Pro chip is built on a 2nm process, which generally means more speed for less power. Tech Advisor measured a Geekbench 6 multi-core score of 11,523 and 60.3% stability in a 3DMark stress test, showing how much speed it keeps under long loads. Apple uses a vapour chamber, a flat cooling plate, to spread heat. Tech Advisor found it barely warmed during gaming and fast charging, and only got warm in back-to-back stress tests.

Cameras

All three rear cameras are 48MP: main, ultrawide and a 4x telephoto at 100mm, which Apple says can also produce 8x optical-quality shots by cropping the sensor. The main camera’s variable aperture runs from f/1.48, letting in lots of light, to f/4.0, for more depth in focus. What Hi-Fi? found low-light shots crisp. The front camera is 18MP. Video reaches 4K at 120 frames a second in Dolby Vision.

Battery and charging

Apple claims up to 34 hours of video playback. Tech Advisor found it “easily lasts a day”, but no reviewer has published a full battery rundown yet. With a fast charger, Tech Advisor measured 44% in 15 minutes and 77% in 30 minutes. MagSafe and Qi2 wireless charging reach up to 25W with a compatible charger. Only a USB-C cable is in the box.

Screen and sound

The 6.3-inch OLED screen runs at up to 120Hz and Apple rates it at 1,000 nits normally and up to 3,000 nits outdoors, so it stays readable in sunlight. What Hi-Fi? found the picture cool and punchy, and the speakers “lightweight and shrill”.

Design and AI

The body is aluminium with Ceramic Shield glass, rated IP68 for water down to 6m for 30 minutes. It weighs 211g. Colours are Black, Silver, Glacier and Burgundy. Apple Intelligence works in English; the new Siri AI is a beta. Tech Advisor found Siri sent messages but made mistakes, and handed complex questions to ChatGPT, which requires accepting OpenAI’s terms. Tech Advisor also found the Camera Control button awkwardly placed for left-handers.

Strengths and drawbacks

What it does well

A20 Pro chip: Tech Advisor measured a Geekbench 6 multi-core score of 11,523
Variable-aperture 48MP main camera for sharper group shots and more control
Three 48MP rear cameras, including a 4x (100mm) telephoto with 8x optical-quality zoom
Fast wired charging: 77% in 30 minutes in Tech Advisor’s test
Bright 6.3-inch 120Hz screen, rated up to 3,000 nits outdoors

What to watch out for

Siri’s new AI features gave mixed results in Tech Advisor’s testing
No charger in the box, and fastest charging needs a 60W charger
Weighs 211g, and What Hi-Fi? found the speakers “lightweight and shrill”

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is the main Android alternative; Expert Reviews found the iPhone’s close-up photos clearer. Owners wanting a bigger screen and battery should look at the iPhone 18 Pro Max. We have not tested these phones side by side.

Alternatives we have reviewed

Product	Our verdict	Price	Buy
Apple iPhone 18 Pro (this one)	A fast, polished Pro iPhone with a flexible main camera, best suited to people who take lots of group, portrait and zoomed photos.	£1,199RRP · 256GB, RRP recorded 12 Oct 2026	Check price
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max	Choose the Pro Max for the 6.9-inch screen you will use every day, not because you expect a different rear camera system from the smaller Pro.	£1,199RRP · 256GB storage, RRP recorded 12 Oct 2026	Check price
Apple iPhone 17 Pro	The more manageable Pro iPhone if you want main, ultrawide and telephoto cameras and would find the Pro Max too big.	£1,099RRP · 256GB storage, RRP recorded 12 Oct 2026	Check price
Apple iPhone Air	Worth it for people who value a very slim, light iPhone and can accept one rear camera, one speaker and modest battery life, but not the best value for everyone.	£1,099RRP · 256GB storage, RRP recorded 12 Oct 2026	Check price

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Where our findings come from

This review is based on Apple’s UK specifications, newsroom announcement and store, the Currys listing, and hands-on reviews by Tech Advisor (Emma Rowley, two weeks of use, 8 October 2026), Expert Reviews (Britta O’Boyle, used as her main phone since launch, 1 October 2026) and What Hi-Fi? (Tom Parsons with Lewis Empson, 8 October 2026). Their findings are credited to them in the text. No independent battery rundown or measured screen brightness had been published when we checked. Apple quotes 36 hours for eSIM-only models sold in some countries; we use the 34-hour figure for UK models. Prices were checked on 12 October 2026.

Apple iPhone 18 Pro review