Apple officially unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max on September 9, 2026. The main selling points: a camera with a variable aperture for the first time in iPhone history, a new faster chip, a big leap in battery life, and a much smarter new version of Siri.
▶︎ Introducing the new iPhone 18 Pro (video from Apple)
Pre-orders in Thailand open Saturday, September 12 at 7:00 PM, with the phones on sale September 18. There are 4 colors: black, silver, ice blue, and a new one, "Burgundy."
Camera: the biggest new toy in this model
What Apple talked about most is the 48-megapixel main camera, which can now adjust its aperture (the opening in the lens that controls how much light enters the camera and the depth of field of the shot) automatically, or you can adjust it manually. Previously the iPhone only had a single fixed aperture value. This model uses a mechanism of 6 laser-cut blades that genuinely changes the width of the aperture. The result: better low-light shots, and group photos where the people in the back are sharper too.
For people who like shooting video, you can now add Cinematic effects after the fact even when shooting at 60 frames per second, and Time-lapse mode can record in 4K with HDR. For professional content creators, Apple has opened an API (a way for other apps to connect to and control iPhone features) so developers can control the aperture within their own apps.
Proving a photo is "real" and not AI-edited
A new feature called Apple Reference Image works like a digital negative: when you take a photo, the camera records certified raw data, then keeps it as an original image running in parallel with the one you see. If someone edits it later, you can open the two images side by side and see exactly what was changed.
Worth knowing: this feature has to be turned on manually (it's not on by default), and it's not available at launch in China. In Europe you can't shoot photos this way either, but you can open and view images others have taken with it.
A bigger Dynamic Island that holds more information
The Dynamic Island (the animated notification area around the front camera) has been redesigned to show up to 3 Live Activities (live updates such as delivery status or football scores) at once, and it still works for unlocking with Face ID as before.
The A20 Pro chip: faster, cooler, longer-lasting
The new chip is built on 2-nanometer technology (the smaller the number, the more transistors fit in the same area, meaning more power and less battery drain), with 50% more memory bandwidth than the previous generation, and graphics up to 40% faster — good for heavy gamers.
What's interesting is the new cooling system. Apple relocated the memory so it doesn't block the chip's heat, then connected it to a vapor chamber (a hollow metal plate with liquid inside that carries heat away from the chip faster) with 3 times more surface area than before. The result: you can game or run heavy tasks continuously without the phone getting so hot that performance drops — up to 40% better than the previous generation.
On connectivity, it still has Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 as usual, while the new 5G modem (C2) makes data uploads faster and cuts battery use by 15%.
Battery: a big leap in stamina
The eSIM-only models (digital SIM only, no physical SIM tray) get up to 36 hours of continuous video playback for the Pro and 45 hours for the Pro Max. Charging is faster too — 15 minutes plugged in gets you 50% battery.
Worth knowing: these figures come from Apple's own testing in controlled conditions. Real-world use will be lower, depending on each person's habits.
The new Siri is much smarter (but not available everywhere yet)
Apple calls it "Siri AI" — a Siri that understands your personal context better, for example searching across chat apps, email, and photos on its own, knowing what's on your screen and helping you continue the task, and answering a wider range of questions.
Important to know: this feature is in beta, starting with English only. Other languages, and this feature itself, won't be available in the EU at first, and it's not for users under 13. Also, some AI features that process in the cloud (not on the device) have a daily usage limit, which Apple says it will charge extra for unlimited use of in the future.
eSIM: a digital SIM, no more SIM tray (on some models)
An eSIM is a phone SIM with no physical part, embedded directly in the device. The upsides: it's more secure (someone who steals the phone can't pull the SIM out and keep using it) and, since there's no need to reserve space for a SIM tray, that space goes toward 2 extra hours of battery. The eSIM-only models are sold only in certain countries, such as the US, Japan, Canada, and parts of the Middle East (Thailand is not on that list).
Pricing and release date (Thailand)
iPhone 18 Pro (black, silver, glacier, burgundy)
• 256GB — 48,900 THB
• 512GB — 56,900 THB
• 1TB — 72,900 THB
• 2TB — 96,900 THB
iPhone 18 Pro Max
• 256GB — 52,900 THB
• 512GB — 60,900 THB
• 1TB — 76,900 THB
• 2TB — 100,900 THB
Pre-order: Saturday, September 12, 2026 at 7:00 PM / On sale: Friday, September 18, 2026
There's a 0% installment offer for up to 10 months with some credit cards, and a trade-in offer giving instant credit from 4,700-30,000 baht depending on the old model you bring in.
iOS 27 rolls out as a free update on Monday, September 14.
The short version
This year Apple focused heavily on 4 things: the camera (variable aperture), the chip (faster but cooler), the battery (clearly longer-lasting), and Siri (smarter, but still limited in where you can use it). If photo/video is your main thing, or you like long continuous heavy gaming sessions, this model should feel noticeably different from a typical upgrade. The starting price is up about 4,000-5,000 baht from last year. And anyone hoping to get the full new Siri right away will have to wait and see when Thai support arrives, since only a few languages are supported at launch.
