Is the iPhone 18 Pro Max good?
In a word, yes. Armed with a two-day battery life and one of the best point-and-shoot cameras out there, the iPhone 18 Pro Max packs an almighty punch, albeit at an equally almighty price. This year's upgrades are felt more than seen, with the snappy A20 Pro chip, updated thermals and slick new Siri AI features giving it a noticeably more ‘Pro’ feel than last year’s model.
Should I upgrade from the iPhone 17 Pro Max?
In short, probably not. If you already own an iPhone 17 Pro Max, the gains here are modest, and the upgrade is hard to justify unless you’re an avid photographer who wants Apple’s latest and greatest. The same goes for the base iPhone 17. Last year’s models are still excellent.
For anyone upgrading from an iPhone 15 Pro or older, the iPhone 18 Pro Max is well worth your money, and you’ll feel the jump from the off. It’s also a sensible upgrade if you’re on an 16 Pro Max with poor battery health.
iPhone 18 Pro Max pros and cons
- Long battery life
Up to 43 hours of juice, plus it gets 50% charge in around 15 minutes
- Superb camera setup
Variable aperture and new Photographic Styles make for great shots straight out of the box
- Gorgeous OLED display
Bright 6.9" screen with ProMotion and a slightly smaller Dynamic Island
- Speedy A20 Pro chip with better cooling
A20 Pro chip is around 20% faster, and the new vapour chamber helps spread the extra heat
- Limited Siri AI
No native support yet for third party apps like WhatsApp or Deliveroo
- £100 price increase
UK prices start at £1,299, up from £1,199 for last year's iPhone 17 Pro Max
- Modest gains over the iPhone 17 Pro Max
Hard to justify upgrading if you already own last year’s model
Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max key specs
- UK Price: £1,299 (256GB), £1,499 (512GB), £1,899 (1TB), £2,499 (2TB)
- Display: 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR OLED with ProMotion (up to 120Hz), 3,000 nits peak outdoor brightness
- Weight: 249g
- Chip: A20 Pro
- Rear cameras: 48MP main, 48MP ultra-wide, 48MP 4x telephoto
- Front camera: 18MP Center Stage camera
- Battery life: Up to 43 hours video playback
- Build: Aluminium unibody with Ceramic Shield 2 front and Ceramic Shield back, IP68 water and dust resistance
How does the new iPhone 18 Pro Max look?
Design-wise, the iPhone 18 Pro Max is more of the same, and in this case, that's a good thing. Why reinvent the wheel? The returning smooth aluminium frame and curvy edges felt so good on the iPhone 17 Pro Max there's no need to do anything drastic. The rear camera bump is unchanged from last year, as is the Ceramic Shield 2 front glass, Ceramic Shield back, button layout and full-on size of the phone.
It's a solid, familiar package, and one that feels built to last. Whereas slipping a case on was almost a given for previous stainless steel and titanium models, I'd feel much more confident leaving the iPhone 18 Pro Max as is.
You don’t need to be precious about the odd splash, either. The iPhone 18 Pro Max isn’t fully waterproof, but it is at least water-resistant thanks to the IP68 rating. It can survive in water up to 6 metres deep for up to 30 minutes, and can comfortably handle whatever daily life throws at it, from rain and spills to an accidental dunk in the sink.
What new colours does the iPhone 18 Pro Max come in?
The iPhone 18 Pro Max comes in four colours: Burgundy, Glacier blue, Black and Silver. I don't think I'd ever go as far as to call an iPhone a work of art, but the iPhone 18 Pro Max's new Burgundy coat is probably about as close as it gets. Its deep cherry red is darker than what the product images might lead you to believe, and it's certainly more conspicuous than last year's Cosmic Orange. It won't suit everyone, but it continues a pattern of stronger, more bold colours being offered by Apple in contrast to its usual muted palette.
Should red not be your thing, you can opt for the ‘Glacier’ blue or more classic Black and Silver models. Still, in this writer's opinion, it's the Burgundy model that makes the strongest case for leaving the added protection at home.
Display: big and bright with a smaller Dynamic Island
The Pro Max is huge and takes a bit of getting used to. Coming from a non-supersized model, it slipped out of my hand more times than I'd like to admit. It was just under a week before I finally caved and accepted the 18 Pro Max demanded the attention of both my hands.
Brightness and visuals are just as stunningly gorgeous and colour-popping as they've been since the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Apple may be saving any big updates for the heavily rumoured 20th anniversary iPhone next year, but with the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra now coming with anti-reflective coating and a privacy filter as standard, it is a little disappointing that there’s no option to add nano-texture to the iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max. We know they have the tech - the MacBook Pro and iPad Pro can both be kitted out with nano-texture glass - which makes its absence here all the more frustrating.
The only significant change found on the iPhone 18 Pro Max display is the smaller Dynamic Island. You're now able to see up to three Live Activities at once, which is neat for anyone who does make the most of it. Yes, it's probably an update that the crowds will go mild for, but it does at least take us a step closer to an under-display front camera.
New camera: point-and-shoot perfection with variable aperture
For those of us in the point-and-shoot crowd, the iPhone 18 Pro Max continues to deliver crisp, clear and colourful shots. Hardware-wise, it's the same triple 48MP setup as the 17 Pro Max, with a main camera, an ultra-wide and a 4x telephoto, plus an 8x option for when you really want to get close.
Against last year's iPhone 17 Pro Max, the gains are understandably modest. Compared with my 14 Pro, though, the jump is impossible to miss. The ultra-wide has gone from 12MP to 48MP, so sweeping landscapes and busy streets come out in more detail. Night shots are where the extra is clearest, giving brighter and cleaner shots with far less visible fuzz, especially when you zoom in.
What will most interest photographers is the iPhone 18 Pro Max's new party piece: variable aperture. In a nutshell, the lens can now open wider or narrow down, letting in more or less light depending on what you're shooting. It's all done automatically, but if you fancy playing the professional, you can pick from four settings, from f/1.48 to f/4.0. Wider is for dark rooms and softer backgrounds in portraits, while narrower keeps more of the shot sharp, which helps with group photos and big views.
Does it make a huge difference? In my experience, not really, so don't expect miracles. The effect is more subtle than what you'd get on a classic DSLR, but it does help in dim light where shots come out a touch cleaner. Plus, it only works on the main camera, and if you get too close to something, the phone quietly swaps to the ultra-wide, so your settings stop mattering.
If you'd rather leave the tinkering to Apple, the revamped Photographic Styles are the easiest way to put your own stamp on a shot. There are plenty of ready-made looks to choose from, and you can add film-style grain and texture on top, which gives photos a more natural, less over-processed feel. Best of all, it's non-destructive, so you can change your mind later and switch back with ease.
There’s more to play with too, including shutter speed controls and tap-to-follow focus for video. Both are easy enough to use should you be curious, but even if you never touch any of them, you’ll get great results straight out of the box.
A20 Pro performance: pure power with great cooling
The new A20 Pro chip inside the iPhone 18 Pro Max absolutely flies. It never seemed to break a sweat, and I didn't hit a single stutter or hiccup while testing it. Benchmarks put it around 20% faster than the 17 Pro Max, which was already blazingly fast, and while you'd be hard pushed to notice it opening Instagram, it makes a difference once things get demanding. Assassin's Creed Mirage ran without a hitch, and Alien: Isolation was as terrifying as ever, though neither title quite matched its console counterpart graphically.
For a sense of just how powerful this chip is, you only have to look as far as Apple's laptops. The now £699 MacBook Neo runs on the A18 Pro, the same chip found in the iPhone 16 Pro, two generations older than the one in this phone. If a chip that old can power a laptop, the A20 Pro is probably overqualified for what most people need from their phone.
To keep all that power in check, Apple has improved internal cooling. The vapour chamber is three times the size of last year's, with heat now spread across the whole chassis to ensure there's no single scorching hot spot. Things cool down quickly once the heavy lifting is done, so you're not left holding a warm brick after a gaming session.
There were still moments when the iPhone 18 Pro Max got warm, but it wasn't the same lingering burning-a-hole-in-your-pocket feeling that previous models had. The 18 Pro Max does have the size advantage over the iPhone 18 Pro with added surface area, so the smaller 18 Pro may run a touch warmer under heavy load.
