Technology and Science · updated 2h ago · 2 min read
Apple Unveils iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max With 48MP Fusion Main Camera
Apple unveiled iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max with a 48MP camera and variable aperture. A20 Pro chip powers the new Pro models, boosting performance.
Siri AI EU availability delay.
2 of 3 outlets skipped it: siri AI is delayed indefinitely in the EU..
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Engadget stresses EU delay for Siri AI, while Apple’s newsroom copy omits it.
Variable Aperture Debuts
Apple on September 9, 2026 unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max at its fall “Surprise and Shine” iPhone event, positioning the new Pro lineup around a “48MP Fusion Main camera” with variable aperture and “Siri AI.”
“PRESS RELEASE September 9, 2026 Apple debuts iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max”
Apple said the variable aperture system uses “Six laser-cut blades” to transition between apertures, and it also introduced Pro controls in the Camera app that let users adjust settings such as lens aperture, shutter speed, and white balance.A
The company tied the performance push to A20 Pro and “a next-generation vapor chamber,” while describing the iPhone 18 Pro Max as delivering “the largest increase in battery life ever on iPhone.”
Apple also said the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max run iOS 27 with Apple Intelligence and Siri AI, and it described the phones as becoming “an intelligent personal hub with privacy and security at its core.”A
Siri AI Rollout
Beyond the camera, Apple’s event centered on Siri AI as the “revamped, Gemini-powered voice assistant” that Engadget said is “at the heart of iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27 and so on.”
Engadget reported that “Siri AI will be available in English only at first,” with support for “French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish” coming in October, while also noting that Siri AI is “delayed indefinitely in the EU.”E
TechCrunch said Apple showed off the new Siri AI with “contextual on-screen intelligence,” and it added that Siri AI will support English in beta at launch with the iOS 27 rollout this month.A
TechCrunch also said the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will get iPhone handoff with iOS 27, allowing users to “use two iPhones with one eSIM and switch back and forth between them.”
Pricing and Availability
Apple set the commercial timeline for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max with pre-orders beginning Saturday, September 12, and availability beginning Friday, September 18.
“Pre-orders begin Saturday, September 12, with availability beginning Friday, September 18.”
The Verge said the 6.3-inch iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 and the 6.9-inch iPhone 18 Pro Max goes up to $1,299, describing both as $100 more than last year’s versions.
TechCrunch reported that Apple said the iPhone 18 Pro supports “video playback of 36 hours,” while the iPhone 18 Pro Max has “45 hours of playback capacity,” and it linked the new devices to the A20 Pro silicon and a newly designed vapor chamber.A
In addition to the burgundy color that TechCrunch said “replacing the orange from the previous lineup,” Apple described the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max as available in four finishes: black, silver, glacier, and “an all-new burgundy.”A