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Reviews of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max highlight significant battery life improvements and new camera controls. Testers note the Pro models offer faster charging and longer endurance than previous generations.
Apple’s fall 2026 lineup has introduced the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max alongside the new foldable iPhone Duo. While the Duo has drawn attention for its form factor, reviews of the Pro models indicate substantial improvements in battery performance and camera capabilities.
According to testing by CNET, the iPhone 18 Pro Max delivers the longest overall battery life of any iPhone to date. This improvement is attributed to a larger battery capacity, the power-efficient A20 Pro chip, and iOS 27, which includes behind-the-scenes optimizations to reduce power consumption. The iPhone 18 Pro was identified as the fastest-charging iPhone in Apple’s lineup.
In CNET’s 30-minute wired charging test, the iPhone 18 Pro reached 53% battery in 15 minutes and 82% in 30 minutes. This represents an 8% gain over the iPhone 17 Pro, which reached 74% in the same timeframe. The improvement is linked to the 18 Pro’s support for 60-watt fast charging, compared to the 40-watt support on the previous model. The iPhone 18 Pro Max added 77% in the 30-minute test, hitting 48% at the 15-minute mark.
In a 3-hour video streaming test, the iPhone 18 Pro retained the highest remaining charge, losing 8% less than the iPhone 17 Pro. However, in a 45-minute battery stress test involving gaming and multitasking, the 2024 iPhone 16 Plus held the best score, edging out the 18 Pro Max by 1 percentage point. The iPhone 18 Pro placed last in this specific stress test, though CNET noted its result was still better than many Android competitors, such as the Pixel 11 Pro and Galaxy S26.
PCMag contributor Lance Whitney evaluated the iPhone 18 Pro against the iPhone Duo, noting that the Pro models offer features absent from the foldable device. A key differentiator is the telephoto camera. The iPhone 18 Pro features a 48-megapixel telephoto lens with 8x zoom, equivalent to 200mm on a DSLR. This is an upgrade from the 16 Pro’s 12-megapixel lens, which offered 5x zoom. The Duo does not include a telephoto lens.
The iPhone 18 Pro lineup also introduces four advanced camera controls: variable aperture, shutter speed control, white balance adjustment, and an exposure histogram. These tools allow for manual adjustments similar to those on a DSLR. The Duo lacks these advanced controls.
Additionally, the iPhone 18 Pro retains the LiDAR scanner, which is used for low-light photography, measurement, and augmented reality applications. The iPhone Duo does not include a LiDAR scanner. The Pro models also feature Face ID for authentication, whereas the first-generation Duo does not support Face ID.
The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199, and the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at $1,299. A 512GB iPhone 18 Pro was priced at $1,400 in PCMag’s review. In comparison, the iPhone Duo is priced at $2,200 for a similarly configured model, representing an $800 difference. The iPhone Duo is scheduled to launch on Oct. 23, with preorders opening on Oct. 17.
The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max offer measurable improvements in battery endurance and charging speed, addressing common user concerns about device longevity. For consumers prioritizing camera versatility and specific hardware features like LiDAR and Face ID, the Pro models remain distinct from the new foldable iPhone Duo. The pricing gap between the Pro models and the Duo may influence purchasing decisions for users who do not require a foldable form factor.
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This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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