New flagship smartphones from Apple, the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max, go on sale in two days — on September 18. But some major specialized media outlets and bloggers have already received test devices in advance to get their review materials out in time. We looked at what journalists from such publications liked most about the devices, what, on the contrary, rather puzzled them, and what general conclusions they draw.

The Verge

Journalist Edison Johnson from the publication managed to spend time with the new flagships. In a brief rundown, the reviewer primarily counts among the pros of the 18 Pro/18 Pro Max the manual exposure settings in the native Camera app, although she notes that the improvement in photo quality is "insignificant."

Among the drawbacks, she notes the prices, which have gone up. In the case of the base version (256 GB), the price in the US has risen by $100, and in configurations with larger storage capacity — even higher.

"The main task of the iPhone camera is to always take quality photos, by default, no matter what. The new aperture control mechanism offers some advantages in this regard," notes Edison. But at the same time, at the end of the review, she concludes that most future users of the new devices are unlikely to constantly use the manual aperture setting.

"If you're not expecting revolutionary changes in camera performance, then the iPhone 18 Pro turns out to be exactly what you were waiting for: a slightly improved version of the previous model," the text summarizes.

engadget

The material about the new smartphones was prepared by Sherlyn Lowe. She believes that the overall score that should be awarded to the 18 Pro/18 Pro Max is 9 points (out of 10 possible). In her opinion, the main controversial point lies in Siri AI — the AI system is still in beta. At the same time, the pros include "excellent versatile cameras, beautiful body colors," as well as "well-thought-out photo and video shooting features."

At the end of the text, it is clarified that against the backdrop of the iPhone Duo preparing for release in October, the new iPhone 18 Pro "definitely feels like S-series devices." "The new features of the iPhone 18 Pro are unlikely to make you rush headlong to the store; this device will prove to be a significant step forward for those using the iPhone 16 Pro or older models," the publication clarifies.

And they add: in their opinion, "among all iPhones available today, the 18 Pro has the best camera system." At the same time, the aperture control capabilities "will be appreciated by all those who have at least some interest in manual shooting settings."

They also mentioned price increases, noting that given the iPhone 17's price hike — this smartphone has essentially become the "base" model — the gap between the standard and Pro device hasn't changed. In the US, in their starting configurations, it's $300.

CNET

Patrick Holland writes in his review: the top-of-the-line iPhone 18 Pro Max boasts "excellent cameras, fast charging, solid performance, and superb focus separation." The main drawbacks, in his opinion, are the high price, heavy weight, and the inability to adjust the aperture via the Camera Control button.

"If you're a creative person and like to control the camera manually, the iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max is what you need. If you shoot a lot of video, especially in low-light conditions, this phone is for you," the article says.

And yet, they conclude: real changes will be most noticeable to those upgrading from the iPhone 14 Pro (and older models). At the same time, they recommend iPhone 15 Pro owners to simply replace the battery, "rather than buy a new phone given the current economic situation."

For iPhone 16 Pro and 17 Pro users, as the article writes, the most logical thing is to "calmly wait [to upgrade] until next year."

9to5mac

Journalist Chance Miller notes in the publication's review that the iPhone 18 Pro builds on the foundation of its direct predecessor, the iPhone 17 Pro, but "raises the bar even higher."

In particular, Miller mentions "a leap in performance, an improved camera, a smaller Dynamic Island, and increased battery life." But at the same time, according to the article, "there's a downside to all this." It's about the increased weight of the devices compared to last year's models.

"If you already use an iPhone 17 Pro, there's no particular reason to switch to the iPhone 18 Pro. But I would recommend an owner of an iPhone 16 Pro or older models to seize the right moment and upgrade," the reviewer concludes.