DT Next Tech | The iPhone 18 Pro Max refines the iPhone experience

CHENNAI: The focus and the buzz might be around Apple’s first foldable – the iPhone Duo, but Apple’s annual Pro upgrade received a head start of sorts at stores, arriving more than a month ahead of the Duo. It’s the iPhone 18 Pro Max, the taller sibling that tends to be the preferred option for anyone who needs extra screen real estate and a battery that won’t let you down. If last year’s iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, marked a major refresh on most fronts including design and camera performance, the 2026 Pro twins might seem like an iterative upgrade. But the big changes are mostly under the hood, it’s something you will appreciate only if you get up close with the 18 Pro Max like we did.

The 18 Pro Max is almost indistinguishable from its predecessor except for a new range of colours that include a beautiful shade of Burgundy and our favourite – a cool shade of blue that Apple calls Glacier. You get the same premium build but this year’s Pro Max is a tad heavier (it weighs 249 gm) than the 17 Pro Max. It’s not a difference you’re likely to notice even if you’re moving up from the 17 Pro Max. If there’s one reason why you might consider the upgrade, it’s the allnew variable aperture lens on the rear camera.

While the rear camera specs are similar to last year, the addition of the mechanical variable aperture on the main camera with six laser-cut blades inside the main lens assembly (that physically contract or expand) adds a cool new element to the photography experience. You can move between four mechanical settings (from f/1.48 to f/4.0) that you can adjust in the lens aperture menu. Apple has also added some new features like texture and grain controls on photographic styles that can alter the mood of your images. The triple rear camera (three 48MP lenses that include a Fusion Telephoto camera with 8x optical zoom) levels up and consolidates the iPhone Pro’s reputation as one of the best smartphone cameras especially in the video department.

Colours are vibrant; the 6.9inch, LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display (1320 x 2868 pixels) hits a peak brightness of 3000 nits. It’s similar to last year’s display except for one notable change. Apple’s pill-shaped ‘Dynamic Island’ cutout is even smaller than the 17 Pro series. Each year, the Pro twins set new standards in our benchmark tests. This year was no exception. The 18 Pro Max aced our Geekbench benchmark test. It should come as no surprise given the new A20 Pro chip that powers the 2026 iPhone Pro twins. Apple tells us that it’s 40% faster than last year’s A18 Pro chip with significant improvements in the device’s AI capabilities. Battery performance gets a boost over last year and so do charging speeds (now up to 60W), making the iPhone 18 Pro Max one of the best smartphones of 2026 with cutting edge hardware and a terrific camera.

(Ashwin Rajagopalan is a lifestyle writer and consumer technology expert. Catch the latest digital and tech updates in this weekly column.)