iPhone 18 Pro launches at $1,199, foldable iPhone still a no-show

Apple has launched the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, priced from $1,199 and $1,299 for the base 256GB storage options.

The new phones use a 2-nanometer A20 Pro chip and a 48-megapixel Fusion main camera with a variable aperture lens.

Battery life on the Pro Max reaches up to 30 hours, while storage now goes up to 2TB for the first time on an iPhone.

The foldable iPhone that had been rumoured for months was not part of the announcement, despite the event also introducing AirPods 5.

Pre-orders open on September 12, with the new iPhones shipping from September 18 across more than 65 countries and regions.

Notably, Apple did not unveil a foldable iPhone at the event, despite months of speculation that a folding device would debut alongside the iPhone 18 Pro series.

The standard iPhone 18, without the Pro branding, is not expected to launch until spring 2027, following a staggered release pattern Apple introduced with recent iPhone generations.

The iPhone 18 Pro Max’s 30-hour battery life claim represents an improvement Apple attributes partly to the new 2-nanometer manufacturing process behind the A20 Pro chip.

Indian pricing for the iPhone 18 Pro has not been officially confirmed by Apple as of this report, though early estimates put it in the range of the iPhone 17 Pro’s current price of Rs 1,34,900.

The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max also come in new colour options, including black, light blue, glacier and burgundy.

A smaller Dynamic Island on the new models can now display up to three Live Activities simultaneously, according to Apple.

Apple’s new Reference Image feature is designed to authenticate photos as unedited and free of AI generation, addressing growing concerns about image manipulation.

The event marked the first major product launch under CEO John Ternus, who took over from Tim Cook on September 1 after Cook moved to the role of executive chairman.

A person using an iPhone, Wikimedia Commons, CC0