Read Apple’s comparison page one row at a time and the video line for iPhone 18 Pro says 4K Dolby Vision up to 120 fps, ProRes RAW, Genlock and Apple Log 2. The video line for iPhone 17 Pro says the same four things. On the formats a phone can record, Apple is claiming no generational change at all.
What did change sits around the recording rather than inside it: the lens in front of the sensor, the chip behind it, the cooling and the battery ratings. That is a narrower upgrade story than the camera headlines suggest, and it is worth knowing before pre-orders open at 5 a.m. PT on Saturday, September 12.
The video rows Apple publishes for both phones
| Key fact | iPhone 18 Pro | iPhone 17 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Dolby Vision video | 4K up to 120 fps | 4K up to 120 fps |
| ProRes RAW | Listed | Listed |
| Apple Log 2 | Listed | Listed |
| Genlock | Listed | Listed |
| Telephoto | 48MP, 100 mm, f/2.8 | 48MP, 100 mm, f/2.8 |
| Ultra Wide | 48MP, 13 mm, f/2.2 | 48MP, 13 mm, f/2.2 |
| Front camera | 18MP Center Stage, f/1.9 | 18MP Center Stage, f/1.9 |
| USB-C speed | USB 3, up to 10 Gb/s | USB 3, up to 10 Gb/s |
Apple’s optical zoom steps are also identical on both, at 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 4x and 8x. Anyone shooting the same subject at the same focal length with the same format is, on paper, using the same tool.
Don’t miss the best of The Mac Observer
Set us as a preferred source and our Apple reporting ranks higher in your Google Search results and Discover feed — one tap, no account changes.
What changed that touches video
| Change | iPhone 18 Pro | iPhone 17 Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera aperture | Variable: f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8, f/4.0 | Fixed f/1.78 |
| Chip | A20 Pro, 7-core GPU | A19 Pro, 6-core GPU |
| Video playback rating | Up to 36 hours | Up to 33 hours |
| Streamed video rating | Up to 33 hours | Up to 30 hours |
| Wired charging claim | 50 percent in about 15 minutes, 60W adapter | 50 percent in 20 minutes, 40W adapter |
| Weight | 211 g | 206 g |
| Frame | Aluminum unibody | Titanium frame |
The aperture is the change with the clearest effect on a moving image, because it is the one setting on the list that alters what the lens does during a take. Apple says the phone can move between the four stops automatically, and the Camera app’s new Pro controls expose aperture, shutter speed and white balance with a histogram. Our explainer on the variable aperture covers how Apple describes the four stops.
The A20 Pro is Apple’s first 2-nanometer iPhone chip, with a GPU the company calls up to 40 percent faster than A19 Pro and a next-generation vapor chamber attached to it. Apple has published no claim tying any of that to a recording length or a video format, so nothing on that line can be quoted as a video improvement.
What did not change
- The two supporting cameras. Ultra Wide and Telephoto carry the same resolutions, focal lengths and apertures.
- The professional recording set. Log 2, ProRes RAW and Genlock were already on last year’s Pro.
- The port. USB 3 at up to 10 Gb/s on both, which is what external ProRes recording runs through.
- The top Dolby Vision frame rate, at 120 fps.
Why the comparison is already academic
Apple discontinued iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max on September 9 and its comparison page now points to authorized resellers for them. At the same time it raised the prices of the older iPhones it kept by $100 each. So this is a comparison for people who already own a 17 Pro, not a choice at checkout, and the fuller version is in our 18 Pro against 17 Pro breakdown.
What Apple has not said
Apple has published no bit rates for either generation, no recording endurance figure for either, and no statement that the A20 Pro changes what the camera can capture rather than how quickly the phone processes it. It has not published a Cinematic mode ceiling for iPhone 17 Pro that can be set beside the 4K Dolby Vision 60 fps it publishes for iPhone 18 Pro. Nobody has shot with the new camera yet, so no comparison of results exists in either direction.
Pre-orders open at 5 a.m. PT on Saturday, September 12, iOS 27 arrives free on Monday, September 14, and iPhone 18 Pro reaches stores on Friday, September 18. Owners of a 17 Pro get the iOS 27 side of the update two days before anyone gets the hardware.
