iPhone 18 Pro records 4K Dolby Vision video at 24, 25, 30, 60, 100 or 120 fps according to Apple’s tech specs, and the frame rate is chosen from the values shown in the corner of the Camera viewfinder. Two limits apply: Cinematic mode tops out at 4K Dolby Vision at 60 fps, and ProRes at 4K 120 fps requires external recording over USB-C.
The 120 fps ceiling makes iPhone 18 Pro one of two new iPhones that shoot 4K120, and it is the frame rate to pick when you want smooth slow-motion from a 4K master. Here is how the settings fit together.
| Item | What Apple says |
|---|---|
| 4K Dolby Vision | 24, 25, 30, 60, 100 or 120 fps (Apple’s tech specs) |
| Cinematic mode | Up to 4K Dolby Vision at 60 fps |
| ProRes | Up to 4K at 120 fps with external recording |
| Spatial video | 1080p at 30 fps |
| USB-C | USB 3, up to 10 Gb/s, 1 m USB-C cable in the box |
| Focus during video | Smart focus tracking locks on a subject while recording (Apple’s overview) |
| Start and stop | Tap Record or press either volume button (Apple Support) |
Every 4K frame rate Apple lists
Apple’s tech specs give six frame rates for 4K Dolby Vision: 24, 25, 30, 60, 100 and 120 fps. The 24 and 25 fps options match film and European broadcast standards, 30 is the everyday default, and 60, 100 and 120 fps give progressively smoother motion and more room to slow footage down.
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The higher frame rates also produce the largest files. Apple has not published data rates for iPhone 18 Pro, so the practical advice is to shoot 120 fps only when you need it and to consider a larger storage tier if you plan to make a habit of it.
How to set 4K at 120 fps in the Camera app
These steps follow Apple’s published description and may differ slightly once iOS 27 ships on September 14.
- Open Camera and swipe to Video mode. Apple Support notes that if Camera opens in Video mode, a click on Camera Control starts recording, so set the format first.
- Tap the resolution and frame-rate values in the corner of the viewfinder. Apple Support describes tapping these values before recording in its Cinematic mode guide, and the same values appear in Video mode.
- Set the resolution to 4K and the frame rate to 120 fps.
- Tap the Record button or press either volume button to start, and again to stop.
- Smart focus tracking keeps a chosen subject locked while you record, according to Apple’s overview.
Apple Support’s current guide shows the iOS 26 selector, and Apple has not published an iOS 27-specific step list for Video mode. If 120 fps is greyed out, check that you are in Video rather than Cinematic mode.
Cinematic mode stops at 60 fps
Cinematic mode applies a depth-of-field effect that keeps the subject sharp while blurring the foreground and background, and Apple’s tech specs cap it at 4K Dolby Vision at 60 fps. Apple Support gives these steps.
- Open Camera and swipe left to select Cinematic mode.
- Before recording, tap the controls button, then tap Aperture or Exposure to adjust them. Tap 2 or 3 next to 1x to zoom in.
- Tap the resolution and frame-rate values in the corner to choose up to 4K at 60 fps.
- Tap Record or press a volume button. A yellow frame marks the person in focus; tap a gray box to switch focus, tap again to lock it, or touch and hold the screen to lock focus at one distance.
- Tap Record or a volume button again to stop.
Apple Support adds that Camera Control can adjust the depth-of-field effect in Cinematic mode.
ProRes at 4K 120 needs external recording
| Mode | Maximum Apple lists | Where it records |
|---|---|---|
| 4K Dolby Vision | 4K at 120 fps | Internal storage |
| Cinematic mode | 4K Dolby Vision at 60 fps | Internal storage |
| ProRes | 4K at 120 fps | External drive over USB-C |
| Spatial video | 1080p at 30 fps | Internal storage |
Apple’s tech specs list ProRes up to 4K at 120 fps with external recording. The USB-C port runs USB 3 at up to 10 Gb/s, and the cable in the box is 1 m long. Apple has not published which drives it has tested or whether ProRes at lower frame rates records internally on iPhone 18 Pro, so treat the external drive as a requirement for 4K120 ProRes specifically.
Spatial video is the other special case: Apple lists it at 1080p and 30 fps only. Cinematic effects at 60 fps and 4K Dolby Vision time-lapse are covered in our iPhone 18 Pro overview.
If it does not work
- 120 fps is missing: confirm you are in Video mode, not Cinematic mode, which Apple caps at 60 fps.
- ProRes at 4K120 will not start: connect an external drive over USB-C, since Apple lists this combination as external recording only.
- Recording stops or stutters: try a lower frame rate. Apple has not published data rates, but 120 fps files are the largest.
- The corner values look different: Apple’s current support guide predates iOS 27, so labels may move.
What Apple has not said
- Data rates or file sizes for any 4K frame rate.
- Whether ProRes at 24, 30 or 60 fps records internally on iPhone 18 Pro.
- Which external drives Apple has tested for ProRes 4K120.
- An iOS 27 step list for Video mode settings.
iPhone 18 Pro pre-orders open on Saturday, September 12 at 5 a.m. PT, with availability on Friday, September 18, from $1,199 according to Apple’s Store page. The A20 Pro handles the encoding, and its 2TB option costs $2,399 for those who shoot 4K120 often.
