Two years after the iPhone 16 Pro Max, the iPhone 18 Pro Max adds 12 hours of rated video playback, a variable-aperture main camera, an 8x optical-quality zoom and Apple’s first 2nm chip, while weighing 22 g more and costing $100 more at launch. The battery and the camera are the two changes you will feel every day; the rest of the sheet is incremental.
The iPhone 16 Pro Max launched on September 20, 2024 at $1,199 for 256GB, according to Apple’s press release; Apple no longer sells it. The 18 Pro Max was announced at the Surprise and shine event on September 9.
Key facts
| Spec | iPhone 16 Pro Max | iPhone 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Chip | A18 Pro, 6-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine | A20 Pro (2nm), 7-core GPU, dual 16-core Neural Engine |
| Display | 6.9-inch OLED, 2868 x 1320, 460 ppi, 120Hz | 6.9-inch OLED, 2868 x 1320, 460 ppi, 120Hz |
| Video playback | Up to 33 hours | Up to 45 hours |
| Wired fast charge | 50 percent in about 30 minutes | 50 percent in about 15 minutes with a 60W adapter |
| Weight | 227 g (7.99 oz) | 249 g (8.78 oz) |
| Storage | 256GB to 1TB | 256GB to 2TB |
| Launch price (256GB) | $1,199 | $1,299 |
Battery: 33 hours to 45 hours, and half the charging time
Apple’s tech specs rate the 16 Pro Max at up to 33 hours of video playback, 29 hours streamed and 105 hours of audio. The 18 Pro Max is rated at up to 45 hours of video, 40 hours streamed and 30 hours of what Apple now calls typical use, a metric it did not publish in 2024.
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Charging moves further than the battery does. The 16 Pro Max reached 50 percent in about 30 minutes on a wire; the 18 Pro Max does it in about 15 minutes with a 60W USB-C adapter sold separately. MagSafe stays at 25W on both, but Qi2 rises from 15W to 25W. The 18 Pro battery guide has the 35W MagSafe claim and the five-minute top-up figure.
Cameras: fixed f/1.78 and 5x against variable aperture and 8x
| Camera | iPhone 16 Pro Max | iPhone 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Main | 48MP Fusion, 24 mm, fixed f/1.78 | 48MP Fusion, 24 mm, variable f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8, f/4.0 |
| Ultra Wide | 48MP, 13 mm, f/2.2 | 48MP, 13 mm, f/2.2, 120-degree field of view |
| Telephoto | 12MP 5x, 120 mm, f/2.8 | 48MP 4x, 100 mm, f/2.8, tetraprism, 3D sensor-shift OIS |
| Zoom range | 5x in, 2x out (10x optical range) | 8x optical-quality in, 2x out (16x range) |
| Front | 12MP, f/1.9 | 18MP Center Stage, f/1.9 |
The 48MP Ultra Wide the 16 Pro Max introduced is unchanged on paper. The main camera is the story: the 18 Pro Max’s six-blade aperture runs from f/1.48 for low light and shallow focus to f/4.0 for edge-to-edge sharpness, where the 16 Pro Max is locked at f/1.78. Our variable aperture explainer covers the manual controls. The telephoto trade is subtler: the 16 Pro Max’s 5x is a 12MP 120 mm lens, while the 18 Pro Max uses a 48MP 4x at 100 mm and crops it to a 12MP 8x at 200 mm, so you trade the native 120 mm step for a longer reach and a sharper 4x.
Chip, connectivity and materials
The A20 Pro is Apple’s first 2nm chip, with a 7-core GPU Apple calls up to 40 percent faster than the A19 Pro and a dual 16-core Neural Engine it says doubles the A19 Pro’s AI processing. Apple compares only with last year’s chip, so there is no Apple figure against the A18 Pro; both phones run Apple Intelligence and Siri AI in iOS 27. The A20 Pro explainer has the full breakdown.
Connectivity is closer than two years suggests: Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro tech specs list Wi-Fi 7 and USB 3 at 10 Gb/s, which the 18 Pro Max matches, while Bluetooth moves from 5.3 to 6 and the C2 modem adds mmWave 5G in the US. Titanium gives way to an aluminum unibody with Ceramic Shield 2 on the front and Ceramic Shield on the back, and the body grows from 163.0 x 77.6 x 8.25 mm to 163.4 x 78.0 x 8.75 mm.
Price, trade-in and the verdict
The 16 Pro Max launched at $1,199 for 256GB and topped out at 1TB. The 18 Pro Max is $1,299, $1,499, $1,899 and $2,499 for 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB on Apple’s US Store page, or $54.12 a month for the base model under Apple’s 24-month option. Apple’s Store page puts the 16 Pro Max trade-in estimate at up to $610, which brings a 256GB 18 Pro Max to $689 at best, depending on condition.
Upgrade if you shoot in low light or at long range, or if you charge the 16 Pro Max twice a day. Wait if your use is messaging, browsing and calls: both phones run iOS 27 with Apple Intelligence, both have Wi-Fi 7 and USB 3, and both share the same 6.9-inch panel. If the smaller phone tempts you, the 18 Pro vs 18 Pro Max guide weighs the 211 g, 36-hour model against this one.
What Apple has not said
- No Apple performance figure for A20 Pro against the A18 Pro; its comparisons reference the A19 Pro.
- Apple did not rate the 16 Pro Max in typical-use hours, and we have no audio playback figure for the 18 Pro Max.
- Apple has not published RAM for either phone.
- The $610 trade-in estimate is an upper bound; Apple has not published values by condition.
Pre-orders open Saturday, September 12 at 5 a.m. PT, and the iPhone 18 Pro Max reaches stores on Friday, September 18 from $1,299. Apple’s press release has every launch detail.
