The iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at $1,299 with 256GB, $100 more than the iPhone 17 Pro Max did at launch, and for that Apple has added the 2-nanometer A20 Pro chip, a variable aperture main camera, up to 45 hours of video playback against 39, and a charging claim of five minutes on a cable for about seven hours of playback.
The 6.9-inch screen, the aluminum unibody design and the 2TB storage ceiling all carry over from last year. Apple’s press release, covered in our iPhone 18 Pro announcement roundup, describes a new rear finish rather than a new shape.
iPhone 18 Pro Max vs iPhone 17 Pro Max: spec comparison
| Spec | iPhone 17 Pro Max (2025) | iPhone 18 Pro Max (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.9-inch OLED, 2868×1320, ProMotion 120Hz | 6.9-inch |
| Chip | A19 Pro, 6-core CPU, 6-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine | A20 Pro (2nm), 6-core CPU, 7-core GPU, 32-core Neural Engine |
| Main camera | 48MP Fusion, 24mm, f/1.78 | 48MP Fusion, variable aperture f/1.48 to f/4 |
| Telephoto | 48MP Fusion 100mm 4x, f/2.8 | Not detailed in Apple’s release |
| Ultra Wide and front | 48MP Ultra Wide, 18MP Center Stage | No change announced |
| Video playback | Up to 39 hours | Up to 45 hours (eSIM-only model) |
| Usage per charge | Apple has not published | Up to 30 hours |
| Fast charging | 50 percent in 20 minutes with 40W adapter | 50 percent in about 15 minutes wired; 5 minutes gives about 7 hours of playback |
| Wireless | MagSafe up to 25W | N1: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, Thread; C2 modem; 50 percent in 30 minutes wireless |
| Storage | 256GB to 2TB | 256GB to 2TB |
| Weight | 233 g | Apple has not published |
| Colors | Silver, Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue | Black, Silver, Glacier, Burgundy |
| US starting price | $1,199 (256GB) | $1,299 (256GB) or $54.12 a month |
The $100 buys battery, chip and aperture
Battery is the headline. Apple rated the 17 Pro Max at up to 39 hours of video playback and rates the 18 Pro Max at up to 45 hours on the eSIM-only model, six hours more, and it also introduces a new usage figure of up to 30 hours on a full charge. Wired charging drops from 50 percent in 20 minutes with a 40W adapter to about 15 minutes.
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The A20 Pro is Apple’s first 2nm chip. Against the A19 Pro in the 17 Pro Max, Apple claims a 7-core GPU up to 40 percent faster, a dual 16-core Neural Engine with double the AI processing, 50 percent more memory bandwidth, and a vapor chamber attached directly to the chip with about three times the cooling performance.
The camera gain is the six-blade variable aperture, f/1.48 to f/4, replacing the 17 Pro Max’s fixed f/1.78 main lens, with manual aperture and shutter speed controls, Smart Focus and faster Night mode.
What has not changed on the Pro Max
The 6.9-inch screen size, the aluminum unibody, the 256GB starting tier and the 2TB ceiling are the same as last year. Apple did not announce changes to the Ultra Wide or front camera, and its release does not describe the telephoto, so the 17 Pro Max’s 48MP 4x lens is the last confirmed reference for that slot.
Apple has not published the 18 Pro Max’s weight; the 17 Pro Max weighs 233 grams. Black returns to the palette, as our iPhone 18 Pro Black story covers, while Cosmic Orange is gone.
The other new items apply to both sizes: a smaller Dynamic Island with three Live Activities, the N1 chip with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, and the C2 modem. Our iPhone 17 Pro deals roundup tracked where last year’s Pro prices were heading before the event.
Pre-orders open Saturday, September 12 at 5 a.m. PT, with availability Friday, September 18. Apple has not published the Pro Max’s 512GB, 1TB and 2TB prices, so the full cost of the $100 step-up at higher tiers is still unknown.
