Apple iPhone 18 Pro vs Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max
Verdict
Apple iPhone 18 Pro and Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max tie on the OH Rank at a score of 79. They score identically across all ten categories too. Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max is 6.1mm wider than Apple iPhone 18 Pro.
Score Breakdown
Performance /15
Battery /15
Screen /15
IP Protection /15
Main Camera /15
Selfie /5
Video /5
SD Memory /5
Software /5
Desktop Replacement /5
TOTAL
79
79
Apple iPhone 18 Pro
71.9mm (2.83in) · Sep 18, 2026 · Rank #18
15+11+11+12+15+5+5+0+5+0 = 79
SUPERIOR* TOP Performance* TOP Selfie* TOP PHOTO/VIDEO* TOP Compact
EDITORIAL: After last year's major design re-shuffle Apple is back to minimal upgrades. 18 Pro gets an obligatory new chip, faster (but overall on a slow side) charging, smaller selfie camera island and a variable exposure main camera... but the redemption lies in endurance gains brought by A20 Pro, Apple's first 2nm chip. It makes 18 Pro finish a day of use with 10-20% battery life - and that makes it a TOP Compact contender.
PROs
excellent build with great feel, good A20 Pro (2nm) chip with NVMe performance, ~30hr endurance, a <1000nits 460ppi 120Hz LTPO OLED screen with Dolby Vision, IP68 protection, very good 48MP 24mm OIS f/1.5-4.0 main + 48MP 100mm OIS periscope telephoto + 48MP 13mm ultrawide (all 3 with PDAF) setup, good "center stage" 18MP 20mm selfie, great video recording, rich OS with improved (Google) AI integration and 6+ years of updates, fast USB-C 3.2 port with Display Port, globally available
CONs
A20 Pro throttles under heavy load, small 4000mAh (4200mAh on eSIM-only version) old-tech lithium battery with 60min (from 0-100%) ~45W (25W wireless) charging, no expandable memory, no desktop replacement functionality despite having Display Port tech, speaker sound could be louder, $1400 for a minimal investment in innovation
Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max
78mm (3.07in) · Sep 18, 2026 · Rank #19
15+11+11+12+15+5+5+0+5+0 = 79
SUPERIOR* BEST Video* TOP Performance* TOP PHOTO/VIDEO* TOP Selfie* TOP Camera* TOP Software
EDITORIAL: In search of greater profits (as there's no such thing as "enough") Apple is back to incremental improvments. This time: black color is back, new processor, variable aperture on one of the lenses, smaller selfie camera cutout and improved charging speed... that, and a $100 higher price.
PROs
tank-like build, new A20 Pro (2nm) chip with NVMe performance, ~36hr endurance with 60min ~50W (25W wireless) charging, very good 460ppi 120Hz LTPO OLED screen with Dolby Vision, IP68 protection, excellent 48MP 24mm f/1.5-4.0 OIS main + 48MP 100mm OIS periscope telephoto + 48MP 13mm ultrawide (all 3 with PDAF) setup, great 18MP 20mm PDAF selfie, best video recording, improved Siri AI (by Google) OS with 6 years of updates, fast USB-C 3.2 port with Display Port tech, global availability
CONs
250g heavy, big and difficult to use one-hand, small (for a huge phone) 5400mAh (5500mAh on eSIM-only model) old-tech lithium battery, sub-1000nits (!) screen brightness, no expandable memory, no desktop replacement feature despite Display Port tech, very expensive, overall lack of innovation and excellence Apple products used to be known for
Both phones here were scored by me, using the same ten categories, with no ads, sponsorships, or manufacturer relationships — this comparison is as objective and honest as it gets.
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