The iPhone 18 Pro Max could very well have been called the 17S Pro Max. It brings a chip update, some minor tweaks to the camera and new colors. Back in the day that basically amounted to an S-series update but Apple insists on a whole number update and in the midst of the global memory chip shortage is asking $100/€150/£100 more than last year’s 17 Pro Max.
There’s not much to talk about in terms of the unboxing experience. You still get a USB-C cable, which is … nice. At this point we’re not sure how many future iPhones will launch with bundled accessories, so a cable is better than nothing.
We had to get the burgundy model, of course. It’s a dark red shade which plays nice with different lighting. Here’s a TikTok of how it stacks up against some other recent burgundy phones.
One visual difference compared to the 17 Pro series is that the glass portion of the back is now color-matched to the metal bits. We have to say the uniform look is nice.
So how does the 18 Pro Max feel in hand?
Heavy.
At 249 grams, it’s the heaviest of the Pro Max models. And you certainly feel the extra heft if you’re coming from a more compact phone like the iPhone 17 Pro. It’s also just 6 grams lighter than the iPhone Duo – a full fledged folding phone.
Oh and here are some shots of that new variable aperture on the main cam. A cool party trick but we’re not sold on its practicality outside of fringe use cases. Expect more details in our full review.
iPhone 18 Pro Max’s variable aperture main cam (f/1.48 vs f/4.0)
As for the rest of the device, it pretty much feels like last year’s 17 Pro Max with the exception of the slightly narrower Dynamic Island on the front.
That’s pretty much all we have for this segment. Our review team is taking the reins from here and will bring you our usual comprehensive breakdown.