I’m currently using an iPhone 14 Pro Max, so being able to try out the new iPhone 18 Pro Max is such an exciting opportunity as to whether it’s time to upgrade or not. By the time this first impressions article comes out, the Pro lineup should already be available in the Philippines.
Design and Build Quality
The iPhone 18 Pro Max weighs 9 grams more than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, and 16 grams more than its predecessor. I don’t have the 17 Pro Max, but holding the 14 Pro Max side by side with the latest model, I really could not tell the difference.
It uses an Aluminum unibody design, along with Ceramic Shield 2 for the front and back. Along with an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, it should be able to withstand exposure to the elements when needed (with applicable restrictions of course).
The buttons are pretty much the same – a power button, a volume rocker, the action button, and camera control. I miss the mute/ring switch on the 14 Pro Max, but I appreciate the ability to customize the action button.
On to the display, you get the same 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR display as the iPhone 17 Pro Max, just slightly larger than the one on the 14 Pro Max, and brighter at 3,000 nits (vs 2,000 nits). It’s an OLED display that delivers punchy colors and deep blacks, which so far, has been a treat for media consumption.
The dynamic island is noticeably smaller compared to the 14 Pro Max. The Face ID camera is actually hidden on one side, under the display, but still delivers the same level of accuracy and security.
Performance
As with every new iPhone generation, one of the most notable improvements is in performance. The iPhone 18 Pro Max is powered by the new A20 Pro chip, a shift to a 2nm processor from the 3nm A19 Pro.
The A20 Pro boasts 50 percent more memory bandwidth compared to the A19 Pro, and its 7-core GPU delivers up to 40% improved performance.
Since this is just a hands-on/first impressions article, I won’t get into benchmarks. But I did try Genshin Impact on the device. Even at its highest settings, the game was running smoothly, which, to be fair, is something I would expect.
Apple’s new thermal management system also utilizes a next-generation vapor chamber, which seems to be doing a fantastic job. After a few minutes, some phones would get so hot that it’s almost uncomfortable. The iPhone 18 Pro Max is different. It got warm, sure, but I would call it comfy warm. I can still hold it comfortably in my hand without worry.
Camera
While you still get the same 48MP main + 48MP ultrawide + 48MP telephoto setup, one notable addition to the iPhone 18 Pro Max is variable aperture, which ranges with four stops from f/1.48 to f/4.0. That means you’ll be able to manually tweak the aperture for more focus or for a more intense depth of field effect.
In general, photos offer excellent levels of detail and sharpness. The depth of field effect is very convincing even on auto. One thing I noticed is that the device is good at capturing subjects in motion. Like it can keep things focused even when there’s some motion.
Zoom maxes out at 40x, though that is of course digital, so don’t expect stellar quality. But you will have an idea of what is being shot, at least.
Up to 8x zoom, the device seems to be able to retain a good amount of detail, though we’ll still have to check in low-light.
Software
I won’t go in-depth for now, but some noticeable things – The dynamic island can now accommodate three things at the same time.
Not sure what the practical uses of that are, since I myself only use one, two at most, and that’s a rare case.
You can also customize the amount of video control shortcuts that you have, up to 8, so you can quickly say, change the shutter speed, enable the histogram, change the aperture, and more.
Apart from that, the general look is basically the same as what I see in my 14 Pro Max. Of course, we still have to test Apple Intelligence, but we’ll save that for the full review. The device runs iOS 27.0.1 at the time of writing.
Battery
While the actual battery capacity isn’t listed on its official specs, the iPhone 18 Pro Max should last up to 24 hours of typical use, though we don’t know how they define typical use. I’ve been using the iPhone 18 Pro Max for around 3 days now, and from around 50% when I got it, and at the time of writing this, it still has 7% left.
Of course, the box did not come with a charger, which means the charging time will depend on what charger you use. Maybe we’ll try it out with different chargers and see. Something in store for you on our full review.
The Story so Far
It looks like we’re getting the Tok part of the Tik-Tok upgrade here. That means important upgrades where they matter – performance, camera, and battery.
So far, I like the implementation of the new thermal management system. I think many gamers and those who do intensive tasks on their phone will appreciate it. The variable aperture is useful, but I wish there were more stops in between, the battery, well, we’ll find out when we do a more proper test, but it seems to be holding up well.
As for the rest, it’s more or less what you get from the previous gen. You still get a well-built device and a good quality display.
Should you be upgrading from the 17 Pro Max? Probably not, simply because it’s too close between the two, but let’s see in our full review. For those who are still using an iPhone 14 Pro Max or lower, like me, the upgrades will be more evident in key areas. Eventually, it boils down to whether the new features and improvements fit your use case.
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