Apple iPhone 18 Pro

At Rs. 563,998 for the 256GB model listed on W4Mobiles, the iPhone 18 Pro is one of the most expensive compact phones in Pakistan, and its value depends on what you are upgrading from.

• Strengths: class-leading chip, a big step in battery life and charging for a small iPhone, excellent video recording and steadily better photo processing.
• Weaknesses: the same camera sensors and design as the 17 Pro, a scratch-prone aluminum frame, AI features that lag Samsung and Google, and a very high price.

If you use an iPhone 15 Pro or older, the upgrade is worthwhile and the A20 Pro gives headroom for several years. If you already own a 17 Pro, keep it. Android buyers can get more features for much less with the Galaxy S26 Plus or Pixel 11 Pro, but not the same video quality or long-term iOS support.

The iPhone 18 Pro has a 6.3 inches LTPO OLED (Super Retina XDR) at 1206 x 2622 with ProMotion up to 120Hz. Apple rates it at 1000 nits typical, 1600 nits for HDR and up to 3000 nits outdoors, so it stays readable in strong Pakistani sunlight.

The panel itself is carried over from the 17 Pro, which already had one of the best displays on a phone, with an anti-reflective coating and smooth scrolling. The visible change is a smaller Dynamic Island: Apple moved part of the Face ID hardware under the top-left corner of the screen, so the cut-out shrinks and can show more live activities.

That corner has fewer pixels; it is hard to notice in use, but some owners can spot a faint circle at an angle or in direct sun, and a matte screen protector may make it more visible. Some buyers also hoped for a stronger anti-reflective coating like Samsung's, which did not arrive.

The Apple A20 Pro is built on a 2-nanometer process with a 6-core CPU and a 7-core GPU. Apple moved the memory beside the chip so a much larger vapor chamber could sit on it, which improves sustained cooling.

• Everyday use: apps open instantly and multitasking is effortless, as on any recent Pro iPhone; the real gain is that this power now comes with better battery life.
• Heavy work: video exports and photo processing are noticeably faster, and on-device Siri tasks run quicker.
• Gaming: in a 20-minute graphics stress test the 18 Pro Max kept a large lead over the 17 Pro and the Galaxy S26 Ultra; the smaller 18 Pro uses the same chip.

Not every test was positive. In the same hands-on testing, AI tasks such as creating a Siri shortcut or cleaning up a photo were not faster than older iPhones, and the Pro Max's frame ran warmer than rivals under long load because the vapor chamber pushes heat out of the chip into the frame.

All three rear cameras carry over from the 17 Pro, each with 48 megapixels: main, ultrawide and a 4x telephoto. The new feature is a variable aperture on the main camera, with four steps from f/1.48 to f/4.

In practice the difference is subtle. Auto mode stays at f/1.8 most of the time, opens fully in low light and closes only for scenes such as staggered group shots, where it keeps everyone in focus. The wider f/1.48 opening does help at night, with brighter, cleaner shots than the 17 Pro Max in very dark scenes.

The bigger improvement is image processing: extra detail in side-by-side shots and skin tones that compare well with Samsung. New pro controls let you add manual white balance, shutter speed, focus and a histogram to the camera app.

Limits remain: the 4x telephoto is unchanged and cannot shoot tele macro, there is no 8K video, and serious photographers note the main sensor has not grown in years. Video stays a strength, with 4K up to 120fps and ProRes RAW.

Apple does not list a capacity, but EU energy labels show 4056 mAh for the physical-SIM iPhone 18 Pro, only slightly larger than before. The gain comes from the efficient A20 Pro.

Hands-on results are strong. In daily use the 18 Pro easily lasts a day and a half and can stretch to two light days. In a timed test of medium-to-heavy apps, it almost matched the iPhone 17 Pro Max, which reached 10 hours 36 minutes.

Charging is much faster: Apple quotes 50% in about 15 minutes with a suitable USB-C charger, and in testing the smaller Pro reached 63% in 20 minutes, ahead of last year's iPhones but still behind the Galaxy S26 Ultra. MagSafe wireless charging goes up to 25W. No charger comes in the box.

The iPhone 18 Pro ships with iOS 27. Apple does not publish a fixed update period, but iPhones usually receive iOS updates for around six to seven years; treat that as an estimate, not a promise.

The best software upgrade for buyers is in the camera app, where you can choose which pro settings appear. iOS 27 also brings Apple Intelligence features such as Image Playground, Genmoji and photo Clean Up, plus an upgraded Siri that handles more on the device.

Opinions on the AI are split. Some find the new Siri features fun and useful in daily use, while others say Apple's AI still trails Samsung and Google and that basics such as dictation and settings search need work. There are no ads or bloatware, a real advantage over most Android rivals.