Back in 2011

Back in 2011, this is what we would call an S update. The iPhone 18 Pro is basically an iPhone 17 Pro with a chip update, a camera upgrade, and better battery life. Plus some new colors to make sure people know it's the new one. That's an S update. If we've ever seen one. And I think it's tempting to be disappointed in that. But after using it for the past week, I actually think it's underrated. I know, I know, cue all the, you know, the shit comments. What do you mean a $1200 iPhone is underrated? I said underrated, not underpriced. It's expensive. But it's underrated. For three straight years now, the Pro iPhone has gone under the radar and sort of lived in the shadow of Apple trying their riskier new ideas on other phones. Last year the iPhone Air stole the spotlight, that's about the only thing anyone wanted to talk about. This year, it's all about the first folding iPhone, the Duo. The flagship Pro iPhone has not had a groundbreaking new feature in over a decade now, like that's what the other models are for. But in the Pro iPhone, you will find the best iPhone that they make. It's been quietly getting better and better. The camera system. Let's start with the camera system, right? Really isn't much physically new. We're looking at the same three cameras as last year's 17 Pro, a 48 megapixel primary camera, 48 megapixel ultrawide, and 48 megapixel 4x telephoto. But the main camera now gets this variable aperture lens. You can always open up the aperture and let more light into hit the sensor, but also now, the background is blurrier. But if you want more in focus, in sharper overall image, you can stop down that lens to something like f1.48, which of course is letting less light in, but is now more in focus, a sharper overall image. And then of course, there's the middle ground. The iPhone 18 Pro gets a variable aperture that opens all the way up to a new maximum of f1.48, which is awesome. But it can also stop down in stages to f1.8, f2.8 or f4. When you want to. And then of course, third party apps will be able to do infinite stages. How much of a difference does this make? Well, from a whole bunch of photos I've taken on this phone, on this phone, it actually doesn't really make a huge difference. It's been quietly getting better and better. The camera system. Let's start with the camera system, right? Really isn't much physically new. We're looking at the same three cameras as last year's 17 Pro, a 48 megapixel primary camera, 48 megapixel ultrawide, and 48 megapixel 4x telephoto. But the main camera now gets this variable aperture lens. You can always open up the aperture and let more light into hit the sensor, but also now, the background is blurrier. But if you want more in focus, in sharper overall image, you can stop down that lens to something like f1.48, which of course is letting less light in, but is now more in focus, a sharper overall image. And then of course, there's the middle ground. The iPhone 18 Pro gets a variable aperture that opens all the way up to a new maximum of f1.48, which is awesome. But it can also stop down in stages to f1.8, f2.8 or f4. When you want to. And then of course, third party apps will be able to do infinite stages. How much of a difference does this make? Well, from a whole bunch of photos I've taken on this phone, on this phone, it actually doesn't really make a huge difference.