Home · Technology · Sep 9 archive
Apple Raises iPhone Prices, Unveils New Pro Models with Variable Aperture Cameras
Confirmed
In Short: Apple has raised prices on its older iPhone models by $100 and unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max with significant camera upgrades.
Apple has raised prices on its older iPhone models by $100, according to reports from 9to5Mac. This year, the company is also upping battery life, with notable gains for the iPhone 18 Pro Max, as reported by 9to5Mac. The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199, an increase from $1,099 for the iPhone 17 Pro, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at $1,299.
During its "Surprise and Shine" event, Apple unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, its latest flagship models. The new 48MP Fusion Main camera with variable aperture is the most advanced camera Apple has ever made, bringing aperture control to iPhone for the first time, as reported by MacRumors. Prior to this announcement, rumors suggested that only the iPhone 18 Pro Max would feature a variable aperture lens, but it seems that both models will benefit from the technology.
The iPhone 18 Pro models come with some hefty camera upgrades, including a new customizable Pro controls interface in the Camera app, as reported by The Verge. This change is significant for keen photographers, as it brings a more comprehensive set of manual camera controls to the iPhone. Apple says an API will give developers even more control across the aperture range in third-party apps, further enhancing the camera experience.
In addition to the camera upgrades, Apple has also introduced a new foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, during its annual fall keynote. The iPhone Duo is undeniably the most capable iPhone ever, as well as the most expensive, according to Ars Technica. The device has a 1:1.4 aspect ratio when open and closed, and it adopts a passport-like shape when closed. Unlike other foldable phones, the iPhone Duo has a wider, shorter chassis, similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 8 from Samsung.
Apple suggests that the iPhone Duo "invites you to open" the phone, as reported by Ars Technica. The tech giant ended its hardware event with one of its classic "One more thing" reveals, marking its foray into the foldable phone space. The iPhone Duo is set to release in October for $1,999, with the 6.3-inch iPhone 18 Pro starting at $1,199, which is $100 more than last year’s phone.
What's confirmed
- Here are the details : The new 48MP Fusion Main camera with variable aperture is the most advanced camera Apple has ever made, bringing aperture control to iPhone for the first time along with even more creative control.
What's still developing
- C2 delivers meaningfully faster uploads when compared to C1X while consuming 15 percent less energy, and now supports mmWave in the U.S. iPhone 18 Pro starts at a higher $1,199 price, compared to $1,099 for iPhone 17 Pro. iPhone 18 Pro Max gets a similar $100 increase, starting at $1,299.
- Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news: Introduced in 2007 by Steve Jobs, iPhone is Appl… Ryan got his start in journalism as an Editor at MacStories, where he worked for four years covering Apple news, writing app reviews, and more.
- But with four different cameras on the iPhone Pro models, sometimes changes are limited to one camera or another.
- It hasn’t confirmed when its base iPhone 18 model will launch.
- The iPhone has long been one of the best phones around for point-and-shoot photography, but Apple hasn’t given keen photographers quite the same freedom as some Android rivals.
- Some smartphone makers have been offering foldable phones for the better part of a decade, but Apple has now joined the fray with the iPhone Duo after years of speculation.
- The iPhone Duo would have looked like a totally fresh take on the foldable form factor a few months ago, but Samsung has made waves with the Galaxy Z Fold 8.
- Apple prefaced its reveal with a denunciation of foldables that open into a square aspect ratio.