Apple opened pre-orders for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at 5 a.m. Pacific Time through its website and Apple Store app. The company will begin selling the two phones in stores and online worldwide starting September 18, alongside the Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4, and AirPods 5.
The announcement represents a broad launch package that also includes the Mac mini with M6 and M5 Pro processors, and the Mac Studio with M5 Max and M5 Ultra processors. Apple says the new Mac devices will be available in stores starting September 22, while pre-orders for them have already begun.
What’s New in the iPhone 18 Pro?
The two phones are powered by the A20 Pro chip and a next-generation vapor-chamber cooling system, with battery designs that benefit from silicon improvements. Both phones feature a 48-megapixel main Fusion camera and a variable aperture that adjusts depth of field and lighting, along with Pro tools that allow users to customize the photography experience within the Camera app. Apple has also added controls for texture and grain to Photographic Styles, as well as the ability to apply cinematic effects after recording to video at up to 60 frames per second.
The iPhone 18 Pro Max delivers what Apple says is the largest battery-life increase it has achieved in an iPhone, while the vapor chamber is intended to maintain performance during local artificial-intelligence workloads. The two phones are available in black, silver, Glacier, and Burgundy.
Artificial Intelligence Between Ambition and Limitations
Apple is introducing the next generation of Apple Intelligence and Siri AI with iOS 27, describing Siri AI as an assistant that is better able to understand personal context, the screen, and general knowledge. However, the feature will launch in beta and will initially be available in English. Siri AI will also initially be unavailable in the European Union on iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS, and some features that depend on it will not work in the region.
Apple explains that some functions powered by server-based models are subject to daily usage limits that may vary according to the feature, the complexity of the request, and system load. Therefore, the artificial-intelligence announcement does not mean identical availability for all users or languages, and some features may require compatible devices and a supported language setting.
Updates to the Watch, Earbuds, and Mac Devices
The Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 use the Health Sensing System and S11 chip, with more frequent measurements of heart rate and heart-rate variability, as well as a new feature called readiness score that displays an indicator of daily readiness. The Series 12 offers up to 24 hours of use, while the Ultra 4 provides up to 45 hours of outdoor workout tracking and up to 50 hours of daily use. Siri AI is coming to both watches through watchOS 27, while Audio Intelligence features are expected later this year.
The AirPods 5 offer active noise cancellation in an open design, and Apple says they reduce external noise by up to 50 percent more than the AirPods 4 with the same feature. The earbuds add a multi-port acoustic architecture, Adaptive EQ, and a pressure sensor for controlling volume by swiping on the stem, in addition to using head gestures to respond to Siri and a live translation feature.
For computers, Apple says the Mac mini with the M6 processor delivers up to four times faster artificial-intelligence performance and 40 percent faster CPU performance compared with the previous generation, while the Mac Studio delivers up to 4.3 times the artificial-intelligence performance, up to 512 gigabytes of unified memory, and bandwidth of up to 1.2 terabytes per second.
What Changes in Practice?
The announcement is not limited to new devices; Apple also connects them with purchasing, upgrade, and support services. In the United States, the trade-in value for an iPhone 13 or later ranges from $175 to $885 depending on the device’s condition, while carrier offers may reach $1,200 when trading in an iPhone 14 or later. The company is also expanding AppleCare One in the U.S. market to cover multiple eligible products within a Family Sharing group, with loss and theft protection for some devices and unlimited repairs for accidental damage.
These terms remain local, and device, feature, and language availability varies by region. Performance, battery-life, and noise-cancellation claims are based on tests conducted by Apple, an important limitation when comparing the results with real-world use or competing products.