Shown as a source · not counted in the verdict
This photographer-focused review sees the iPhone 18 Pro as making real steps forward rather than delivering one easily explained breakthrough. It praises the variable aperture as progress toward a serious camera, its intelligent automatic operation, and faster cooling observed in a briefing demonstration. However, the AI editing tools can make changes the reviewer considers excessive, while the film-look styles offer realistic texture but limited control and still fail to reproduce film’s overall color and contrast without ProRAW and third-party editing. Most of the video itself was shot on an iPhone 17 Pro, and the reviewer gives no clear buy or upgrade recommendation. Best suited to camera-focused users willing to engage with advanced capture and editing workflows.
Key moments
- The review is aimed at people using the iPhone 18 Pro primarily as a camera, but the reviewer says the video itself was shot almost entirely on an iPhone 17 Pro; only the aperture macro and overhead angles were exceptions.Watch at 0:08 ↗
- The reviewer considers adding a physical variable aperture a step toward making the iPhone a serious camera, noting that physical apertures are standard on professional cameras.Watch at 2:45 ↗
- The reviewer calls the automatic aperture mode very intelligent because it considers subjects, location, and light, though it often selects f/1.8 like earlier iPhones, producing a similar effect unless it chooses differently.Watch at 3:59 ↗
- Although the reviewer finds Apple’s new AI model and cleanup results impressive, they believe the editing tools go too far: substantial reframing can produce a realistic-looking image that is effectively AI-generated, leading them to wish the feature were more limited.Watch at 7:45 ↗
- The reviewer says Apple’s film texture and grain look realistic and intelligently vary with ISO and lighting, but criticizes the lack of user control over the grain.Watch at 12:38 ↗
- The reviewer says the photographic styles do not reproduce film’s overall color and contrast. Getting close still requires the more complicated ProRAW and third-party editing workflow, and they want Apple to reduce image sharpening further.Watch at 13:28 ↗
- In a briefing demonstration rather than an independent test, the reviewer saw the iPhone 18 Pro cool much faster than the 17 Pro and spread heat more evenly.Watch at 14:33 ↗
- The reviewer characterizes the update as a long list of small hardware and software improvements with major changes that are harder to explain, but concludes that there are real steps forward.Watch at 15:12 ↗