Apple unveils its first iPhones with 2 nm chips: 18 Pro and Pro Max

Apple unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max at its “Surprise and Shine” event, held on September 9 at 21:00 Baku time. These 2 smartphones and the dual-screen iPhone Duo are powered by the new A20 Pro processor. The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 (approximately 2,040 manats), while the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at $1,299 (approximately 2,210 manats). Sales will begin on September 18. This was also the first iPhone presentation held under the leadership of new CEO John Ternus.

The A20 Pro is the company’s first 2 nm chip designed for the iPhone. Apple’s first such chip overall was the M6, announced in August. The M6 will be introduced in the Mac Mini in September. The 6-core CPU, the new processor’s main computing component, has 2 performance cores that are 20% faster than the previous generation and 4 energy-efficient cores. All the cores feature neural accelerators that perform artificial intelligence tasks faster.

The 7-core GPU, the processor’s graphics component, delivers up to 40% higher performance than the previous generation. The new neural accelerators perform 8-bit calculations called FP8 2 times faster. This makes it easier to run other companies’ language models directly on the phone. The total number of cores in the 2 Neural Engine blocks has reached 32. Computing power for artificial intelligence has also doubled. Memory data transfer speeds have increased by 50%. Apple calls it the widest memory interface ever used in an iPhone.

The A20 Pro uses a new packaging method adopted from the M series. The memory has been placed next to the chip’s main silicon die and moved away from the area where heat is dissipated. The chip is connected directly to the vapor chamber, or cooling system. The new cooling chamber is 3 times larger than the one in the iPhone 17 Pro. The system uses more graphite, copper, and stainless steel made with 80% recycled material. According to Apple, performance during extended use has increased by up to 40% compared with the iPhone 17 Pro and by 2 times compared with the iPhone 16 Pro.

The new C2 cellular modem replaces Qualcomm’s solution. It increases data upload speeds compared with the C1X and consumes 15% less power. Models sold in the US will also feature mmWave technology for high-speed 5G connectivity. The N1 networking chip supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and the Thread connectivity standard used in smart home devices. A separate display system has been developed for the iPhone Duo. This system manages 2 displays simultaneously, makes transitions smoother, and adapts the differently structured pixels around the under-display camera to the image.

The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are equipped with a physical variable-aperture system. This mechanism makes it possible to change the depth of the area that appears in focus in a photo and improve shooting in low light. The new Siri AI features will work with iOS 27. The A20 Pro has been redesigned for both Apple Intelligence and artificial intelligence models that run directly on the phone. The models will be sold in very dark black, silver, dark red, and light blue “Glacier” colors. The rear glass will be the same color as the body. This eliminates the contrast with the light-colored aluminum found on the previous generation.

Thanks to the A20 Pro and the new battery design, the iPhone 18 Pro can provide 36 hours of video playback. Battery life during normal use is 24 hours on a single charge. On the iPhone 18 Pro Max, these figures are 45 and 30 hours, respectively. The smaller iPhone 18 Pro has the same battery life as the previous iPhone 17 Pro Max. The iPhone 18 Pro Max has achieved the biggest increase in battery life. The iPhone 18 Pro charges to 50% in 15 minutes. Just 5 minutes of charging provides enough power for an additional 6 hours of video playback.