iPhone 18 Pro Max vs iPhone 17 Pro Max: 5 biggest rumored upgrades

The iPhone 18 Pro Max is set to launch soon and will feature several major upgrades over its predecessor, the iPhone 17 Pro Max. The most significant of these upgrades is rumored to be a variable aperture camera, a feature that has never been seen on an iPhone before. This would allow users to control the amount of light entering the camera, giving both novice and experienced photographers greater control over their shots.

The camera itself is expected to have similar hardware to last year's model, but the variable aperture could make the 18 Pro Max the best camera phone on the market. Another anticipated upgrade for the iPhone 18 Pro Max is a larger battery pack, with reports suggesting it could be between 5,321 mAh and 5,567 mAh. This would represent a significant improvement over the iPhone 17 Pro Max's 5,088 mAh battery, potentially resulting in a substantial increase in battery life.

Additionally, Apple is expected to introduce a more powerful A20 Pro chipset, utilizing TSMC's 2nm process. This new chip is rumored to offer an 18% performance increase and a 30% boost in power efficiency compared to the A19 Pro chipset found in the iPhone 17 Pro Max. The inclusion of this new chipset suggests that Apple is continuing to focus on performance as a key selling point for its flagship devices.

Finally, while the under-display Face ID feature is not expected to debut with the iPhone 18 Pro Max, there are reports that Apple may eventually hide the Face ID sensor beneath the screen. This could lead to a smaller Dynamic Island pill and more screen space for users, as well as potentially improving the overall design of the device.