iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone 17 Pro: What's New and Is It Worth the Upgrade?
20 Sep 2026 · 3 min read
Apple launched the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max in September 2026, with sales starting on 18 September. Importers brought them to Pakistan within days. If you own an iPhone 17 Pro, or you are deciding between the two, here is what is really different.
What's new on the iPhone 18 Pro
- A20 Pro chip: built on a 2nm process, with an extra CPU core, an extra GPU core and a second Neural Engine. Apple claims up to 40% faster graphics. A bigger vapour chamber keeps it cooler during gaming.
- Variable aperture main camera: the 48MP main camera can now change its aperture, which Apple says lets in up to 50% more light in the dark. The other two rear cameras are still 48MP.
- Smaller Dynamic Island at the top of the screen.
- Longer battery life: Apple says the Pro Max has the longest battery life of any iPhone so far.
- New colour: Burgundy, alongside Glacier, Black and Silver.
What did not change: the screen sizes (6.3 and 6.9 inches), the overall design and the 18MP front camera.
Price difference
In the US the iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 and the Pro Max at $1,299, both $100 more than the iPhone 17 Pro models. In Pakistan, early market prices for the 18 Pro started at around Rs 520,000 for 256GB, before PTA tax on imported units. Prices move a lot in the first months after launch, so compare live ads before buying. See PTA tax on the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.
Should you upgrade from the iPhone 17 Pro?
For most people, no. The 17 Pro is still very fast, gets the same iOS 27 update, and takes excellent photos. The 18 Pro is worth it if you:
- shoot a lot of photos at night or indoors and want the brighter variable aperture camera,
- play heavy games for long sessions, or
- keep phones for four years or more and want the newest chip.
The smart money: a used iPhone 17 Pro
Every September, used prices of last year's Pro iPhone drop as owners upgrade. That makes a used, PTA-approved iPhone 17 Pro one of the best value premium phones right now. Read should you buy a used iPhone 17 Pro now and our iPhone 17 price guide.
Compare iPhone 18 Pro ads with iPhone 17 Pro ads on VerifiedPhones, and check the PTA status of any phone before you pay.
