iPhone 18 Pro Max Review: An Honest Look at Apple’s Flagship, Key Drawbacks and Prices in Ukraine

Hello! Make yourself comfortable, because today we will have a large and comprehensive piece – a detailed review of the iPhone 18 Pro Max. I’ve been using both new “Pros”, the Pro and the Pro Max, since the first day of official sales in Ukraine. And if you look at the changes purely on paper, this article could be condensed into a few paragraphs: a new processor, variable aperture on the main camera, a slightly larger battery, a slightly smaller island. That’s it, thanks for your attention, we can all go home.

But there’s a catch. What is written on paper is far from everything a person should know before spending an amount on this smartphone that could buy a perfectly decent Lanos in Ukraine. As someone who lives with this phone every day, rather than just retelling press releases, I can honestly say: there are plenty of hidden pitfalls here, and you won’t like all of them. Some things Apple doesn’t mention on the official website, and some things you will only see after the purchase, when it’s too late to return it.

Therefore, in this article, I will analyze in detail and without rush the iPhone 18 Pro Max version: the design and weight, which I have a lot to say about, the screen and the matrix lottery, the truly impressive processor, and the memory, where you’d better not make a mistake. We will also look at connectivity, directly compare the cameras with the two previous generations, examine the new iOS 27 through the eyes of someone who spent two years on Android, and discuss battery life, sound, and, of course, current prices in Ukraine. The review of the smaller iPhone 18 Pro will be published on the site a bit later, and there will be plenty to talk about there as well.

Apple iPhone 18 Pro6.3" · Apple A20 Pro · 4056 mAh

And believe me, this will be one of the most detailed breakdowns of the novelty in the entire Ukrainian segment of the web. Not because I’m so modest, but because I actually tested everything that could be tested in practice. Let’s go.

Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max6.9" · Apple A20 Pro · 5391 mAh★ 9.484,000 ₴

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Detailed specifications of the model can also be viewed in the Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max card on Andro-News and in the Apple smartphones section.

Design, colors, body materials and the record weight of the iPhone 18 Pro Max

Let’s start with what you will be looking at every day – the body. Apple didn’t break anything here this year: the same aluminum unibody construction as the 17 Pro, the same wide camera bump, and the same dimensions: 163.4 × 78 × 8.75 millimeters. The only cosmetic change: the glass window under MagSafe on the back is now color-matched to the aluminum, so last year’s two-tone look is gone. A minor detail, but to me, it makes the smartphone look more expensive.

Color palette: Burgundy, Glacier, Silver, and the return of Black

Full comparison →

There are four colors: Burgundy, Glacier, Silver, and Black. And here, I will probably disagree with the majority. Burgundy is the obvious hit this year, just like orange was last year: our retailers say that the 256 GB Pro Max in burgundy sold out the fastest.

But subjectively, I don’t like it at all. The most interesting color, in my opinion, is Glacier, a light blue. It doesn’t look toy-like; it’s simply designed more for girls, or for creative guys, and that’s not an insult, just an observation.

The most practical option is Silver: it doesn’t show fingerprints easily, looks slightly different from last year’s, and you won’t get tired of it after two years. And black is for serious men; by the way, I got the smaller “Pro” specifically in black. Last year, Apple didn’t offer this color at all, so the return of black is a small celebration.

Body practicality and case compatibility with iPhone 17 Pro Max

Now about what they won’t show you on promotional renders. The body without a case is very slippery. Really slippery: anodized aluminum plus matte glass, and a phone weighing 249 grams is constantly trying to escape from your palm. And this isn’t the only reason to put a case on it. Aluminum, even expensive and anodized, is softer than titanium, so it’s not as scratch-resistant as the frames of the 15 Pro and 16 Pro. Therefore, protection here is not a whim, but basic hygiene, and it’s simply more convenient to use the device with it.

Apple iPhone 16 Pro6.3" · Apple A18 Pro · 3582 mAh

A little treat for those upgrading from the iPhone 17 Pro Max. According to Apple, old cases officially do not fit because the camera bump has become exactly one-tenth of a millimeter thicker: 11.5 mm versus 11.4 mm. In practice, most of last year’s cases fit perfectly; Apple just really wants to sell you a new accessory.

Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max6.9" · Apple A18 Pro · 4685 mAh

The paradox of weight and ergonomics: 249 grams in your pocket

And now a paradox that really annoys me. You know, usually manufacturers try to make their devices thinner and lighter. Look at Samsung, look at the Chinese brands. But not Apple. So you understand: the iPhone 18 Pro Max is the heaviest non-folding iPhone in history, at 249 grams. Last year’s 17 Pro Max weighed 233 g, and the record holder before that was the iPhone 14 Pro Max with its 240 grams. That means for two years Apple made the Pro Max lighter with titanium (221 grams in the iPhone 15 Pro Max, 227 g in the 16 Pro Max), and then returned to aluminum and piled on almost thirty grams in two generations.

Now I realize that the 13 Pro Max was probably the best in terms of ergonomics and overall tactile feel. Yes, it had its flaws, but it was 7.65 millimeters thick, while the 18 Pro Max is 8.75 mm, plus a significantly larger camera bump. Why, after five generations, did the smartphone become so plump and heavy? Am I the only one noticing this?

Apple has an explanation, of course: a larger battery and a vapor chamber in the cooling system that is three times larger. So the weight went towards battery life and ensuring the processor doesn’t overheat – and further down in the text, you will see that these aren’t empty words. But your pocket doesn’t know that. Slap a case and a screen protector on it, and you get close to 280-290 grams. It’s a tank. A tank in your pocket, which without a case is also slippery.

iPhone 18 Pro Max Screen: Samsung and LG matrix lottery and under-display Face ID

Full comparison →

Speaking of glass. Since we’re sticking a protector on it anyway, let’s see exactly what we’re protecting. On paper, everything is familiar here: 6.9 inches, LTPO OLED, a resolution of 2868 × 1320 pixels, a density of 460 pixels per inch, a refresh rate from 1 to 120 hertz, and Ceramic Shield 2 glass with an anti-reflective coating. And the matrix here is truly excellent. But there’s one “if”. If you’re lucky.

How to check the display manufacturer (Samsung or LG) via 3uTools

Because everyone already knows that this year Cupertino is putting screens from two manufacturers into the “Pros”: Samsung Display and LG Display. Samsung makes about two-thirds of the panels, LG makes the rest, and the Chinese BOE wasn’t allowed near the Pro models at all this year. The price of the smartphone doesn’t change, and no store will tell you what’s inside. It’s purely random.

You can check exactly what you got, and it takes five minutes. You can no longer do this from the phone itself: previously, the panel manufacturer was extracted from system logs via sysdiagnose, but starting with iOS 26, Apple closed this loophole. So we take a computer (Windows or Mac), install the free 3uTools program, connect the iPhone with a cable, and open the device report – it’s called Verification Report there. It has a line with the display serial number, and the first three characters of this serial reveal the manufacturer:

• G9N, G9P, or G9Q – this is a matrix from Samsung Display.
• GH3 or GVC – this is a matrix from LG Display. That’s it, the lottery ticket is revealed.

And now the most interesting part, because I personally checked this, instead of retelling rumors. Classic folk wisdom goes like this: “Samsung is good, LG is bad, keep exchanging the phone until you get a Samsung.” And there is a grain of truth in this wisdom: Samsung panels are usually a bit brighter and more vibrant.

But that’s not the whole truth. LG panels are generally more uniform, but they tend to tint green at an angle more often, while Samsung panels at an angle give a pink tint and occasionally suffer from uneven backlighting. That is, the “worse” display is not the one from LG, but the one you personally dislike. And this is what’s really infuriating: for the same money, two buyers get two different screens, and Apple pretends this is how it should be.

Therefore, my recipe is simple: check both the serial number and your own eyes. Open a gray background on low brightness, twist the phone at an angle, and if something bothers you – you have 14 days to exchange it. At the same time, check the screen for thin vertical lines: in the first weeks of sales, several videos with green and pink lines on new 18 Pros appeared online. These are isolated cases, not a massive defect, but looking closely during the purchase won’t hurt.

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Smaller Dynamic Island, under-display Face ID, and the problem with “anti-spy” screen protectors

Now about the main change on the front. The Dynamic Island has become smaller by about 35 percent, and on the 18 Pro Max, it finally fits three active activities simultaneously, instead of two. How was this achieved? The new “Pros” received the so-called under-display Face ID.

Although this statement is not entirely true: only the infrared camera that reads the dot matrix on your face was hidden under the display, while the dot projector itself and the front camera remained in the island. The camera sits in the top left corner of the screen, and there are fewer subpixels in the matrix above it to allow infrared light to pass through the panel. You won’t see this without a microscope.

However, this change has already borne fruit, and not all of it is sweet. During testing, I applied a matte “anti-spy” screen protector, and with it, Face ID refuses to work even in sunny weather. The logic is simple: the film that hides the screen from a neighbor on the bus also hides your face from the infrared camera beneath the pixels. And I’m not alone here: forums are full of people with the same problem, and a portion of complaints about “Face ID not working” on the 18 Pro are explained precisely by screen protectors.

There are two solutions: either cut a separate hole in the film for this sensor in the top left corner, or use clear protection – a regular film or glass, and then there will be no problems. The only thing is, in that case, you will lose the built-in anti-reflective feature, as it is applied to the Ceramic Shield 2 glass itself, not generated by software. Keep this in mind.
And another nuance for the sake of honesty: during the first week, a portion of owners caught freezes and reboots precisely during Face ID checks – Apple acknowledged this and promised to fix it in the upcoming iOS 27 update.

Real brightness and PWM indicators

In my case, I really liked the display, I was lucky with my unit. I don’t know how Samsung does it, that they make screens for a rival company better than for themselves, but as for me, it’s a fact. Specifically for this review, I conducted a series of measurements of maximum brightness in the sun and PWM levels. The results are on the photo.

For broader context, I will also provide data from the GSMArena laboratory: they measured 969 nits in automatic mode on a white field and 2722 nits at peak on a small area on the 18 Pro Max (against the claimed 1000, 1600, and 3000 nits). This is slightly less than what they got last year on the 17 Pro Max, meaning there is no progress in brightness.

In terms of PWM level, Apple is traditionally not a record holder: Pro iPhones dim brightness with modulation in the range of a few hundred hertz, while Chinese flagships have long surpassed two, and some even three thousand hertz. Yes, if you only consider raw numbers, the 18 Pro Max screen is not the best on the market. However, I assure you as an owner: for everyday use, this is more than enough for you to enjoy the screen. Especially if you draw the right lottery ticket.

Apple A20 Pro chip performance and the trap with 1 TB and 2 TB QLC memory

Honestly, in the case of “apples”, I never saw the point of talking at length about processor power. It has always been top-notch, the same applies to app optimization from developers: everything works beautifully there even on iPhone 13s. So this will be relatively short, but purely for reference, you should know that Apple really tried this year.

Specifications of the 2nm A20 Pro processor and cooling system

• Screen size6.9″
• PanelOLED
• ChipsetApple A19 Pro
• RAM12 GB
• Storage256 GB
• Main module48 MP
• Capacity4823 mAh
• Wired charging45 W

All Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max specs →

The new generation received the A20 Pro chip, and this is the first iPhone processor on TSMC’s 2-nanometer process. Six cores: two so-called super cores at 4.93 gigahertz and four energy-efficient ones at 2.64 GHz. The graphics are now 7-core instead of 6, the neural engine has doubled to 32 cores, RAM is still 12 gigabytes, but the memory bus has become wider, and bandwidth has increased by 50 percent.

Plus, the RAM itself is now not directly on the processor, but next to it, so it doesn’t heat up from it and doesn’t hinder its cooling. And the manufacturer has done a good job on cooling: the vapor chamber has an area three times larger than in the 17 Pro Max, and Apple promises up to 40 percent better performance under prolonged load.

Benchmark test results: comparison with iPhone 17 Pro Max, 16 Pro Max, and Galaxy S26 Ultra

The numbers for the table below are taken from GSMArena’s lab tests – this is a verified source, and they fully coincide with what other major publications have measured. Here is a visual comparison with last year’s 17 Pro Max, the year before last’s iPhone 16 Pro Max, and the main competitor on Android – Galaxy S26 Ultra:

Test / Benchmark	iPhone 18 Pro Max	iPhone 17 Pro Max	iPhone 16 Pro Max	Galaxy S26 Ultra
Geekbench 6 (Single-core)	4 735	3 891	3 490	3 781
3DMark Wild Life Extreme (Graphics)	7 931	6 032	4 731	7 744
AnTuTu 11 (Total score)	3 463 072	2 331 417	1 740 422	not tested
Geekbench AI (Neural engine)	70 681	49 000	not tested	83 047

What’s important here. In single-core performance, the increase is 22 percent, and it’s the single core that dictates how fast apps open and the interface responds. In multi-core mode, different labs measured from 10 to almost 30 percent depending on the methodology, so somewhere within Apple’s promises.

Graphics grew by a third, and this is the first time in a long while that the iPhone beats Snapdragon in 3DMark, and not vice versa. But in the neural engine test, Samsung is still ahead, so you don’t have to take their word for it at presentations about “the best AI chip in the world”.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra6.9" · Qualcomm SM8850-1-AD Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 · 5000 mAh★ 9.248,000 ₴

The most important thing for real life is not peak power, but what happens to it after half an hour. Here the 18 Pro Max really pleased me. In a 30-minute stress test, the processor held 84 percent of its maximum performance – this is a very decent result. Graphics in the 3DMark stress test held at 57 percent: this is not so impressive anymore, but normal for a flagship. And the main thing I felt with my own hands: the phone heats up noticeably less than the 17 Pro Max, and this was noted by practically everyone who tested it.

Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max6.9" · Apple A19 Pro · 4823 mAh★ 959,000 ₴

Performance summary: you can play any games, the system runs as smoothly as on previous generations, and you definitely won’t worry about this power reserve for about five years. It’s just that in 2026, this is no longer a reason to upgrade, but a basic standard.

Full comparison →

Why you shouldn’t buy the iPhone 18 Pro Max with 1 TB and 2 TB: the trap with slow QLC memory

And now about the storage drive, and here I beg you to be very careful. I do not recommend buying the 1 and 2 terabyte configurations. And this is not a matter of taste. The 256 and 512-gigabyte versions use fast TLC memory (three bits per cell), like all previous “Pros”.

But in the 1 and 2 terabyte modifications, Apple quietly installed QLC (four bits per cell) this year. This is cheaper memory: it allows packing more gigabytes for less money in production, but it is significantly slower at writing and less durable. Last year, in the 17 Pro Max, even the 2 terabytes were TLC. So this year you pay more and get worse, and Apple, of course, said nothing about it.

How it works in practice. To prevent QLC from lagging immediately, Apple created a buffer: first, data flies into a fast SLC cache at speeds up to 3000 megabytes per second, then into an intermediate layer, and only then into the QLC itself. On an empty phone, the cache is about 250 gigabytes, and you won’t notice a thing.

But as soon as the drive fills up to about 60 percent, the cache shrinks to approximately 58 gigabytes, and after it runs out, the write speed drops to 45-80 megabytes per second, dipping as low as 1 megabyte per second. One megabyte per second! That’s slower than a cheap flash drive from an underpass. In random operations, the 1-terabyte version also loses to the 512-gigabyte TLC version by about 38 percent.

In everyday life, you most likely won’t feel it: the buffer easily handles social media, photos, and games. But a long ProRes recording in 4K at 120 fps, transferring hundreds of gigabytes of video, or restoring from a backup to an almost full phone can easily hit this wall. In other words, the expensive versions that Apple sells specifically as a tool for pros withstand the actual professional workload worse. My recipe: get the 512 GB and live in peace, and spend the price difference on cloud storage or a decent external SSD.

Full comparison →

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Connectivity and the Apple C2 modem: which version of the iPhone 18 Pro Max is sold in Ukraine

• Screen size6.9″
• PanelOLED
• ChipsetApple A20 Pro
• RAM12 GB
• Storage256 GB
• Main module48 MP
• Capacity5391 mAh
• Wired charging60 W

All Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max specs →

Now let’s talk about connectivity, because this year a topic emerged here that is usually skipped in reviews, but causes real brawls on dedicated forums. The iPhone 18 Pro Max exists in four hardware versions, and depending on the country of purchase, you get a slightly different phone:

• Model A3473 (USA): eSIM only, no physical tray, supports millimeter wave 5G (mmWave), and, attention, inside is a Qualcomm Snapdragon X80 modem – the same one that was in all 17 Pros.
• Model A3716 (Canada, Japan, Mexico, and the Middle East): also eSIM only, but without the millimeter band and already on the new Apple C2 modem.
• Model A3717 (Europe, UK, and almost the rest of the world, including Ukraine): physical nano-SIM plus eSIM and the Apple C2 modem.
• Model A3718 (China): version with two physical SIMs. By the way, the smaller 18 Pro works on the Apple C2 everywhere, and so does the foldable iPhone Duo.

Apple C2 Modem vs. Qualcomm Snapdragon X80: Where is the truth and what are the myths

What is this C2? This is already the third generation of Apple’s own modem: the first C1 was in the 16e, the C1X in the iPhone Air, and now the C2 has grown to the main flagships. Apple promises faster uploads than the C1X, 15 percent less power consumption, and some “AI-driven connectivity enhancements”, whatever that means. Why then did Apple leave Qualcomm for the American Pro Max? Apple does not officially explain. The most popular version is simple: Apple has a contract with Qualcomm to supply modems through the end of 2026, and the American Pro Max seems to just be closing it out to the minimum, because literally this week the companies announced a contract extension.

And here some say that the Ukrainian market did not get the best option. Let’s analyze what is true in this and what is not. Truth number one: our version has a smaller battery. The SIM card tray takes up space in the body, so the A3717 has a 5391 mAh battery versus 5567 mAh in the eSIM-only versions.

This is about three percent capacity, or, according to Apple itself, roughly one hour of typical use and two hours of video. It’s unpleasant, but not critical – and further on you will see that even with this battery, the Pro Max breaks records. Truth number two: we don’t have millimeter wave 5G. But no Ukrainian operator has it either, so it’s like being offended that the car doesn’t support railroad tracks.

But regarding the modem, it’s the opposite. It’s the Americans who got last year’s Qualcomm, and we got the newest Apple chip. Whether it is better or worse, honestly no one knows yet: there are no independent lab tests of the C2 yet, and the first quick comparisons give Qualcomm a slightly higher download speed, and the C2 a slightly higher upload speed.

Full comparison →

For context: last year Ookla compared the previous C1X with the same Qualcomm X80 in 22 countries, and in terms of speed and latency they went neck and neck, with the Apple modem having better ping in 19 out of 22 markets. So the C2 is definitely not a “worse option”, whereas American Pro Max owners on Qualcomm were precisely the ones complaining about connectivity problems on the AT&T network in the first week.

What I have in practice. In the city, outside the city, and on the road, 4G and 5G are caught exactly where the 17 Pro caught them, calls do not drop, and I haven’t caught a single “Android has three bars, iPhone has zero” situation. Plus, Apple’s new N1 wireless chip provides support for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread, and satellite SOS hasn’t gone anywhere.

Therefore, my conclusion is this: it’s not worth worrying about the modem. The difference between the European and American versions comes down to one hour of battery life and the presence of a SIM card tray. And here everyone decides for themselves what is more valuable to them: an hour of battery or the ability not to dance with an eSIM while roaming and just pop in a local SIM card. In our reality, I would choose the tray. The only thing you should do when buying: check the model in the settings (“General” – “About” – the “Model Number” line). If it says A3717 – you have the official European version, and everything will be fine with the warranty and frequencies.

iPhone 18 Pro Max Cameras: Variable aperture, Pro mode and comparison with 17 Pro and 16 Pro Max

• Screen size6.9″
• PanelOLED
• ChipsetApple A20 Pro
• RAM12 GB
• Storage256 GB
• Main module48 MP
• Capacity5391 mAh
• Wired charging60 W

All Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max specs →

We move on to what most people actually buy a “Pro” for – the cameras. I will compare it with two phones at once: with the 16 Pro Max and with the 17 Pro. Why is that? So you can see the difference with the previous generation, and also because people often change their iPhone every other generation, and it’s important for them to understand what will change specifically for them.

Camera specifications and how the mechanical variable aperture works

First, dry theory; it’s short. Technically, if you compare with the iPhone 17 Pro, only the main camera has changed. The same 48 megapixels and the same large 1/1.28-inch format sensor, but the sensor itself is new, and most importantly – it now has a variable aperture in front of it. Six blades thinner than a human hair and four fixed positions: f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8, and f/4.0.

There are no intermediate values – neither manually nor automatically. By default, the camera sits at f/1.8, opens up to f/1.48 in the dark (which is about 50 percent more light than the fixed f/1.78 on the 17 Pro gave), and closes down to f/4.0 for group photos and landscapes so that everyone is in focus, not just the front row.

The 4x telephoto at 100 millimeters, the 13-millimeter ultrawide, and the 18-megapixel front camera with a square sensor remain exactly the same as last year. Compared to the 16 Pro Max, the difference is, accordingly, greater: there is still the old 12-megapixel telephoto and an older 12 MP front camera.

Another point about the aperture that Apple doesn’t mention out loud. The blades are moved by a magnetic drive, and in teardowns by iFixit and repair technicians, it’s clearly visible how the opening closes on its own when a magnet is brought near. A regular MagSafe charger or wallet has nothing to do with it – they are far from the camera and calculated by Apple engineers.

Full comparison →

But strong magnets right next to the camera block (for example, metal plates for car mounts that people stick high on the back, or magnetic filter holders) can cause the aperture to have a mind of its own. The test is simple: set to f/1.48, then f/4.0, take the same shot with and without the accessory. If the shots are identical, everything is fine. And another thing: not every repair shop is capable of disassembling and assembling this mechanism, so in case of anything, you will have to replace the entire module assembly.

New Pro Controls mode: manual settings in the default camera

And the second new feature in the camera settings is the so-called Pro mode; Apple calls it Pro Controls. This is manual control that has finally reached the standard iPhone camera: aperture, shutter speed, white balance, and a histogram to see where you blew out the sky. However, there is no manual ISO, and the controls live in the same panel as styles and flash, so you have to switch them one by one, and return to auto – also one by one. Who needs this?

Those who shoot video and want to maintain the correct shutter speed during the day, those who want starbursts on streetlights, and those who just like to turn knobs. For everyone else, automatic is enough. And yes, it must be said honestly: all this has been on Android for about ten years, and on an older iPhone manual mode has long been added via third-party apps, with the only caveat that you can’t tweak a physical aperture with software.

Camera test in practice: main module, 4x telephoto, ultrawide, and front camera

And now practice, starting with the main camera. During the day, the difference with the 17 Pro in automatic mode is within the margin of error: the same color reproduction, the same detailed, slightly contrasty Apple shot. With the 16 Pro Max, the difference is already more noticeable in dynamic range and details in shadows.

At night, the 18 Pro Max pulls a slightly cleaner image thanks to the wider aperture: less noise in the shadows, a slightly shorter shutter speed, which means less motion blur. This is visible if you compare the pictures side by side, and almost invisible if you just look at one photograph separately.

Video in general is the same as it was: the most stable and predictable picture among smartphones, 4K up to 120 fps in Dolby Vision, and this is still the main reason why people shoot on an iPhone.

What does a variable aperture give in practice? Three things. First – those same +50 percent of light at night. Second – the ability to close the aperture during the day and not hit a too fast shutter speed in video. And third, the most spectacular: starbursts on light sources at night. Set f/4.0, and every streetlight turns into a small six-pointed star, and this works in both photo and video, because the effect is created by the optics itself, not a software filter. It looks beautiful. Whether it’s worth a new purchase – we’ll decide at the end of the article.

Telephoto. During the day, 100 millimeters yields an excellent, detailed shot with natural perspective compression. At night, the camera is still acceptable, but noticeably noisier than the main one, and at 8x (this is already a software crop to 12 megapixels) in the dark it’s better not to shoot.

Video on the telephoto is stable and does not differ in color from the main module – Apple gets a separate plus for this. But the telephoto is not suitable for macro. The focusing distance is too great, and catching focus even in manual mode is not so easy, it works especially poorly on small objects on the 16 Pro.

If you really go out of your way, something might come out, but for macro it’s better to use the ultrawide: you actually get decent shots there. However, to the level of the top Vivo and Oppo, where macro can be shot specifically on the telephoto, Apple is still far behind in this regard.

Oppo Find X8 Ultra6.82" · Qualcomm SM8750-AB Snapdragon 8 Elite · 6100 mAh

The same applies to portrait mode. Overall, you can get really beautiful shots, but Apple clearly falls short of the level of top Chinese brands, especially in poor lighting conditions – hair cutout algorithms sometimes make outright mistakes.

However, video during the day in cinematic mode records simply fabulously, and this year the blur effect can be applied after shooting, on clips up to 60 fps. So somewhere it does great, and somewhere – conversely.

Ultrawide. During the day everything is nice: 48 megapixels, a wide 120-degree field of view, minimal distortion at the edges. At night this is the weakest module of the three, and nothing has changed here since last year – noise and blurring in the corners are still there. Video on the ultrawide records well, especially with Action mode for extreme stabilization.

Front camera. The same square 18-megapixel camera as in the 17 Pro: shoots both vertical and horizontal selfies without forcing you to twist the phone in your hands. Photos during the day are excellent, detailed, with natural skin tones, and daytime video is also up to par – 4K, stabilization, normal sound. This is consistently one of the best front cameras on the market, but it’s exactly the same on the 17 Pro.

Camera summary. To be honest, in terms of cameras, I see no point at all in changing anything; the difference with the predecessor is minimal. Starbursts at night on light sources – are you serious? And manual mode can be added via software to older iPhones or you can install standalone software that will allow you to do all this. Apple simply spared money on new hardware here.

But if you disregard that, in general, the camera on their smartphones is really cool; I especially like the color reproduction and video recording. Yes, it’s not the best camera phone on the market, but definitely one of the most optimal, because it offers balance.

There is no huge puck taking up half the back that you have to grip with your fingers to hold the device, and at the same time you get pretty awesome shots on auto. That is, Apple offers a balanced solution. But the truth is that you don’t necessarily have to buy the latest iPhone for this.

iOS 27 Review through the eyes of an Android user: customization, Siri AI, and Ukrainian localization

• Screen size6.9″
• PanelOLED
• ChipsetApple A20 Pro
• RAM12 GB
• Storage256 GB
• Main module48 MP
• Capacity5391 mAh
• Wired charging60 W

All Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max specs →

Since we mentioned that manual mode can be added via software, let’s talk about the software in general. I have a special perspective here because I haven’t used iPhones for two years, and I look at iOS 27 not as an accustomed fan, but as a person who just switched from Android.

Interface ergonomics, Liquid Glass design, and new features in iOS 27

To tell it like it is: it has become much better. But I’m still more comfortable on Android, and perhaps it’s a matter of habit. I still don’t like that there’s no universal “back” gesture that works everywhere: somewhere it’s a swipe from the left edge, somewhere it’s a button at the top, somewhere you have to stretch across the entire screen.

I don’t like that for simple actions like “save,” “copy,” or “paste” you need to perform more movements than on Android, where it is often a single tap. I don’t like the App Library and I don’t like the first screen, which I can’t remove if I want to (and the same applies to the library itself). Again, maybe it’s a matter of habit.

But the system itself looks really beautiful. Compared to what was before, there are far more customization options, and ultimately everything can be set up so that the system looks really cool. The intensity of the Liquid Glass effect can now be adjusted as you wish: in iOS 27, a slider appeared in the “Appearance” menu, and you can make the glass almost transparent, or almost opaque and tinted, so the text reads better.

This is the thing everyone was asking for last year. Plus, there are full-page widgets, a compact clock on the lock screen that doesn’t cover the wallpaper, and an AI feature that draws in the edges of a photo so it fits on the lock screen without cropping.

Full comparison →

Among the small things that personally pleased me: in “Messages” you can finally reply with a quote to a specific message from an Android user, in “Photos” you can extract a single frame from a video as a full-fledged photograph, alarms now have a separate volume control, and Safari can monitor a page and notify you when, for example, an item is back in stock. And Apple claims that apps in iOS 27 launch up to 30 percent faster, and AirDrop works up to 80 percent faster, and this applies to all iPhones down to the 11. I see no point in talking about the duration of support – you already know that “apples” are excellent in this regard.

And let’s not forget about the ecosystem. If you are hooked on the Apple “needle”, it is really very convenient to exist there: watch, headphones, laptop, tablet – everything works as one. Android still lags behind in this respect. And as for system stability: I saw a lot of negativity online, but in my experience everything worked flawlessly, except for the aforementioned first-week Face ID glitches, which Apple promises to fix.

New Siri AI powered by Google Gemini and updated Ukrainian keyboard

Now about artificial intelligence, which was talked about so much at the presentation. The updated Siri – it is now called Siri AI – is a really big deal, and Apple built it together with Google based on Gemini models.

Google Pixel 11 Pro XL6.8" · Google Tensor G6 · 5115 mAh

It has its own separate app, remembers conversation context, sees what is on your screen, has access to mail, messages, notes, and photos, and most importantly – it can not only answer but also perform actions: find a booking number in your email during a call to an airline, delete all emails from a specific sender. Build a shortcut (macro) based on a description in simple words, write text in your style in any input field.

The camera now has a dedicated Siri mode that works like Google Lens: point it at a dish – it tells you what it is and how many calories are in it, point it at a receipt – it splits the bill. It sounds wonderful. Now about how it is in reality.

In reality, this is a beta version via a waitlist, and it only works in English. The system language and Siri’s language must match; in the European Union, Siri AI is not available at all, in China neither, and French, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, and Portuguese are only promised in October. Ukrainian is not on this list, and Apple hasn’t given any timeline.

That means on a phone costing 85 thousand hryvnias, the main feature of the presentation simply does not work for the majority of Ukrainians. Technically, you can switch the phone to English and join the queue, and some features will then work, but communicating with a voice assistant in English so it can find a note you wrote in Ukrainian is not quite the experience we paid for.

The rest of the AI features like the image generator (which in version 27 finally draws photorealistically) or smart object removal from photos also live in the Apple Intelligence suite and also only partially get along with Ukrainian.

There is also good news. In iOS 27, Apple redesigned the Ukrainian keyboard: the letters “Ї” and “Ґ” finally got separate buttons, and the apostrophe was also moved to the main layout instead of being hidden in symbols. Swipe typing in Ukrainian, by the way, has been working for a long time, since iOS 16.4, so if you thought it wasn’t there – just enable “Slide to type” in the keyboard settings. It’s a small thing, but it shows that Apple is working on Ukrainian localization, which means there is hope that one day the AI features will also speak our language. When exactly – no one can say, and I wouldn’t advise paying now for future promises.

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Battery life and charging speed of iPhone 18 Pro Max: record battery and 54W

• Screen size6.9″
• PanelOLED
• ChipsetApple A20 Pro
• RAM12 GB
• Storage256 GB
• Main module48 MP
• Capacity5391 mAh
• Wired charging60 W

All Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max specs →

Remember those 249 grams of weight? This is what we carry them for. The 18 Pro Max houses a 5391 mAh battery in our version with a SIM tray (or 21.06 Wh) and 5567 mAh in the eSIM-only versions. This is about 500 milliampere-hours more than in the corresponding modifications of the 17 Pro Max, and for the first time Apple officially promises “up to 30 hours of typical use” and up to 45 hours of video playback.

Battery life tests and the airline anomaly (20 Wh limit)

I took the battery life numbers from the GSMArena lab – they run their tests not manually, but with the automated viSer app from SmartViser, so the results can be properly compared across generations. So, the iPhone 18 Pro Max received an active use rating of 19 hours and 20 minutes. Last year’s 17 Pro Max had 17 hours 58 minutes, and the 16 Pro Max – 17 hours 18 minutes. The biggest gains were in phone calls and in the social media and web browsing scenario.

Let me remind you, this is the result of precisely the version with a physical SIM and a smaller battery that is sold here, so even the “cut down” European Pro Max is the most long-lasting iPhone in history. In practice, this means a full day of active use with photos, videos, navigation, and social media with a noticeable reserve left for the evening, and without shooting – an easy day and a half to two days.

There is one anomaly with this battery that you should know about. It exceeded the 20 watt-hour threshold, which means stricter rules for air travel and postal shipping in Europe and the USA. Manufacturers usually handle this by splitting the battery into two cells or limiting capacity for specific markets.

Apple did something cleverer: the phone leaves the factory with a software capacity limit below 20 watt-hours, and upon first power-on, the limit is automatically removed. If you ever have to send the phone by mail (for example, to a service center), in the “Transfer or Reset iPhone” menu there is a special “Prepare for Shipping” option that re-enables this limit. Upon arrival, it can simply be turned off.

Wired (54W AVS) and MagSafe wireless charging speed

Now charging, and here the progress is real. The 18 Pro Max box indicates a maximum power of 54 watts compared to 42W for the 17 Pro Max, and in real tests, the phone actually pulls 53 watts for the first ten minutes. Apple promises 50 percent in 15 minutes with a 60-watt adapter with the AVS standard, and this is completely confirmed: 50 percent in 15 minutes, 81 percent in 30 minutes, and 100% on the indicator in 55 minutes.

Full comparison →

Last year’s Pro Max took noticeably longer to charge. The only thing is, after hitting a hundred percent, the phone trickle-charges at low power for another twenty minutes or so, so it completely “lets go” of the charger in about 73 minutes. To get these speeds, you need an adapter that supports the AVS profile: Apple’s proprietary “40 watt with 60 peak” brick is now officially sold in Europe as well, or any third-party adapter with this profile will do.

Wireless charging remains unchanged: up to 25 watts via MagSafe or Qi2 with an adapter of 35 watts or more, and on Apple’s proprietary charger the phone hits 50 percent in 30 minutes. In the battery settings, you can still set a hard charge limit from 80 to 100 percent or leave it to Optimized Battery Charging, which learns your habits and doesn’t hold the battery at 100% longer than necessary.

Cycle count and battery health are also visible there without third-party apps. So regarding the battery, the 18 Pro Max is perhaps the most compelling argument for an upgrade in this entire review. Which is ironic, because that’s exactly what we pay for with record weight.

Sound and multimedia capabilities

Briefly about the speakers, because there’s only so much to say. The setup is hybrid, like all previous years: a bottom main speaker plus an earpiece speaker working in tandem. The earpiece, of course, is not as loud and not as punchy as the bottom one, but together they sound balanced, and the stereo effect when watching videos is real, not simulated.

In terms of volume, the GSMArena lab rated the 18 Pro Max as “very good” – not the loudest on the market, but definitely enough to watch a video in the kitchen over the exhaust hood. In terms of quality, it sounds a bit brighter than last year’s 17 Pro Max, with slightly more pronounced high frequencies, but the difference is small, and depending on the track you might not even hear it.

So if you were hoping that the weight and thickness also went towards the acoustics, then no – everything is as it was: solid, clean, without a wow-factor. As you understand, a headphone jack did not appear either, but Bluetooth is now version 6.

Prices for iPhone 18 Pro Max in Ukraine and conclusion: should you buy in 2026

Official sales of the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max in Ukraine started on September 25 – a week later than the global release – through the official distributor ASBIS and the usual major retail chains: Comfy, Foxtrot, Allo, Rozetka, Citrus. Official prices as of September 28 at Comfy are as follows (in other authorized chains they are more or less the same):

Storage Capacity	iPhone 18 Pro Max (official price)	iPhone 17 Pro Max (at launch last year)	Difference over a year
256 GB (TLC)	84,999 UAH	69,999 UAH	+15,000 UAH (+21%)
512 GB (TLC – optimal)	97,999 UAH	79,999 UAH	+18,000 UAH (+22.5%)
1 TB (QLC)	123,999 UAH	89,999 UAH	+34,000 UAH (+37.8%)
2 TB (QLC)	164,999 UAH	109,999 UAH	+55,000 UAH (+50%)

So the base version went up in price by 15 thousand hryvnias over the year (that’s plus 21 percent), and the top one – by a whopping 55 thousand. Partly it’s the exchange rate, partly the global rise in the cost of memory chips due to the AI server boom, and partly Apple just raised the base price by $100 worldwide: in the US, the 18 Pro Max starts at $1299 versus $1199 last year.

And a separate note about “gray” sellers: in the first days of sales, some were asking 110-120 thousand hryvnias for a base Pro Max, and for 2 terabytes – nearly 200 thousand. If you are not a collector, wait for the next delivery to the official retail network, it is already on its way.

Another important point regarding money: last year’s 17 Pro Max started at 69,999 UAH and currently costs even less in official retail. For the price difference between it and the new release, you can get AirPods or an Apple Watch, and in terms of feel, it’s 90 percent the same phone.

Main pros, cons, and honest verdict

Now the conclusions, and I will be as honest as possible. The iPhone 18 Pro Max is one of the most incremental updates in recent years:

• What’s really new: a smaller Dynamic Island, a very strong A20 Pro processor with proper cooling, a variable aperture and manual mode in the camera, a larger battery, and faster 54W charging.
• What hasn’t changed: design, main screen parameters, telephoto, ultrawide, front camera, speakers.
• What got worse: record weight (249 g), a higher price, slower QLC memory in the expensive 1 and 2 TB versions, the Samsung/LG matrix lottery, and under-display Face ID, which now doesn’t play well with every screen protector.

And this, let me remind you, is the same year that Apple made the foldable iPhone Duo for $1999 – and it was exactly that which grabbed all the attention at the presentation, so the classic Pro Max was made this time following the “just so it’s there” principle.

Who should buy and which modification to choose

Who should buy it? If you have an iPhone 15 Pro Max or older – this is an excellent upgrade: jumping two or three generations, you immediately get a new design, 12 gigabytes of RAM, better cameras, the best battery life among iPhones, and a power reserve for five years.

If you have a 16 Pro Max – the difference is noticeable, but not enough to run headlong to the store. If you have a 17 Pro Max – don’t. Seriously, don’t: you will pay 85 thousand hryvnias for an hour of battery, starbursts on streetlights, and a smaller island, and this upgrade will leave a slightly bitter aftertaste.

It’s better to wait until next year: there will be the 20th-anniversary iPhone, and judging by the rumors, that one will be truly different. And if you are not tied to the Apple ecosystem at all, look towards the Galaxy S26 Ultra with two telephoto lenses and a stylus, or the Xiaomi 17 Ultra or Oppo Find X9 Ultra, which beat Apple in complex conditions camera-wise.

Xiaomi 17 Ultra6.9" · Qualcomm SM8850-AC Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 · 6000 mAh Oppo Find X9 Ultra6.82" · Qualcomm SM8850-AC Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 · 7050 mAh

Which memory version should you get? 256 gigabytes in 2026 will suit those who don’t shoot a lot of heavy video and don’t keep an offline library of 60 thousand photos. 512 gigabytes – optimal both in terms of fast TLC memory and money.
Do not take the 1 and 2 terabyte versions, because they have slower QLC memory, and for that crazy money you get a phone that is worse at handling the exact professional workload you are buying it for. Choose a color to your taste, and definitely put on a case and a screen protector from day one – you already know why.

So, is the iPhone 18 Pro Max worth buying? Yes, if you are upgrading from something older than two years. It’s still an exceptional flagship: a solid body, an excellent screen (if you get lucky in the lottery), a classic “Apple” camera, the best battery life among iPhones, the fastest mobile chip on the market, and a system that has finally become visually beautiful. It’s just that this phone wasn’t made for those who already have last year’s flagship, and an honest answer from Apple would sound like this: “We know you’ll buy it anyway.”

That’s all. The review for the smaller iPhone 18 Pro will be published on the site a bit later, and there will be its own intrigue there, because it is the smaller “Pro” this year that received all the same hardware in a much more convenient body. Write in the comments below the article which matrix you got and what smartphone you are planning to upgrade from. And I, as always, will be honest. Thanks for your attention, and see you in the next articles!

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