The iPhone 18 Pro comes with some genuine improvements when compared to the iPhone 17 Pro, including a new chip, an aperture adjustable lens, faster fast charging and marginally improved battery life. However, the price of the iPhone 18 Pro does come at a premium, starting at ₹1,64,900 in India, an increase of ₹30,000 from the iPhone 17 Pro’s ₹1,34,900. However, for most iPhone 17 Pro owners, the improvements may not be worth the increase in price.
Chip and Performance
The iPhone 18 Pro is powered by the A20 Pro chip (2nm), while the iPhone 17 Pro runs on the A19 Pro chip (3nm). To improve sustained performance, the 18 Pro features an upgraded vapour chamber so it should perform quicker for longer. It also includes 12GB RAM, just like the iPhone 17 Pro. You really won’t notice any difference in performance as it feels very quick, however, you will find a difference if doing lengthy intensive tasks.
Camera Compare
Most notably, the iPhone 18 Pro features an aperture adjustable main camera. Both phones feature a triple 48MP camera setup, however, the iPhone 18 Pro includes a mechanical aperture adjustment on the main lens, allowing you to adjust the aperture to f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8 and f/4.0. While the iPhone 17 Pro includes a static f/1.78 aperture. This gives you more control over your depth of field and exposure. This is great for portrait photography and low light photography. The iPhone 18 Pro also features an improved rear Cinematic mode, allowing you to shoot 4K videos at 60fps. While the iPhone 17 Pro can only shoot 30fps.
Battery Life and Fast Charging
The improvement in battery life is minimal. The eSIM variant of the iPhone 18 Pro can last up to 36 hours of video playback, while the iPhone 17 Pro can last 33 hours. However, the fast charging has been improved. The iPhone 18 Pro can charge to 50% in around 15 minutes using a 60W or higher charger. While the iPhone 17 Pro can charge to 50% in around 20 minutes using a 40W charger. Neither of the iPhones include a charger.
Display and Design
Both iPhones feature a 6.3 inch Super Retina XDR OLED Display, with a 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate. You won’t notice any difference. The iPhone 18 Pro features a smaller Dynamic Island. It also comes with increased storage up to 2TB, while the iPhone 17 Pro only goes up to 1TB.
Price in India
The iPhone 18 Pro costs ₹1,64,900 for the 256GB variant. The iPhone 17 Pro starts from ₹1,27,900 and goes up to ₹1,34,900. However, some sites have the iPhone 17 Pro cheaper.
Final Verdict
If you already own the iPhone 17 Pro then there’s no need to upgrade. The improvements are genuine but are very small. The price increase is quite large. If you are looking to purchase a Pro iPhone for the first time then you should consider upgrading to the iPhone 18 Pro. The aperture adjustable lens and improved fast charging are both nice additions. If you want to save some money then the iPhone 17 Pro is still an amazing phone to have. You may get more value out of the iPhone 17 Pro while there is stock left.