By Andrew Georgy
The iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone Duo were officially announced on Sept. 9, 2026, with a full release for the Pro and Pro Max on Sept. 18, 2026, and an anticipated Oct. 16th pre-order date that had Apple fans craving to get their hands on the newest-generation iPhones.
Yet, with the yearly Apple craze comes the yearly Apple question: is it worth it to buy the latest release, or should you stick with what you have?
iPhone Duo
Based on consumer reactions, this is definitely the more anticipated model compared to the Pro and Pro Max, and considering it’s Apple’s first-ever foldable iPhone, I can see why. It’s the largest iPhone display ever, being 50% larger than this year’s iPhone Pro Max, and there are so many ways you can use it; landscape, portrait and standing, just to name a few. While it may look cool, the more important aspect is its performance; does it justify its $1999 price tag, or should you stick with the base model?
Looking at the specs, it’s… not looking good for phone enthusiasts who really want to give themselves a reason to buy the iPhone Duo. It’s using the same processor, has a much shorter battery life if you’re using the inner screen and will not feature Face ID this year. Not to mention, the Duo will feature a worse front camera and less features for the main camera. However, you will be able to use an Apple Pencil, so it’s technically more convenient than carrying an iPad and iPhone.
Verdict: Unless you’re really set on buying a new iPhone AND iPad Pro, it’s not worth it. We have no clue what the durability on that hinge will look like until people actually buy and use the phone, and it’s much more likely that new improvements/add-ons will be coming to the Duo next year anyways as this is only its first year.
iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max
The only noticeable difference between the iPhone 18 Pro Max and the Pro is the size, with the Pro Max screen size coming in at 6.43 inches compared to the Pro’s 5.91. The Pro Max also features a slightly higher resolution but it isn’t a massive upgrade over the Pro. The only other difference I could point out from Apple’s website is that the Pro Max’s battery supports 43 hours of video playback compared to the Pro’s 34 hours of video playback without charging, and while a 9 hour difference may seem significant, I highly doubt any student is leaving their phone uncharged for more than a day. Safe to say that the extra $100 isn’t worth it.
How about compared to last year’s models? The Pro Max and Pro will feature a newer chip, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have six more hours of video playback time compared to the 17 Pro Max and the iPhone 18 Pro will have one more hour. The Fusion Main camera system is also a major addition, with features like aperture and cinematic mode being more adjustable.
Verdict: Wait for the iPhone 18 and 18e release. If they feature the same chip and/or camera system, just buy those instead. But if they’re lacking both and/or more features, it may be the first time in a while where it’s worthwhile to splurge out on a new model.
