Apple iPhone 18 Pro - So Much More Than Just a Placeholder

Well, there's no doubt this is one of those years Apple will steal the bulk of the limelight in the tech world with its launch of the Duo, the first folding iPhone.

As usual, although folding phones have been around for years, for many people - especially those embedded deeply in the Apple ecosystem - a foldable iPhone will be the first example of this form-factor a lot of people have ever used or seen.

All well and good and very exciting. But despite being launched a couple of weeks ago, we still have a couple of weeks to wait before it's out.

So what are we going to talk about in the meantime?

The "Surprise and Shine" launch event at the beginning of the month was different. In recent years, we've seen Apple launch four handsets around this time of year; usually the base model iPhone, a Pro version and a larger Pro Max - along with another option. Sometimes a Mini, sometimes a bigger base model or then last year, the very impressive iPhone Air.

But this time, other than the Duo, there was no "vanilla" iPhone at all - just the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max.

For some reason, the plain old iPhone 18 won't be out till Autumn, 2027 our time, perhaps alongside a more entry-level "e" version and maybe even a next-gen Air.

So all I can really tell you about right now is the iPhone 18 Pro. 

To be honest, initially I was disappointed. With the colour.

I was hoping my review handset would be the "hero" Burgundy variant. Alas, I got sent a silver one. At least I didn't get black. Although the light-blue Glacier option looks good too.

Actually, the 2026 design is appealing in any of those four colours. The heat-forged aluminium unibody does a much better job of incorporating the prominent camera module that now sweeps up and out with a sexy curve, instead of looking like a random, thick piece of glass that's just been superglued on as we've seen from handsets with multi-sensor cameras in the past.

There's a Ceramic Shield glass MagSafe panel on the back, perfectly colour-matched of course, while the display is protected by even tougher Ceramic Shield 2. Me being me, I've dropped this phone a few times since I've been using it; in the car, at my desk, while cooking - you know, the usual - and it doesn't seem to be exhibiting even the slightest scratch, dent or scuff.

I should probably put it in the MagSafe case I was sent to go with it - but it just feels so nice to hold without it. This year, Apple also has added to its selection of cross body straps with wrist straps of a similar design - quite useful if you're planning on using your iPhone 18 Pro to do something adventurous, like ziplining perhaps.

Why did I automatically suggest ziplining? Because the last time I did it, I was too scared to get my phone out in case I dropped it into the dense Fijian rainforest, many metres below. A wrist or crossbody strap would have solved that problem quite elegantly.

Which is a shame, as the iPhone 18 Pro has, of course, Apple's finest camera array yet. The claim is this phone essentially puts "eight pro lenses in your pocket." This is a bit of a stretch but what is technically true is the Fusion Main, Fusion Ultra Wide and Fusion Telephoto sensors are each 48MP, which means total consistency between focal lengths in terms of colour, contrast and clarity.

But the headline here is the new rotor system that physically changes the aperture between f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8 and f/4.0. If you (like me) don't really know what that means, don't stress, Apple's "advanced intelligence" will automatically decide which aperture to use, based on your subject, the lighting conditions and the distances involved. 

On the other hand, if you are a smarty-pants photographic pro, manual aperture adjustment is just a swipe away. Here's a photo I took the other night at f/2.8...

And the same shot at f/1.48...

If you look very carefully, you'll see a bit more detail of Jerry's fur in the approaching twilight conditions.

Another useful addition to the iPhone 18 Pro's box of camera tricks is smart focus tracking. Yes, this is something I've seen on certain other phones previously; while filming, you can tap on a person or object and lock the focal point on them/it as they move around. This phone takes it a step further; using its on-device machine learning abilities (more AI) it can snap back into focus even if the subject moves off screen and comes back. Pretty clever.

For all its AI smarts and clever camera trickery, the iPhone 18 Pro does have some limitations. I've seen some huge advances in zoom technology with certain flagship phones in recent years and I'm not sure Apple is quite there yet. This shot of Mother Paradise Duck and her multitudinous brood was taken from about 30 metres away. I thought it might have come out a bit clearer.

Battery life is also really, really good. But not unbelievable. This is another one of those areas where ardent iPhone loyalists will be quite blown away if they're upgrading from a 13 or 14 series device. And don't get me wrong - you might even squeeze two days out of the 18 Pro at a push, and you definitely will with the 18 Pro Max's bigger power cell. But I've experienced quite startling battery performance from quite a few other phones, and not all of them high-end flagships like this one.

Meanwhile, there are other genuinely impressive features of note. 

Every iPhone Pro always boasts a stunning advance in chip technology and the A20 Pro running this handset is no exception. The CPU is faster. The GPU is faster. And most importantly, the Neural Engine is faster. So whether you want to call it AI, Apple Intelligence, advanced intelligence or machine learning - it happens a lot more smoothly on this year's Pro.

A cooler chip is a more efficient chip and a cooler battery lasts longer - not just between charges but over its lifespan too. So don't underestimate the impact if the 18 Pro's new thermal management system, combining a vapour chamber, graphite, the aluminium of the phone's own chassis and even some kind of copper plate that draws heat away from the display as well.

And I can't fault the advances in connectivity either. Apple's own N1 wireless chip means I've recorded Wi-Fi 7 speeds at home of more than 1.1Gbps. The bluetooth connection with the AirPods 5 I'll be reviewing in the coming days is the strongest, most reliable connection of any AirPods I've tested. And the inclusion of the Thread wireless protocol means Siri is now my go-to home assistant when it comes to things like opening and closing my garage door and turning off my bedside light at night.

This time last year, the ultra-thin iPhone Air drew some of the attention away from the 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max, even though it couldn't touch them in key areas like camera and battery performance. Sure was a cool phone though.

And the Duo might do the same thing this year, but at least the 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max have a few weeks head start this time. No, the iPhone 18 Pro doesn't fold - but that's about the only thing it can't do. I have a sneaking suspicion once I've tried the Duo in real life, I might end up coming back to the Pro - certainly for its sensational photographic abilities if nothing else. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Apple iPhone 18 Pro.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 - The Forgotten Sibling

The problem with phone launches these days is there are just so many phones launched at each one.

I get it. For every full-priced flagship, with the latest chip and the best camera you also need a handset that doesn't cost multiple thousands of dollars for normal people.

That high-end device - maybe it's a whole new shape, maybe it folds in an exciting way. Meanwhile, the entry-level device might not be as pretty, but at least it probably has a nice big battery.

Then sometimes there's another one. One that gets a bit lost in all the hype and the noise. The new version of last year's device that perhaps isn't quite as revolutionary or groundbreaking or newsworthy.

Doesn't mean you shouldn't give it a look though.

Unfortunately, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8 was launched in a year the phone-makers decided we needed a whole new shape and size of handset. Samsung fired off the first shot in the "passport" foldable war with the confusingly named, Galaxy Z Fold8, which was not a continuation of the previous line of Z Folds at all, but a new, shorter, squatter device we'd all been clamouring for. Allegedly.

Then, to make things worse for the poor little Flip, Samsung seriously beefed up the Z Fold8 Ultra (which IS the new version of last year's one) especially in terms of camera performance.

I've already reviewed the Z Fold8 and the Z Fold8 Ultra. And yes, they're great phones. Like, really great. Two of the best phones I've tested all year.

So...

Where does that leave the Z Flip8?

It's actually a bit of a head-scratcher because the Flip is usually one of my favourites. And, to be fair, the main reason I've loved it so much in the past hasn't changed; it's just so tiny.

And to be even fairer, Samsung has made the 2026 version slightly tinier still - it's now a mere 6.1mm thick when open and weighs only 180grams, which is basically nothing. This is the phone you can stash anywhere and effectively forget it's there; in your pocket, in your bag, any of your jacket pockets... Honestly, there have been times since I've been using it I genuinely thought I'd forgotten it - only to realise it was with me the whole time.

But while the Z Fold8 Ultra has been given a significant camera boost this year and even the new Z Fold8 performs pretty well, camera-wise, the Z Flip8 has the same camera it's had for three generations now; a 50MP Wide main shooter, with a 12MP Ultra Wide and no telephoto sensor at all.

Now, I know statistically people are holding onto their phones for longer before upgrading these days, but to offer customers the same photography specs three years in a row is unusual, to say the least.

That doesn't mean the camera app itself hasn't evolved in that time - there are plenty of fun shooting modes and filters to choose from. For example; when you opt to capture a dual recording using both the main camera and selfie cam simultaneously, you can save the two files separately for editing later. There have been great advances in Samsung's Optical Image Stabilisation, physically helping keep the primary 50MP sensor still for better-than-ever Super Steady videos and there's also now a Horizontal Lock option, effectively turning the Z Flip8 into a pretty decent action camera.

But there's just no getting past the fact this camera setup is inferior to even that of the Galaxy S26 FE - a phone almost a thousand bucks cheaper.

This is the paddock across the road from my house. See the sheep?...

What if we zoom in 30x? - Which is all digital, remember...

Okay, I now see sheep. But that is not great quality. It's just so weird given this is the phone Samsung aims at fun-loving content creators on the go. Maybe their lives are all lived in portrait, with nice, blurry, bokeh backgrounds?

Battery life has seen no bump since last year either. It's still a 4,300mAh cell and it's still only okay compared with most other high-end phones. And unlike most recent flagships, there doesn't seem to be any evolution of the cooling system either. I've felt the phone get quite hot on a number of occasions - especially when wirelessly connected to Android Auto in my car, using the GPS for navigation. Often heat issues like this are able to be rectified to a degree with software upgrades down the track but I can't help wondering if it's something to do with Samsung opting for the Exynos 2600 chip in our region instead of Qualcomm's Sanpdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 that runs the Z Flip8 sold in China and North America.

Not that I encountered any obvious slowdowns, crashes or speed issues navigating the phone otherwise... Well, except when using the 4.1-inch cover screen.

This outer display has been a bit of a stumbling block for me since Samsung's very first Flip. I've never understood why it has limited functionality in terms of which apps you have access to and how you can set up the home screen. I get it's a very small screen and using it to do things like browse websites and read emails might be a bit finickity, but if that's what I want to do with it, that's my decision, isn't it?

Thankfully, Samsung has moved cover screen functionality forward a little bit in recent One UI updates - you can now add apps of your choice to a so-called "Labs" section of the external display's app drawer, so at least I can open my shopping list app without having to open the phone. But you still can't add any widgets other than a small selection Samsung has deemed fully functional for the smaller screen.

I just don't get it. Other clamshell foldables have fully functional external displays. But not this one.

Back to the good news though; this particular Z Flip8 is pink. And I don't mean just a bit pink. It's really pink. In fact, it might just be the pinkest phone I've ever seen. So if you're into pink - and who isn't? - this is probably the phone for you. If it's a bit too pink for your tastes, don't fret; it also comes in Graphite, Cream and Mint(Online only).

And cool colours aren't the only thing the Z Flip8 has going for it. Unlike the new Z Fold8, the Flip still does Flex Mode - giving you the ability to use the phone half-folded. This is not to be underestimated as a feature. Flex Mode means you can pop the handset down on a desk, table, wall or wherever, without a stand or tripod, and use either forward or rear cameras to take selfies or stream video.

Remember, that FlexCam ability also allows you to use the Z Flip8 as a de facto handycam, as you'll see me demonstrate in the video below.

It's that sort of thing that means the Flip still holds a special place in my heart - especially when it takes up less space than ever in my pocket. Maybe the 2027 version will finally see overdue upgrades to camera, battery and cooling performance but in the meantime, if you want a particularly pink phone that folds away to almost nothing, this is still a great pick.

Click here for more information and pricing on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip8.