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SALTZMAN: Powerhouse iPhone 18 Pro more refinement than revolutionary

Plus new 'Wolverine' game has slashed onto the PS5

Published Sep 19, 2026  •  Last updated Sep 19, 2026  •  4 minute read

The new Apple iPhone 18 Pro comes in several colours. Photo by Handout /Apple

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Last week’s column was devoted primarily to the upcoming iPhone Duo, which I was fortunate to get some hands-on time with at Apple Park’s Steve Jobs Theater.

While Apple’s first foldable won’t be out until Oct. 23, the company just launched other newsworthy gear this past Friday: iPhone 18 Pro (from $1,749) and larger iPhone 18 Pro Max (from $1,899), Apple Watch Series 12 (from $549) and the more ruggedized Apple Watch Ultra 4 (from $1,099), and AirPods 5 (from $179).

With almost all your messages flooding in about the new iPhone 18 Pro, I wanted to share a few initial thoughts after putting the device through its paces since Thursday.

It may look almost identical to last year’s model, not to mention the feature set is more iterative than innovative, but let me get to the point: if it’s been a few years since you’ve upgraded your iPhone, then expect to be rewarded for waiting.

The iPhone 18 Pro is one extraordinary device.

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First thing you’ll notice is a new, powerful and efficient processor. Called the A20 Pro, it’s Apple’s first 2-nanometre (2nm) chip that packs more transistors into a smaller space, allowing it to run faster while consuming less electricity (resulting in better battery life). Coupled with a redesigned thermal management system and new vapour chamber, it does a better job at pulling heat away from the internal components to maximize performance and extend usage between charges.

Indeed, I didn’t need to juice up the iPhone 18 Pro over two days of fairly heavy use. On paper, Apple claims up to 36 hours of video playback on iPhone 18 Pro, while the larger battery in the iPhone 18 Pro Max helps it achieve up to 45 hours of video playback on a single charge.

I’ll spare you the geek-speak about the number of “cores” and “TOPS” the new A20 Pro chip is capable of, but suffice it to say you will notice a marked improvement in raw processing power, graphics capabilities (great for console-like gaming), and AI computation – including new Siri features.

On that note, iPhone 18 Pro enables real-time, fully local (on-device) Siri reasoning, app access, and multistep requests. For instance, ask Siri to “find the concert ticket in my emails, add it to Apple Wallet, and text the gate number to Maya.”

The improved Siri also has “screen awareness,” which means your AI assistant can understand, analyze, and interact with whatever text, images or websites are displayed on your iPhone’s display. If a friend texts you a flyer for a restaurant, you can simply say, “Siri, book a table for two here for 7 p.m. tonight,” and Siri will extract the restaurant’s name and details straight from your screen to make the reservation.

Photography is the second most significant update to iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.

You may have heard of Apple’s first-ever mechanical variable aperture added to the iPhone’s main 48-megapixel camera. It provides four mechanical steps – ranging from f/1.48 to f/4.0 – offering photography enthusiasts genuine depth-of-field control (including “bokeh” blur) and much improved low-light performance that doesn’t rely on AI effects. It works via motorized blades within the lens assembly (“thinner than a strand of human hair,” says Apple) that physically expand or contract to regulate how much light enters the sensor.

There are other features baked into iPhone 18 Pro – but performance, battery life and photography improvements are the biggies.

Again, there’s little reason to upgrade if you own, say, an iPhone 17 Pro, but if it’s been a while since you’ve bought a new phone and the price isn’t an obstacle (hint: trade in your existing phone for a credit) you’ll absolutely love iPhone 18 Pro.

From Insomniac Games, the video game studio responsible for the awesome Marvel’s Spider-Man series, comes its latest in the same universe, Marvel’s Wolverine ($89).

The “Mature”-rated PlayStation 5 exclusive is an unapologetically violent action-adventure game that follows James “Logan” Howlett as he slices through a global conspiracy.

If you don’t like spoilers, read no further.

Set on Earth-1048 (the same universe as Insomniac’s Marvel’s Spider-Man series), the single-player game is a timeline where the X-Men don’t exist, and the existence of mutants remains largely hidden from society.

Instead of Charles (“Professor X”) Xavier, an amnesiac and feral Logan is taken in by Dr. Nathaniel Essex (“Mister Sinister”), who serves as his mentor and father figure. Logan joins Team X, a mutant strike force founded by Essex to protect their kind.

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With locations ranging from the Canadian wilderness to the streets of Tokyo to the fictional lawless island nation of Madripoor, you’ll guide the claw-happy Logan (a.k.a. Wolverine) though several challenging scenarios. Combat is fast and fluid, plus the super soldier relies on his animal senses and unlockable abilities to stay alive. Along with exploring the brutality of the game’s “Rage” system, balanced with Logan’s rapid healing, your overall goal is to unravel more of the story and eventually confront the truth tied to his dark, forgotten past.

PS5 owners will appreciate the stunning graphics (and exceptional audio) and buttery smooth animation, not to mention feel Logan’s viciousness through the DualSense wireless controller.

There are some shortcomings, mind you, such as some repetitive combat and enemy types, and pacing that doesn’t match Insomniac’s previous hits like Marvel: Spider-Man games, but Marvel’s Wolverine remains highly enjoyable – especially for Marvel fans.

— Marc Saltzman is the host of the Tech It Out podcast and is the author of the book, Apple Watch For Dummies (Wiley).

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