I picked this phone up for the wife, and after giving it a good test run, so far Apple's done it again, they've cranked out another killer device, but it definitely comes with a price tag to match, but if you're someone who's all about top notch tech, sleek design, and cutting edge features, this phone is worth serious consideration. Honestly the desert titanium finish is gorgeous, and that titanium build makes it feel surprisingly light, considering its size, it's definitely a premium look. She's loving that big, beautiful OLED screen, it's brighter and crisper than ever, making binge watching your favorite shows a real treat. Also that new matte finish on the back is a godsend for anyone who hates fingerprint smudges, we've heard a few people have mentioned it feels a bit heavier than they expected, and it's definitely a handful for those with smaller mitts. Performance wise, the A18 Bionic chip is monster, apps launch instantly, multitasking is a breeze, and it handles games without breaking a sweat, the phone stays surprisingly cool even during long video editing sessions. While the day to day speed might not feel drastically different from the last iPhone, it's undeniably snappy. Now, the camera system is where things get really exciting, especially for my wife, that triple lens setup with the 48MP main sensor is a pretty good for a phone, specially since she takes a lot of pictures and videos, the 5x optical zoom is sharp, and the improvements to night mode are noticeable, and having a dedicated camera button just feels more natural, content creators will love the ProRAW and 8K video recording capabilities (we don't use those but it never hurts to have them), honestly I think the camera bump is a tad bulky, and the image processing improvements aren't a giant leap from her iPhone 15 Pro Max, but overall, it's a pretty good camera system. On the battery front, Apple has finally upped their game, this thing easily lasts a full day of heavy use, also fast charging is quicker than before thanks to the USB C integration, which is a welcome improvement, heavy gaming can drain it faster, but it's a significant improvement.
iOS 18 and Apple Intelligence bring some cool new AI driven features to the table, the personalized Siri experience is pretty slick, and live voicemail transcription is a pretty handy, also the customizable widgets and app placement are a nice touch, too. There have been a few minor software glitches but nothing major, so far Apple Intelligence is exclusive to the Pro models, which might leave some folks feeling a bit left out (just keep that in mind). Connectivity is solid with Wi-Fi 7 and improved 5G, and it also has dual eSIM support, so no major complaints in this area. As for storage, 512GB is more than enough for us, and it's blazing fast. But yeah, the price is steep, you're definitely paying a premium here, and there's no expandable storage, so choose wisely.