iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone 18 Pro Max: specs, cameras, battery, prices and which should you buy?

What changes, and what stays the same

How different are the sizes?

Which has the better battery?

The Pro Max, clearly: Apple’s figures are up to 43 hours of video playback against 34 for the Pro (38 against 31 hours streamed). Both charge to around 50% in about 15 minutes with a compatible adapter. If a full day away from a charger is the priority, this row decides it.

The cameras are the same

There is no camera reason to choose one over the other this year: both carry the 48MP Pro Fusion system with the variable-aperture main lens, the 48MP ultra wide with macro, and the 4×/8× telephoto. What the new main camera does in practice is explained in the iPhone 18 guide.

What each costs

Because the rises fall in April, how many bills you pay at each price depends on when you start, so there is no single total to print; compare any alternative against the risen figures, not the first month’s.

Which should you buy?

The incentives on the contract options, and who gets them

• Up to 2 months free Apple Music, Apple Fitness+ and Apple Arcade, on both phones. The seller’s terms say the offer runs until further notice and applies to iPhone purchases made in the period, including orders that start from a site like Wisemium; it is not available if you have already redeemed an Apple service through the same retailer or its group companies, returning subscribers get one month, one subscription per Apple ID, redeemed through the order confirmation.
• Free delivery, on both phones. As stated by the seller. Any trade-in bonus attached to a contract is stated on the seller’s page; Apple’s own trade-in runs separately (£25 to £855 depending on the phone).

Before you commit

• The cost with the rises. Use the April 2027 and April 2028 figures, not the first month’s, and add the upfront payment of the route you choose: £189 or £29 on the Pro, £199 or £79 on the Pro Max.
• The data allowance. 100GB is the plan. Upload a recent bill to Wisemium and it reads what you actually use.
• Incentive eligibility. Read the Apple offer’s conditions and the trade-in’s eligibility before counting either as a saving.
• Coverage, cancellation and your number. Check the network’s coverage checker; online purchases normally carry a 14-day cancellation period; text PAC to 65075 to move your number.
• Everything in one place. With Wisemium, the contract sits alongside your other household commitments, so the end date and both price changes are on record rather than in an inbox.

Each option opens the seller’s page in a new tab, where the order is placed; the seller is named on the option before you leave Wisemium. Each handset has its own page with the full specification: iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. For everything else on mobile, explore current mobile options with Wisemium; for what “eSIM compatible” means for moving your number, see our guide to eSIM in the UK.