Updated

Updated · CNET · Sep 10

Apple Launches $1,299 iPhone 18 Pro Max With 5,391-mAh Battery and Variable-Aperture Camera

Updated

Updated · CNET · Sep 10

Apple Launches $1,299 iPhone 18 Pro Max With 5,391-mAh Battery and Variable-Aperture Camera

Q: Why is Apple reportedly ditching its signature Face ID for the most expensive, highly anticipated iPhone launch in history?

Apple is reportedly dropping Face ID on its foldable iPhone because the device is designed to be extremely thin, leaving too little internal space for the TrueDepth hardware that Face ID requires. Multiple reports cited in the rumor cycle say Apple’s first foldable is targeting an unfolded thickness of roughly 4.5 to 4.8 millimeters. Face ID is not just a software feature; it depends on a multi-part sensor array, including infrared and depth-mapping components, that takes up more room than a standard front camera. In a book-style foldable, that space problem is harder because Apple would likely need the system to work in both folded and unfolded use cases, adding further design complexity. The reported replacement is Touch ID built into the side or power button, an approach Apple already uses on several iPads. That solution is more compact, works whether the phone is open or closed, and helps Apple preserve the slim profile that appears to be one of the device’s main selling points. So the move looks less like Apple abandoning Face ID on principle and more like a hardware trade-off. Reports also suggest the foldable already involves other compromises tied to its thin, premium design, including a dual-camera setup without a telephoto lens and possibly fewer external hardware features than top conventional iPhones. Apple has not confirmed any of this yet, so the explanation remains based on consistent pre-launch reporting rather than official specifications.

3 articles · Updated · CNET · Sep 10

$1,299 is Apple’s new starting price for the iPhone 18 Pro Max, a $100 increase from the 17 Pro Max for the 256GB model.
Camera and battery upgrades drive the flagship pitch: the phone adds a variable-aperture rear camera and, on Apple’s Ireland site, a 5,391-mAh battery tied to 45 hours of video playback.
Against Samsung’s $1,300 Galaxy S26 Ultra, Apple’s 6.8-inch, 249-gram phone offers a slightly larger battery, while Samsung counters with a lighter 214-gram design, 60W charging and a privacy display.
Apple also positions the A20 Pro chip as an AI and gaming upgrade, powering Siri features built with Google’s Gemini and supported by a vapor chamber for sustained graphics performance.
The launch comes as Apple raised iPhone prices across the lineup by $100 amid an ongoing RAM shortage, with preorders for the Pro models set to begin September 12.