# Apple launches iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max worldwide as CEO John Ternus greets fans

Digest AI · Hardware & Compute · published 2026-09-17T14:25:00Z · updated 2026-09-18T23:03:00Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/apple-iphone-18-pro-reportedly-tested-with-variable-aperture-camera-an

## Summary

Apple began selling the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max on Friday, with the Pro starting at $1,199 and the Pro Max at $1,299. Both phones are also offered through Apple’s Upgrade lease program. The devices feature a redesigned DSLR‑like variable‑aperture camera system that Apple says improves low‑light performance and gives users more depth‑of‑field control. A new authentication feature creates an immutable Reference Image for each photo, allowing users to verify whether an image has been altered by AI.

The launch marks the first major product rollout under new CEO John Ternus, who visited Apple’s Fifth Avenue flagship store to meet fans. It also introduces Siri AI, the revamped voice assistant powered by Google’s Gemini model family, enabling context‑aware requests across messages, photos, and email, as well as conversational history and photo‑editing commands. Apple debuted its first foldable device, the iPhone Duo, alongside the Pro line, and crowds formed outside stores in New York, London, and other markets, signaling early consumer interest ahead of the holiday season.

## Key points

- iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 and Pro Max at $1,299, both available via Apple’s Upgrade lease program.
- New camera uses a variable‑aperture DSLR‑like system for better low‑light performance and depth‑of‑field control.
- Siri AI on iPhone 18 runs on Google’s Gemini models, adding context‑aware messaging, photo editing and conversation history features.

## Why it matters

Apple’s integration of Google’s Gemini into Siri shows a major AI partnership, while the AI‑detection feature tackles deep‑fake concerns and the iPhone launch signals the company’s direction under a new CEO.

## Sources

1. [Apple's iPhone 18 Goes on Sale Worldwide as New CEO John Ternus Greets Fans at Its 5th Avenue Flagship Store](https://ibtimes.com.au/apple-iphone-18-pro-siri-ai-launch-1875716) (ibtimes.com.au, 2026-09-18)
2. [Apple iPhone 18 Pro tested with new variable aperture camera and Siri AI](https://news.com.au/technology/gadgets/mobile-phones/apple-iphone-18-pro-tested-with-new-variable-aperture-camera-and-siri-ai/news-story/9ba1691063bc069bc1b227bc623f4fc5) (news.com.au, 2026-09-17)

Part of the developing story: [Apple Siri Delay Lawsuit Settlement Launch](https://digestai.news/thread/apple-iphone-18-pro-reportedly-tested-with-variable-aperture-camera-and-siri-ai) (2 stories)

## Cite

Digest AI, "Apple launches iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max worldwide as CEO John Ternus greets fans", 17 September 2026, https://digestai.news/story/apple-iphone-18-pro-reportedly-tested-with-variable-aperture-camera-an

---

Written by Digest AI's editorial model from the linked sources; the sources are the record. Headlines, digests and key points are written by Digest AI and may be quoted with a link to the story page. Linked articles belong to their publishers. Terms: https://digestai.news/terms#reuse
JSON: https://digestai.news/story/apple-iphone-18-pro-reportedly-tested-with-variable-aperture-camera-an.json