The iPhone 18 Pro has arrived.

Honestly, the moment I picked up this device, I briefly wondered whether I had grabbed the wrong phone. Its exterior barely changed; the camera module and chassis remain largely identical. If you have to point out any difference, the transition between glass and metal feels smoother, without the jarring disjointed feel found on last‑year’s model.

It seems Apple’s industrial designers have had a relatively quiet year.

(Image source: LeiTech)

Of course, appearance is not what most people care about right now. Two buzzwords define this year’s iPhone 18 Pro lineup: 2‑nanometer process and variable‑aperture camera.

The iPhone 18 Pro series debuts the A20 Pro chip built on a 2‑nm manufacturing node, alongside upgraded overall thermal dissipation hardware. At its launch event, Apple touted performance gains and sustained performance, leaving many viewers impressed. Online commentators even claimed Apple had “unleashed a massive performance leap”.

Is it really that impressive? Let’s put it to the test.

Refined Process, Dramatically Better Heat Dissipation

Let’s start with the A20 Pro chip.

Apple has finally adopted the 2‑nm process. Its CPU still features six cores; the two high‑performance cores are now dubbed “Super Cores”. The GPU has expanded from six to seven cores. Memory bandwidth is improved by 50 % versus the A19 Pro. Apple states GPU performance can peak at a 40 % increase. The Neural Engine now features dual 16‑core units, amounting to 32 cores in total.

(Image source: LeiTech)

On paper, this is far more than the typical incremental upgrade seen over past years, where only clock speeds rose slightly alongside a new name.

Raw theoretical performance means little, however. For pocket‑sized smartphones, sustained performance under load often matters more than peak performance.

Earlier iPhones prioritized raw chip horsepower while treating thermal management as merely functional. Games looked silky‑smooth at launch, yet after extended play, devices heated up, screen brightness dropped sharply, and performance throttled. At one point, low‑power mode essentially doubled as Apple’s de‑facto gaming mode.

This situation improved noticeably starting last year. The iPhone 17 Pro series introduced Apple’s custom vapor chamber (VC) for the first time, switching from titanium to an integrated aluminum alloy chassis with superior thermal conductivity. Heat from the A19 Pro spread faster across the whole body, yielding better stability during long gaming sessions and stress tests compared with the 16 Pro generation.

Building on this progress, Apple doubled down on thermal design for the iPhone 18 Pro series.

(Image source: REWA Tech)

According to Apple’s official claims, the new VC’s heat-dissipation surface area is triple that of the iPhone 17 Pro’s. Additionally, Apple adopted new thermal interface materials (TIMs) to ensure direct coverage and contact with the SoC’s primary heat-generating regions.

Teardown videos confirm that the heat-spreading plate (vapor chamber) in the iPhone 18 Pro is dramatically larger than its predecessor’s—and between the mainboard and the VC, Apple added a composite thermal material comprising graphite, metal, and thermal foam, significantly reducing thermal resistance and accelerating heat transfer.

Moreover, the A20 Pro’s packaging architecture has changed.

Previously, memory and SoC were stacked more compactly. This generation, Apple adopted a side-by-side layout—similar to M-series chips in Macs—with memory placed adjacent to the SoC. This allows heat generated by the A20 Pro to travel directly to the VC without passing through intervening layers, then rapidly distribute across the much larger vapor chamber and into other areas of the chassis.

(Image source: REWA Tech)

On paper, Apple has invested heavily in thermal management this year: the new 2nm process node, a re-engineered chip package, and a vapor chamber whose surface area triples that of last year’s model.

So the question remains: Does the iPhone 18 Pro series’ new thermal design actually work? And how does device temperature behave during everyday use when heat dissipation is significantly improved?

Let’s dive straight into testing.

Full-Throttle Performance: Single-Core and Multi-Core Results Dominate the Field

First up: Geekbench 7.

In CPU benchmarks, the iPhone 18 Pro scores 4,025 points single-core and 11,418 points multi-core; the iPhone 18 Pro Max scores 4,006 and 11,317, respectively—virtually identical results, well within normal measurement variance.

Since Apple touts substantial gains, let’s compare against the previous two generations.

Per Geekbench’s official database, average scores for the iPhone 17 Pro are 3,157 (single-core) and 8,777 (multi-core); the iPhone 17 Pro Max scores 3,168 and 8,804. Earlier, the iPhone 16 Pro achieved 2,895 and 7,796, while the 16 Pro Max scored 2,871 and 7,691.

(Image source: LeiTech)

Compared to the iPhone 17 Pro, the iPhone 18 Pro delivers ~27.5% single-core and 30.1% multi-core improvements; for the Pro Max, gains are ~26.5% (single-core) and 28.5% (multi-core).

By any measure, year-over-year improvements exceeding 20% are extraordinary.

(Image source: LeiTech)

In more gaming-relevant 3DMark tests—Steel Nomad Light, Solar Bay Extreme, and Wild Life Extreme—the iPhone 18 Pro scored 3,899, 2,933, and 8,149 points respectively; the iPhone 18 Pro Max scored 3,604, 2,966, and 7,929.

Interestingly, aside from Solar Bay Extreme, the smaller iPhone 18 Pro outperformed the Pro Max in the other two tests.

For comparison, UL’s database shows the iPhone 17 Pro scoring 2,412, 1,963, and 5,304 in those same three tests; the 17 Pro Max scored 2,469, 1,998, and 5,405.

(Image source: LeiTech)

Against the iPhone 18 Pro Max, these represent gains of 46%, 48.4%, and 46.7%—fully aligning with Apple’s claim of “over 40% improvement.”

While such extreme synthetic benchmarks are mainly for entertainment, they undeniably demonstrate clear performance uplifts.

The iPhone 18 Pro Delivers Exceptional Gaming Performance

Now comes the critical part! How does the A20 Pro perform in real-world gaming scenarios?

To answer this, I specifically tested two demanding titles: *Wuthering Waves* and *Zenless Zone Zero*. Lightweight games like *League of Legends: Wild Rift* or *Peacekeeper Elite* require no testing—they’re guaranteed smooth.

First, *Wuthering Waves*: widely regarded in the gaming community as a benchmark “performance killer.”

Under maximum graphics settings and 60 FPS, a 20-minute gameplay session yielded an average frame rate of 57.2 FPS on the iPhone 18 Pro; the iPhone 18 Pro Max averaged 58.5 FPS. City exploration, motorcycle traversal, and outdoor combat all ran smoothly.

(Image source: LeiTech)

What about temperatures…?

At ambient room temperature (~24°C), the iPhone 18 Pro’s peak chassis temperature reached 44.9°C, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max peaked at 46.2°C. Both devices feel warm to the touch—but heat distribution is notably broader this time: warmth spreads across the camera module area, upper/mid-back panel, and frame—avoiding localized hotspots.

(Image source: LeiTech, iPhone 18 Pro)

(Image source: LeiTech, iPhone 18 Pro Max)

Next up: *Zenless Zone Zero*, MiHoYo’s relatively newer title.

I set graphics to “Ultra High,” locked frame rate at 60 FPS, and ran a 20-minute mix of daily tasks and combat sequences. The iPhone 18 Pro averaged 59 FPS; the iPhone 18 Pro Max averaged 59.2 FPS.

In practice, both devices delivered exceptional stability—no sudden stutters or sustained frame drops. The Pro Max’s larger chassis yields marginally steadier frame-rate curves over extended sessions, while the smaller Pro occasionally exhibits minor fluctuations—still well within acceptable limits.

(Image source: LeiTech)

Temperature measurements: the iPhone 18 Pro’s rear panel peaked at 41.2°C, versus 37.5°C for the Pro Max—consistent with *Wuthering Waves* results. We can reasonably conclude that under heavy gaming loads, the A20 Pro operates comfortably in the low-to-mid 40°C range—actually more comfortable than contemporary Android flagships in the same segment.

(Image source: LeiTech, iPhone 18 Pro)

(Image source: LeiTech, iPhone 18 Pro Max)

In daily usage, few tasks sustain high device temperatures for long—aside from gaming, the most common is extended video recording.

So next, I took both phones outdoors and started recording in 4K at 60 FPS!

After 20 minutes, the iPhone 18 Pro’s front panel peaked at 42.3°C, versus 39.0°C for the Pro Max; the rear panels reached 42.3°C and 40.7°C respectively. The Pro Max clearly benefits from greater thermal headroom. Heat distribution across both devices was uniform, with no noticeable screen brightness throttling.

(Image source: LeiTech, left: Pro, right: Pro Max)

(Image source: LeiTech, left: Pro, right: Pro Max)

At this point, side frames measured 39.9°C and 38.5°C—temperature distributed evenly along the entire frame.

(Image source: LeiTech, left: Pro, right: Pro Max)

For comparison, our prior testing of the iPhone 17 Pro showed pronounced top-to-bottom temperature gradients along the frame after extended video capture.

Clearly, the enlarged VC enables faster heat dispersion from the SoC region to the back cover and frame—keeping overall device temperature comfortably contained.

You think thermal testing ends here? Not quite—I’ve also prepared a less-discussed but important question: How long does it take for the device to return to near-ambient temperature after closing high-load applications?

(Image source: LeiTech, iPhone 18 Pro)

The iPhone 18 Pro’s answer: 3 minutes. Three minutes after ending the test, re-measured peak temperature dropped to just 35.5°C; side-frame temperature fell to 34.9°C—both below human body temperature, eliminating any perception of “hot-to-touch” discomfort during handling.

Spreading heat across a larger surface area demonstrably enhances passive cooling efficiency.

Thermal Management Gets Another Major Upgrade—It’s Now Truly Competitive

Finally, the conclusion: This generation’s performance and thermal upgrades for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are genuinely impressive.

The A20 Pro delivers extraordinary performance—CPU and GPU benchmarks leap far ahead of the previous two generations. More importantly, throughout all testing, neither the iPhone 18 Pro nor the Pro Max exhibited stuttering or thermal-throttling warnings—and both show marked improvements over their predecessors.

That’s remarkable. While Android OEMs exhaust themselves developing internal fans, semiconductor coolers, and other exotic solutions, Apple calmly closes the gap with elegant, refined engineering—highlighting a clear disparity in technological foresight between the two ecosystems.

(Image source: LeiTech)

As for purchase advice…

If you’re currently using an iPhone 16 Pro—or older—and frequently play demanding titles like *Wuthering Waves* or *Zenless Zone Zero*, upgrading to the iPhone 18 Pro series will deliver a palpable improvement. If you own an iPhone 17 Pro, however, there’s no urgent need to upgrade—last year’s VC already ensures excellent day-to-day usability.

Betweeen the Pro and Pro Max models, I lean toward the Pro. With virtually no small-screen Android flagships available this year, the iPhone 18 Pro stands as a rare—and truly valuable—compact flagship.

Of course, performance and thermal management represent only part of this device’s story. LeiTech is concurrently conducting an in-depth imaging evaluation of the iPhone 18 Pro series—including analysis of its new variable-aperture system and video capabilities. Just how capable are these new features in practice? Stay tuned—we’ll keep you posted.