South Africans can now pre-order Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, with local pricing starting at R28,799 and R31,299 respectively. MyBroadband reports that iStore and Digicape have opened pre-orders, with both models due to ship from 18 September 2026. iStore’s website also confirms that iPhone 18 Pro pre-orders are open. 

South African iPhone 18 Pro prices

The 256GB iPhone 18 Pro costs R28,799, while the 512GB version is R33,599. The 1TB model is priced at R43,299, rising to R57,699 for the 2TB version. 

The iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at R31,299 for 256GB. The 512GB model costs R35,999, while the 1TB and 2TB versions are priced at R45,699 and R59,999 respectively. Vodacom World is also accepting pre-orders, according to MyBroadband. 

Apple says availability for the new Pro range begins on Friday, 18 September in its first launch markets, following pre-orders from 12 September. 

New A20 Pro chip boosts performance

Both phones run on Apple’s A20 Pro chip, built using a 2-nanometer process. The processor combines a 6-core CPU, 7-core GPU and Dual 16-core Neural Engine with 32 neural cores. Apple says the GPU is up to 40% faster than the A19 Pro. 

The phones also use a redesigned vapour chamber, which Apple says improves sustained performance under demanding workloads. 

Camera gets variable aperture

Apple has introduced a 48MP Fusion Main camera with variable aperture. Users can manually adjust aperture, shutter speed and white balance through new Pro controls in the Camera app. 

The camera can widen its aperture to f/1.48 in darker conditions, while Apple says its new sensor and imaging pipeline improve low-light shots and detail. 

iOS 27 brings new Siri AI

The iPhone 18 Pro range launches with iOS 27 and Apple Intelligence. Apple says its new Siri AI is rolling out in beta, with features designed to use personal context and on-screen information while relying on on-device processing and Private Cloud Compute for privacy. 

Apple also says supported iPhone 18 Pro models can reach 50% charge in about 15 minutes with compatible wired charging equipment.