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Apple Memory Supplier Explores U.S. Manufacturing With Intel

Apple memory supplier SK Hynix is in exploratory talks with Intel about manufacturing memory chips in the United States for the first time, according to Reuters . One option would see the South Korean chipmaker lease part of Intel's planned manufacturing complex in Ohio. Another would involve a joint venture with Intel and major cloud providers seeking to secure memory supplies, people familiar with the discussions said. No decisions have been made, and other arrangements remain possible. SK Hynix supplies Apple with memory alongside Samsung and Micron. The discussions come as AI infrastructure spending puts pressure on the supply of memory for consumer devices, including iPhones and Macs. Chipmakers have been directing more production capacity toward high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for AI processors, leaving smartphone and computer manufacturers competing for available supplies. In February, Apple reportedly agreed to pay Samsung twice as much for memory chips needed for iPhone 17 production. More recently, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple was reducing its 2026 hardware shipment plans because of DRAM shortages, with supply constraints also affecting the Mac Studio , Mac mini , and MacBook Air . It remains unclear which types of memory SK Hynix would manufacture under a potential agreement with Intel. Its products include DRAM used in smartphones, computers, and servers, NAND flash storage, and HBM for AI processors. The report does not mention whether a U.S. facility would produce memory for Apple devices. SK Hynix already has an advanced packaging facility under construction in West Lafayette, Indiana. That project will package DRAM wafers manufactured in South Korea into HBM chips, rather than fabricate the wafers domestically. Tags: Intel , United States This article, " Apple Memory Supplier Explores U.S. Manufacturing With Intel " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums

MacRumorsMacRumors•Hartley Charlton16 Sept

Get In On Pre-Order Discounts for the New Mac Mini and Mac Studio Before They Launch Next Week

Amazon has the first cash discounts on Apple's brand new Mac mini and Mac Studio, with up to $49 off select models. One of the best deals is on the M5 Max Mac Studio with 36GB RAM and a 512GB SSD, on sale for $2,449.99 , down from $2,499.00. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. All of these deals are pre-order discounts on the 2026 Mac mini and Mac Studio, which officially launch on September 22. Regarding the Mac mini, you can get the 16GB RAM/256GB SSD Mac mini for $879.99 , down from $899.00, and the 16GB RAM/512GB SSD model for $1,069.99 , down from $1,099.00. $49 OFF M5 Max Mac Studio 36GB/512GB for $2,449.99 $19 OFF M6 Mac mini 16GB/256GB for $879.99 $29 OFF M6 Mac mini 16GB/512GB for $1,069.99 $29 OFF M5 Pro Mac mini 24GB/512GB for $1,669.99 In terms of upgrades, Apple said the Mac mini with the M6 chip delivers up to 40% faster CPU performance, up to 4× faster performance for AI tasks in particular, up to 2× faster graphics performance, and up to 2× faster storage speeds compared to the previous-generation model with the 10-core M4 chip, 32GB of unified memory, and 2TB of storage. If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week. Deals Newsletter Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find in 2026? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season! Related Roundup: Apple Deals This article, " Get In On Pre-Order Discounts for the New Mac Mini and Mac Studio Before They Launch Next Week " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums

MacRumorsMacRumors•Mitchel Broussard16 Sept

iOS 27: Use Visual Intelligence in the Camera App

In iOS 27, available now, Apple has made some changes and additions to the iPhone's stock Camera app, including the addition of a new Siri mode. Available in addition to the Video, Photo, and other camera modes, Siri mode can be accessed by swiping across the mode carousel at the bottom of the screen. The new mode uses Visual Intelligence to identify objects in the frame and provide information about them. It can be used to identify plants, animals, food, and more. If it's food you want info on, for example, it can tell you what it is, and how many calories are in it. Other examples Siri mode can be used for include capturing a photo of an event flyer and adding a date to the Calendar app, text translation, splitting a bill, and more. In Siri mode, a button on the right lets you search Google Images, and a button on the left lets you ask a specific question. So you can ask for help to cook the food in the frame, for instance. Apple has also tweaked the way the camera interface works in other ways. Quick access tools for activating flash, Live Photo, and Night mode are now located at the top-center of the UI, while the full set of tools can be accessed from the bottom-right instead of the top-right. It's also possible to customize which controls are displayed at the top of the screen . Apple made iOS 27 available to download on supported iPhone models on September 14, a few days ahead of the launch of new iPhone 18 Pro models on September 18. Related Roundups: iOS 27 , iPadOS 27 Tag: Visual Intelligence Related Forum: iOS 27 This article, " iOS 27: Use Visual Intelligence in the Camera App " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums

MacRumorsMacRumors•Tim Hardwick16 Sept

iPhone 18 Pro Reviews: Excellent Yet... Meh?

The first iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max reviews have been published today by selected tech websites and YouTube channels, ahead of the devices beginning to arrive to customers and launching in stores this Friday, September 18. While the iPhone 17 Pro models featured a major design overhaul last year, the iPhone 18 Pro models look the same overall and have a set of more incremental year-over-year upgrades related to the cameras, battery life, and performance. With the new A20 Pro chip, the first 2nm chip in a smartphone, Apple said the iPhone 18 Pro models deliver up to 20% faster CPU performance and up to 40% faster graphics performance compared to the A19 Pro chip in the iPhone 17 Pro. Gizmodo 's Raymond Wong benchmarked the A20 Pro chip: I ran Geekbench 7's CPU benchmark on the iPhone 18 Pro and compared results with the iPhone 17 Pro. Both phones were running the official iOS 27 release. The iPhone 18 Pro scored 4,027 for single-core and 11,540 for multi-core, and the iPhone 17 Pro mustered 3,258 on single-core and 9,167 on multi-core. That works out to a 24% boost for single-core performance and a 26% boost for multi-core. A revamped vapor chamber cooling system in the iPhone 18 Pro models is three times larger than the one in the iPhone 17 Pro models, for better heat dissipation. This allows the A20 Pro to achieve peak, sustained performance for longer. Wong on the iPhone 18 Pro's thermal management: I don't think the iPhone 18 Pros got hot once doing anything normal that would cause it to heat up. Not even shooting 4K resolution video at 60 fps under the heatwave that baked Cupertino during the Apple launch event could overheat it. Both of the iPhone 18 Pro models have longer battery life compared to the previous generation — especially the iPhone 18 Pro Max. If we go by Apple's offline video playback metric, the iPhone 18 Pro Max has up to 15% longer battery life compared to the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Fast charging to 50% now takes 15 minutes, down from 20 minutes. Tom's Guide published its typical battery life test, in which the iPhone 18 Pro Max achieved around half an hour longer battery life compared to the iPhone 17 Pro Max: OnePlus 15: 25 hours and 13 minutes iPhone 18 Pro Max: 18 hours and 27 minutes iPhone 17 Pro Max: 17 hours and 54 minutes Galaxy S26 Ultra: 16 hours and 40 minutes iPhone 18 Pro: 16 hours and 17 minutes iPhone 17 Pro: 15 hours and 21 minutes iPhone 18 Pro models have a slightly smaller Dynamic Island at the top of the screen that supports up to three Live Activities at once, up from two. 9to5Mac 's Chance Miller on a related Dynamic Island change: In my testing, what I've actually appreciated most is what happens when you have two Live Activities running at the same time. Thanks to the smaller Dynamic Island, the second Live Activity that appears on the right side can now show more information. The popular flight-tracking app Flighty showed this off: Flighty for iOS 27 is here 🏝️ Refined Dynamic Island 💫 New flight progress arc 📱 Support for all new sizes 🎨 New app icons ✨️ "Ask Flighty" with Siri AI Flying's most useful Dynamic Island. Now even better. Get: https://t.co/N1Fh9U3TnU pic.twitter.com/4IJlokeam3 — Flighty (@Flighty) September 14, 2026 The main 48-megapixel Fusion camera on both the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max has variable aperture, allowing you to adjust the amount of light that reaches the image sensor for greater control over depth of field. Apple says this upgrade will allow for improved low-light photography and crisper details in the back of group photos. Variable aperture options include ƒ/1.48, ƒ/1.8, ƒ/2.8, and ƒ/4.0. PetaPixel 's Jaron Schneider on the variable aperture: I think Apple's choice not to lock us to the wider aperture was very smart, because sharpness takes a hit when shooting wide open. We noticed that while the center is about as sharp as last year's iPhone 17 Pro when shooting at night, the edges quickly degraded — this is not unusual for a wide-open lens, even on a full-size camera. When you're that wide open, image quality tends to fall off without a bunch of additional glass elements to counteract it. However, the image cleans up nicely at f/1.8 and sharpness peaks at f/2.8. At f/4, sharpness dips again, this time from diffraction, but not substantially. In order from sharpest to softest, it goes: f/2.8, f/1.8, f/4, and f/1.48. In the Camera app, iPhone 18 Pro users can manually adjust shutter speed, white balance, and aperture, and there is an option to use a histogram. These new "Pro controls" are exclusive to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. CNET 's Patrick Holland on the Pro controls: I enjoy these controls, as I have when they've appeared on Android phones. My big criticism is how they're accessed: I use the lens aperture and shutter speed controls quite a bit, but they are located at the bottom of the camera controls drawer. When shooting one-handed, I have to tap, then expand the drawer to get to the bottom. I wish I could customize the position of the icons like I can with settings in the phone's control center. Also, why can't I assign any of these to the Camera Control button on the side of the phone? Imagine focus pulling in a video recording by sliding your finger. For 5G and LTE, the iPhone 18 Pro is equipped with Apple's second-generation C2 cellular modem worldwide, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max has the C2 modem in every country except the U.S., where it is reportedly still equipped with a Qualcomm modem, perhaps for contractual reasons. Apple said the C2 modem delivers "meaningfully faster uploads" compared to its previous C1X modem while consuming 15% less energy. In the U.S., the C2 is Apple's first modem with mmWave 5G support. We have not yet found any reviews that tested the C2 modem in a scientific way, but anecdotally most reviewers found 5G performance to be very adequate. iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max color options: a classic Silver, the return of Black, and special new Burgundy and Glacier finishes. In our view, there is no massive reason to upgrade to the iPhone 18 Pro models if you are coming from an iPhone 17 Pro or perhaps even an iPhone 16 Pro. If you have an iPhone 14 Pro or newer, though, upgrading to the iPhone 18 Pro is worth it to catch up on years of enhancements and bump up to a model that supports the new-and-improved Siri , which truly is a lot better and is available on the iPhone 15 Pro and newer. That's the reality with most iPhone launches nowadays: the devices remain excellent, yet the year-over-year upgrades can sort of feel "meh." The Verge 's Allison Johnson described the iPhone 18 Pro as "excellent and utterly iterative." And there is the iPhone Duo to consider this year, too. Engadget 's Cherlynn Low : In the iPhone Duo's shadow, the iPhone 18 Pro certainly feels like an "S" device. But S-year iPhones were never bad iPhones. They were simply unexciting. Similarly, while none of the iPhone 18 Pro's latest features are things you should run out the door to spend money on, it's certainly a meaningful improvement for anyone on an iPhone 16 Pro or older. Of all the iPhones you can buy now, it has the best camera setup, and anyone with the slightest interest in manual photography will appreciate the new variable aperture controls. Videos Related Roundup: iPhone 18 Pro Buyer's Guide: iPhone 18 Pro (Buy Now) Related Forum: iPhone This article, " iPhone 18 Pro Reviews: Excellent Yet... Meh? " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums

MacRumorsMacRumors•Joe Rossignol16 Sept

Apple Announces iPhone 18 Pro Photography Exhibition

Apple today announced "What Holds Us," a photography exhibition featuring work shot exclusively on the iPhone 18 Pro by Alex Prager, Jack Davison, and Jimmy Chin. Curated by Kathy Ryan, the exhibition explores human connection through crowd scenes, portraits involving clay, and mountain photography. The exhibition will be on display in New York City from September 18 to 20, before traveling to London and Shanghai over the coming months. You can see many of the exhibition's images in Apple's Newsroom post . Related Roundup: iPhone 18 Pro Tag: Photography Buyer's Guide: iPhone 18 Pro (Buy Now) Related Forum: iPhone This article, " Apple Announces iPhone 18 Pro Photography Exhibition " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums

MacRumorsMacRumors•Hartley Charlton16 Sept
  • neutral toward Apple · 99%

Apple May Return to Server Market With Nvidia Technology

Apple is considering offering an AI server built around "M8" series chips and has discussed incorporating Nvidia networking hardware, The Information reports. The system would be sold to outside customers, potentially bringing Apple back into a business it left behind when it discontinued Xserve in 2011. Apple is reportedly targeting companies that want to run AI models on their own equipment, with a particular focus on inference and generating responses from trained models. One option under consideration is Nvidia's NVLink Fusion, which provides hardware and software for exchanging data between chips. Apple could use the platform to link its M8 processors, although neither the Nvidia arrangement nor the server itself is finalized. The report places a potential release date in 2029, but it could be canceled before then. Apple CEO John Ternus reportedly supported the initiative when work on it began approximately a year ago, during his tenure as the company's hardware engineering chief. The project follows growing interest in Apple hardware among AI businesses , which have been buying Mac mini and Mac Studio systems in large quantities. Apple already produces server hardware for Private Cloud Compute, the infrastructure that handles Apple Intelligence tasks requiring processing beyond a user's device. According to the report, scaling Apple's existing connections between chips would present cost and speed problems, which is why it is considering Nvidia's technology. Apple has also declined partners' requests to use those Private Cloud Compute servers. An agreement would give Nvidia a role in an Apple product that could compete with its own AI systems. NVLink Fusion allows Nvidia to supply networking technology to companies building alternative processors, expanding its business beyond customers using Nvidia chips. The discussions also suggest a closer working relationship between Apple and Nvidia following their longstanding disputes. Apple has already announced plans to extend Private Cloud Compute to Google Cloud using Nvidia GPUs . The companies have reportedly explored additional ways to work together on AI, including the use of Nvidia's open-source models. The project still faces challenges beyond developing the hardware. There is still said to be a need for stronger support for business customers and more software resources for AI developers, including further investment in its MLX framework. Tags: Nvidia , The Information This article, " Apple May Return to Server Market With Nvidia Technology " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums

MacRumorsMacRumors•Hartley Charlton16 Sept

Reminder: macOS 27 Ends Time Machine Backups to Time Capsule

If you're upgrading to macOS Golden Gate and you have an AirPort Time Capsule, Time Machine won't be able to back up to it. macOS 27 removes support for AFP, the legacy file-sharing protocol that Time Capsule relies on for Time Machine backups. Said backups now exclusively use the SMB protocol, which Apple's discontinued Time Capsule hardware does not support in the form required by macOS 27. Apple warned users about the change back in June 2025 when macOS Tahoe began displaying a warning that Time Capsule backups would no longer work in the next macOS. Users still backing up to one will need an alternative, such as an external drive or a modern NAS. Tag: AirPort Time Capsule This article, " Reminder: macOS 27 Ends Time Machine Backups to Time Capsule " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums

MacRumorsMacRumors•Tim Hardwick16 Sept

Apple Details How Reference Image Proves a Photo is Real

The iPhone 18 Pro models support Apple Reference Image, a way to verify that a photo was taken with an iPhone and hasn't been edited. Apple says it's a method to prove that something actually happened and wasn't AI-generated, likening the feature to a digital film negative. Apple Reference Image offers a trustworthy, scalable guarantee that a reference image is what it claims to be: a real photograph, captured by a real sensor in an iPhone camera, at a specific time. It sets a new standard for verifiable digital photography. Apple introduced Apple Reference Image when debuting the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and Pro Max, and today the company shared more information on how the feature works on its Security Research blog . Apple Reference Image boots the camera sensor into a specialized reference mode. The mode instructs the sensor to cryptographically sign pixel data immediately after capture, and the sensor firmware is prevented from modifying the data. Other authentication systems don't sign images until the end of the software processing pipeline, which Apple says leaves images vulnerable to tampering attacks. Apple Reference Image creates a "secure digital negative" protected from software compromise alongside a standard editable photo. The negative is stored on-device and includes pixel data, sensor metadata, and cryptographic timestamps with lower and upper bounds. When a user decides to "develop" the negative for verification, it is sent unprocessed to Private Cloud Compute. Private Cloud Compute runs the steps needed to render the image in a secure, private, and verifiable environment. Apple says the feature resists data injection attacks, compromised operating systems, hardware attacks, and cryptographic attacks. Apple believes Apple Reference Image is the only image provenance system with quantum-secure defenses. In case the system is breached, there is a revocation option. Private Cloud Compute calculates a confidence score for each image, and Apple can revoke individual photos or an entire sensor if fraud is detected. To safeguard photographers, Apple Reference Image avoids using an explicit, public credential for photographers, and it prevents public association between different photos taken by the same sensor. The confidentiality of the image is protected, including from Apple. Apple Reference Image is opt-in and is limited to the Main camera sensor. More information on the ins and outs of Apple Reference Image can be found in Apple's full blog post . This article, " Apple Details How Reference Image Proves a Photo is Real " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums

MacRumorsMacRumors•Juli Clover15 Sept

What the iPhone Duo's Camera Can and Can't Do

To take advantage of the iPhone Duo 's dual-display design, Apple is introducing new Camera app features that are unique to the foldable iPhone. Smart Take Smart Take uses AI to determine when everyone (including the iPhone owner) is ready for a group shot, so no one has to use a timer or stay out of the picture to capture the image. You can prop up the ‌iPhone Duo‌ in a half-folded orientation, get in frame, and then wait for the group shot to be taken. Kid Cue Kid Cue shows little Peanuts animations to children so they look at the camera when you're taking a photo. Duo Preview With Duo Preview, the Camera app shows a live preview of the shot on both displays, so the subject you're taking a photo of can make adjustments. Duo FaceTime Nearby friends can participate in a FaceTime call using the outer display while the iPhone owner uses the inner display, so nobody has to crowd around the iPhone or pass it around to get on video. Duo ‌FaceTime‌ is not the same as Dual Capture, which records video with both the front and rear cameras. Duo ‌FaceTime‌ specifically uses the outer display to allow another person to join in on a call. Unique Form Factor Features The ‌iPhone Duo‌ can be used in multiple orientations, including when it's half-folded. The Duo stands up on its own, for taking ‌FaceTime‌ calls and recording video without holding it. The folding mechanism acts like a built-in tripod and stand, so it's also useful for selfies and long exposures. You can also capture selfies with the higher-quality 48MP rear camera while using the outer display as a viewfinder, which isn't something you can do with a slab iPhone. Camera Hardware The ‌iPhone Duo‌ has a "Dual Fusion" two-camera setup with a 48MP Main camera. It's basically the same camera that's in the iPhone 17 (not the 17 Pro), offering 26mm 24MP images by default, along with 12MP 2x "telephoto" images at 52mm. The camera supports sensor-shift optical image stabilization, but not the second-generation version available in the Pro models. It also does not support spatial photos or the ProRAW format. It also includes a 48MP Ultra Wide camera with a 13mm focal length and macro capabilities. Since there's no Telephoto lens, the ‌iPhone Duo‌ is limited to 2x optical-quality zoom in, 2x optical zoom out, and digital zoom up to 10x for images. Other Camera Capabilities Like the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, the ‌iPhone Duo‌ supports the latest Photographic Styles, which adds texture and grain parameters. Video Smart focus tracking is a feature new to the ‌iPhone Duo‌ and the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models. It uses AI to keep a subject in focus at all times, and pick up subject tracking if the subject exits the frame and then reappears. The Duo supports 4K Dolby Vision video recording at up to 120 fps, and Cinematic mode for recording videos in 4K Dolby Vision at up to 60 fps. For the first time, Cinematic mode effects can be added to a video after capture on the Duo and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌. Apple also says there's improved low-light video on the Duo when recording at 1080p. Time-lapse video recording with stabilization up to 4K Dolby Vision is a new ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone Duo‌ option. It's especially useful on the ‌iPhone Duo‌ because you can record a stable video without the need for a tripod. Front Camera The ‌iPhone Duo‌'s outer front-facing camera is 12MP, not 18MP like the ‌iPhone 17‌ and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ models. It otherwise has the same features. The inner display has a 1080p ‌FaceTime‌ camera that's under the display. Missing Camera Features Compared to the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and Pro Max, the ‌iPhone Duo‌ has a more rudimentary camera system. It lacks many features available on the Pro models. Telephoto lens Pro Controls Apple Reference Image Variable aperture Second-generation sensor-shift optical image stabilization Adaptive True Tone flash Spatial photos and video recording ProRAW ProRes ProRes RAW Genlock Apple Log 2 video recording Studio-quality four-mic array Launch Date The ‌iPhone Duo‌ will be available for pre-order on October 16, and it will launch on October 23. Pricing starts at $1,999. Related Roundup: iPhone Duo Buyer's Guide: iPhone Duo (Coming Soon) Related Forum: iPhone This article, " What the iPhone Duo's Camera Can and Can't Do " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums

MacRumorsMacRumors•Juli Clover15 Sept

The Sideload 044: Duo’s and don’ts

Welcome to episode 44 of The Sideload, a 9to5Google podcast. This week, Will is joined by Android Authority’s Stephen Radochia to discuss what Android brands should and shouldn’t take away from Apple’s first entry into the foldable market. Sponsored by NordVPN : Listeners to The Sideload can save up to 76% on a two-year subscription alongside four extra months for absolutely free by signing up for NordVPN using this link . Thanks to NordVPN for sponsoring this week’s episode. Subscribe YouTube Podcasts Pocket Casts Spotify Apple Podcasts Amazon Music Subscribe to 9to5Google Pro for exclusive bonus content, podcast episodes, and more. more…

9to5Google9to5Google•Will Sattelberg15 Sept

Apple's Last Intel 21.5-Inch iMac is Now Vintage

Apple today added the 2019 4K iMac to its list of vintage products , which means repairs can only be done if Apple has the parts available. Products are added to the vintage list five years after they were last distributed for sale, and they're moved to the obsolete list at the seven-year mark. Vintage products can be repaired at Apple Stores and by Apple Authorized Service Providers if the parts are available, but that's not guaranteed. Devices that are obsolete are not eligible for repair and Apple no longer makes repair components. The 2019 iMac preceded the colorful, redesigned M1 ‌iMac‌ that came out in 2021. The machine featured a 21.5-inch Retina 4K display and the standard silver ‌iMac‌ design. The base model was equipped with an Intel Core i3 processor, 8GB RAM, and a 1TB hard drive. Pricing in 2019 started at $1,299. The 2019 27-inch ‌iMac‌ that was sold alongside the 21.5-inch model was added to the vintage list in July 2025, but Apple sold the smaller model for a longer so it didn't previously qualify as vintage. Related Roundup: iMac Tags: Intel , Vintage and Obsolete Apple Products Buyer's Guide: iMac (Don't Buy) Related Forum: iMac This article, " Apple's Last Intel 21.5-Inch iMac is Now Vintage " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums

MacRumorsMacRumors•Juli Clover15 Sept

iPhone 16 Pro vs. iPhone 18 Pro Buyer's Guide: Worth Upgrading?

Apple last week announced the iPhone 18 Pro and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max, arriving two years after the iPhone 16 Pro and ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro Max. Skipping a generation means makes for a bigger upgrade, with more than 50 differences between the 2024 and 2026 models. Most of the visible change arrived in between, with the iPhone 17 Pro replacing the titanium frame and glass back with an aluminum unibody and Ceramic Shield 2, adding vapor chamber cooling, and upgrading both the telephoto and front cameras. This year's update is largely focused on internal changes, centering on the A20 Pro chip, a variable-aperture Main camera, a smaller Dynamic Island , and a battery capacity increase that delivers the largest jump in battery life in the iPhone's history. For ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro owners, the two sets of changes stack on top of each other. The ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ starts at $1,199 for 256GB, $200 more than the ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro's $999 launch price, although the entry storage tier has doubled from 128GB. Apple no longer sells the ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro directly, so any comparison now involves either a device you already own or a third-party listing. Here's everything that differs between the ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌: Design and Display ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro (2024) ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ (2026) Titanium frame with full glass back Aluminum unibody with partial Ceramic Shield back 8.25mm thickness 8.75mm thickness Glass rounded square camera bump Full-width rounded rectangle aluminum camera plateau Ceramic Shield front Ceramic Shield 2 front with 3x better scratch resistance Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating only Apple-designed anti-reflective display coating to reduce glare 2,000 nits peak display brightness (outdoor) 3,000 nits peak display brightness (outdoor) 2x better outdoor contrast ‌Dynamic Island‌ supports up to two simultaneous Live Activities Smaller ‌Dynamic Island‌, supports up to three simultaneous Live Activities iPhone 16 Pro : Weighs 7.03 ounces (199 grams) iPhone 16 Pro Max : Weighs 7.99 ounces (227 grams) iPhone 18 Pro : Weighs 7.44 ounces (211 grams) iPhone 18 Pro Max : Weighs 8.78 ounces (249 grams) Available in White, Black, Natural, and Desert Available in Silver, Black, Glacier, and Burgundy Chip, Performance, and Connectivity ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro (2024) ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ (2026) A18 Pro chip A20 Pro chip Built with TSMC's N3E process ( 3nm ) Built with TSMC's N2 process (2nm), Apple's first 2nm smartphone chip 6-core CPU with 2 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores 6-core CPU with 2 super cores and 4 efficiency cores 60GB/s memory bandwidth ~115GB/s memory bandwidth 8GB RAM 12GB RAM 6-core GPU 7-core GPU with Neural Accelerators 16-core Neural Engine Dual 16-core Neural Engine (32 total cores) Vapor chamber cooling with 3x more surface area than the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ New chip packaging that places silicon die beside memory, allowing it to attach directly to the vapor chamber Qualcomm Snapdragon X71 modem iPhone 18 Pro : Apple C2 modem in all countries iPhone 18 Pro Max : Apple C2 modem in all countries except the U.S., where it uses a Qualcomm modem Broadcom Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip Apple N1 chip for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Thread Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity Bluetooth 6 connectivity Rear Camera ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro (2024) ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ (2026) 12-megapixel Telephoto camera 48-megapixel Fusion Telephoto camera 0.5x, 1x, 2x, and 5x optical zoom options 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 4x, and 8x optical zoom options Fixed ƒ/1.78 aperture on the 48-megapixel Fusion Main camera Variable-aperture 48-megapixel Fusion Main camera with four stops: ƒ/1.48, ƒ/1.8, ƒ/2.8, and ƒ/4.0, using six laser-cut blades API available for developers to control the aperture range within their own apps Faster Night mode, tied to the new variable-aperture lens Pro controls in the Camera app: manual lens aperture, shutter speed, white balance, and histogram New sensor and computational imaging pipeline on the Fusion Main camera, delivering around 50% better low-light performance and more detail in the back of group photos Photographic Styles 2, adjusting tone and color Photographic Styles 3, adding texture and grain controls alongside tone and color Smart focus tracking Cinematic mode recording up to 4K Dolby Vision at 30 fps Cinematic mode recording up to 4K Dolby Vision at 60 fps Cinematic mode effects can be applied after capture, on video shot at up to 60 fps Improved low-light video Time-lapse video recording with stabilization, up to 4K Dolby Vision Apple Reference Image (Main camera only) Audio Mix Audio Mix with new algorithms for higher-quality voices, and the ability to isolate music ProRes RAW capture support Genlock support Front Camera ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro (2024) ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ (2026) 12-megapixel TrueDepth camera 18-megapixel TrueDepth camera Tap to zoom Tap to zoom and rotate Center Stage Ultra-stabilized video Dual Capture (up to 4K Dolby Vision at 30 fps) Photographic Styles 2, adjusting tone and color Photographic Styles 3, adding texture and grain controls alongside tone and color Smart focus tracking Cinematic mode effects can be applied after capture Improved low-light video Time-lapse video recording with stabilization, up to 4K Dolby Vision Battery and Charging ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro (2024) ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ (2026) iPhone 16 Pro : 3,582 mAh battery iPhone 16 Pro Max : 4,685 mAh battery iPhone 18 Pro : 4,056 mAh battery iPhone 18 Pro Max : 5,391 mAh battery iPhone 16 Pro : Up to 27 hours of video playback iPhone 16 Pro Max : Up to 33 hours of video playback iPhone 18 Pro : Up to 36 hours of video playback iPhone 18 Pro Max : Up to 45 hours of video playback iPhone 16 Pro : Up to 50% charge in 30 minutes with a 20W adapter or higher iPhone 16 Pro Max : Up to 50% charge in 35 minutes with a 20W adapter or higher Up to 50% charge in around 15 minutes with a 60W-capable adapter iPhone 16 Pro : MagSafe wireless charging up to 22W with a 30W adapter or higher iPhone 16 Pro Max : ‌MagSafe‌ wireless charging up to 25W with a 30W adapter or higher ‌MagSafe‌ wireless charging up to 25W, reaching 50% charge in 30 minutes with a 35W adapter or higher Storage and Pricing ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro (2024) ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ (2026) iPhone 16 Pro : Available with 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB storage iPhone 16 Pro Max : Available with 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB storage Available with 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB storage iPhone 16 Pro : Launched at $999 (128GB), $1,099 (256GB), $1,299 (512GB), $1,499 (1TB) iPhone 16 Pro Max : Launched at $1,199 (256GB), $1,399 (512GB), $1,599 (1TB) iPhone 18 Pro : $1,199 (256GB), $1,399 (512GB), $1,799 (1TB), $2,399 (2TB) iPhone 18 Pro Max : $1,299 (256GB), $1,499 (512GB), $1,899 (1TB), $2,499 (2TB) Now discontinued, only available via third-parties iPhone 18 Pro : Sold directly by Apple, from $49.95 a month for 24 months via Apple Upgrade iPhone 18 Pro Max : Sold directly by Apple, from $54.12 a month for 24 months via Apple Upgrade Which to Choose? For ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro Max owners, the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ is a worthwhile upgrade, and a far easier recommendation than it is for anyone coming from last year's model . Two generations of changes accumulate, touching almost every part of the device: an all-new aluminum unibody with Ceramic Shield 2 and three times better scratch resistance, a display that is 50% brighter outdoors at 3,000 nits and features an anti-reflective coating the ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro lacks entirely, and a battery that runs for 36 hours rather than 27, rising from 33 hours to 45 hours on the Pro Max. Charging has changed most dramatically of all, dropping from 50% in 30 minutes to 50% in around 15 minutes. The camera differences are also major. The telephoto camera moves from 12 megapixels at 5x to 48 megapixels with 4x and 8x optical options, the front camera jumps from 12 megapixels to 18 megapixels and gains Center Stage and ultra-stabilized video, and the Main camera trades its fixed ƒ/1.78 aperture for a four-stop variable aperture ranging from ƒ/1.48 to ƒ/4.0. Add ProRes RAW, Genlock, Dual Capture, Cinematic mode at 60 fps, and manual Pro controls, and the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ is a substantially different camera system. Performance is the other argument for upgrading, particularly if you have noticed your ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro throttling. The A20 Pro moves to a 2nm process, gains a seventh GPU core with Neural Accelerators, and doubles the Neural Engine to 32 cores, while the vapor chamber that the ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro lacks entirely is now in its second generation. If you play demanding games, shoot long video clips, or expect to lean on on-device Apple Intelligence features for several more years, the extra 4GB of RAM and the doubled Neural Engine make the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ the more future-proof purchase. That being said, the price has moved against you. The ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ costs $200 more than the ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro did at launch, even accounting for the doubled 256GB entry tier, and the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max is $100 more than its equivalent. The ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max is also 22 grams heavier than the ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro Max, which is noticeable in the hand, although it buys you the largest battery gain Apple has ever delivered on an iPhone and the option of a 2TB device. A notable exception arises if you are upgrading primarily for the design, the telephoto camera, or the battery. Almost all of those enhancements arrived with the ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ rather than this year's model, so an ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ bought from a third-party retailer at a heavy discount will get you most of the way there for meaningfully less money. The ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌'s genuine exclusives over that model are the variable aperture and Pro controls, the C2 modem, the smaller ‌Dynamic Island‌, and roughly three extra hours of battery life. If none of those matter to you, last year's model is the better value. Pre-orders for the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max opened on Saturday, September 12, with availability beginning Friday, September 18. Related Roundup: iPhone 18 Pro Buyer's Guide: iPhone 18 Pro (Buy Now) Related Forum: iPhone This article, " iPhone 16 Pro vs. iPhone 18 Pro Buyer's Guide: Worth Upgrading? " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums

MacRumorsMacRumors•Hartley Charlton15 Sept

AAPL – Above Bronze Frontier, Hold/Add Watch | CSE Option Decisi

Date: 2026-09-15 Type: CSE Option Decision OS Update Apple is now another important live case inside our CSE Capital — Option Decision OS, also known as the Continuation Swing Engine. The current AAPL dashboard gives a very clear message: the thesis is intact, the trend is bullish, and the tactical repair has been reclaimed. But CSE still does not classify this as an automatic add. The system keeps Apple in Hold / Add Watch, with the next decision filtered through feasibility and risk. That distinction is exactly why we built the CSE Option Decision OS. A normal chart view might simply say: “Apple is bullish” or “Apple is breaking higher.” But for options and structured portfolio exposure, that is not enough. CSE separates the thesis, the tactical repair, the entry frontiers, the option position, the add status, the risk gate and the portfolio decision. The current CSE read for AAPL: Manual Action: HOLD / ADD WATCH Underlying Thesis: THESIS INTACT Tactical Status: TACTICAL REPAIR RECLAIMED Add Status: EVALUATE RANGE — FEASIBILITY REQUIRED Option Position: HOLD Signal Confidence: 82/100 Decision Price / Current Quote: 330.26 Trend: Bullish Invalidation: 238.00 Decision Mode: Manual Only Execution: Locked / Disabled The Current Entry Frontier shows that Apple is now trading above the main CSE entry ranges: Gold Current Entry Frontier: 240.44 – 248.68 Silver Current Entry Frontier: 273.02 – 283.88 Bronze Current Entry Frontier: 312.02 – 320.38 At the current quote around 330.26, AAPL is above the Bronze range. That is bullish from a structural perspective, but it also changes the risk/reward profile. Apple is no longer sitting inside the preferred entry zone. It has already moved above it. That is why the dashboard says: Entry Opportunity: Above Entry / Do Not Chase Manual Overlay: HOLD / ADD WATCH Setup: Bronze Entry Opportunity Watch Entry Event: Hold Order Ready: False Auto Buy Signal: False This is the key lesson. AAPL can be bullish and still not be an automatic add. The Macro Fib Thesis Lens confirms the broader structural case: Position Archetype: Bullish Continuation Macro Fib Status: Certified Structural Thesis — Intact Macro Survival Support: 195.84 Tactical Repair Trigger: 249.06 Distance to Macro Support: +68.6% Distance to Repair Trigger: +32.6% Decision Posture: Evaluate Range — Feasibility Required Reclaim Required: False No Add Zone: False Order Ready: False That is a strong but disciplined read. The thesis is intact. The trend is bullish. The tactical repair has been reclaimed. Apple is above the Bronze Current Entry Frontier. But CSE still requires feasibility review before any new option decision. This is exactly the unique value of the CSE Capital — Option Decision OS. It does not just tell us whether a stock looks strong. It tells us where the stock is within the decision architecture, whether the entry zone is still attractive, whether the position should be held, whether an add can be considered, and whether the option structure is actually feasible. For Apple, the system is not telling us to chase strength. It is telling us to respect the bullish continuation structure, manage existing exposure, and only consider new action if the full Option Feasibility + Risk Gate is passed. That means checking premium size, liquidity, bid/ask spread, delta, expiry, time value, implied volatility, portfolio exposure, concentration risk and risk/reward before taking action. This is the practical edge we are building. Not prediction. Not hype. Not emotional trading. A structured decision system for options and equity exposure. AAPL remains a bullish continuation case, but the current CSE decision is disciplined: Hold / Add Watch, Evaluate Range, Feasibility Required, Do Not Chase. Structure first. Confirmation second. Feasibility third. No chase, no emotion, only process.

TITradingView Ideas15 Sept