Our solution hinges on splitting the Apple Reference Image process into two phases: creating a secure digital negative, and developing that negative into a reference image. Each phase receives our strongest protections.
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Apple Reference Image provides both a lower bound and an upper bound on capture time from Apple’s cryptographic timestamp service, and we guarantee the photo was taken between the two bounds. On a regular heartbeat, the device requests a cryptographic timestamp token, and retains the most recent one it has received. Globally this happens on average every 15 minutes, though the interval depends on local network conditions. This provides a proven lower bound timestamp for the photographic capture. After capture, the device requests a second timestamp to use as an upper bound, and both timestamps are embedded and signed with the sensor data.
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When the user chooses to create a reference image, the device uploads the digital negative to PCC, which runs the processing steps needed to render the image — including demosaicing, tone mapping, and compression — in a highly secure, private, and verifiable environment. Experts can verify that PCC doesn’t alter a digital negative during development: they can examine the software that does the work.
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Finally, as no security system is perfect, we created a revocation system that can revoke individual photos, as well as all photos from a specific sensor.
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We built Apple Reference Image to avoid using an explicit, public credential for photographers, and to avoid even implicit public association between different photos taken by the same sensor. The final reference image is instead signed by Apple’s signing service, after validation by PCC.
iPhone 18 Pro arrives with Apple concentrating its biggest changes in three areas: camera control, sustained performance, and battery life. The new Pro models retain familiar 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, but introduce a variable-aperture main camera, the 2-nanometer A20 Pro chip, redesigned thermal hardware, and a smaller Dynamic Island.
The lineup consists of iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, starting at $1,199 and $1,299 in the U.S., respectively. Both begin with 256GB of storage and are available in black, silver, glacier, and a new burgundy finish. Preorders opened September 12, with retail availability beginning September 18 in more than 65 countries and regions.
Rather than treating the Pro models as a cosmetic update, Apple has focused on changes that become more noticeable during demanding use, particularly photography, video work, gaming, AI processing, and long sessions away from a charger.
iPhone 18 Pro brings variable aperture to the main camera
The centerpiece is a new 48MP Fusion Main camera with a physical variable aperture, a first for the iPhone.
Six laser-cut aperture blades can adjust the amount of light reaching the sensor while also changing depth of field. The camera supports four aperture settings: ƒ/1.48, ƒ/1.8, ƒ/2.8, and ƒ/4.0.
At the wider end, the camera can gather more light in darker scenes. A narrower aperture can keep more people or background detail in focus, giving photographers another tool beyond computational depth effects and Portrait mode.
Apple also gives users direct access to those settings through new Pro controls in the Camera app. Aperture, shutter speed, and white balance can be adjusted manually, while a histogram provides a more conventional way to monitor exposure.
The feature is paired with a new main-camera sensor and updated computational imaging pipeline. Apple says the combination improves low-light performance and detail, while Photographic Styles gain texture and grain controls for additional control over an image’s appearance.
Video receives several additions as well. Cinematic effects can now be applied after recording to footage captured at up to 60 frames per second, while Time-lapse can record in 4K with Dolby Vision HDR. Audio Mix has also been updated with improved voice processing and the ability to isolate music.
For photographers who want more evidence of how an image originated, Apple is introducing Apple Reference Image. In Reference mode, the main camera signs sensor data, which Private Cloud Compute uses to create an unalterable reference version that can be compared with an edited image in Photos. Apple is also preparing support for the SynthID standard as another way of identifying AI-generated or altered content.
Image Credit: Apple Inc.
iPhone 18 Pro uses A20 Pro and a redesigned vapor chamber
A20 Pro is built using a 2-nanometer manufacturing process and contains a six-core CPU, seven-core GPU, and dual 16-core Neural Engine.
Apple says memory bandwidth is 50% higher than on A19 Pro, while GPU performance can be up to 40% faster. The Neural Engine provides 32 cores in total, doubling the AI processing capability of the previous Pro chip.
The silicon change is closely tied to a redesigned cooling system. Apple has rearranged the chip package so that the silicon die sits beside the memory rather than beneath it in the thermal path, allowing A20 Pro to connect more directly to a next-generation vapor chamber.
That vapor chamber has three times the surface area of the previous generation and uses new materials to move heat away from the processor more effectively. Apple claims the design can deliver up to a 40% gain in sustained performance compared with iPhone 17 Pro.
That distinction is more relevant than peak benchmark numbers for workloads such as extended gaming sessions, video editing, computational photography, and local AI models, where heat can force a phone to reduce performance over time.
Connectivity has also moved further toward Apple-designed silicon. The N1 wireless chip supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread, while the new C2 modem succeeds C1X. Apple says C2 uses 15% less energy while offering faster uploads and adds mmWave support in the U.S.
Image Credit: Apple Inc.
iPhone 18 Pro Max reaches 45 hours of video playback
Battery improvements are another major part of the new hardware.
Apple rates eSIM-only versions of iPhone 18 Pro for up to 36 hours of video playback, while iPhone 18 Pro Max reaches as much as 45 hours. Apple says Pro Max receives the largest battery-life increase ever delivered in an iPhone.
Some of that gain comes from using the space previously occupied by a physical SIM tray. In markets receiving eSIM-only models, including the U.S., Canada, Japan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, the larger internal battery provides an additional two hours of rated video playback.
Charging has accelerated as well. iPhone 18 Pro can reach 50% charge in approximately 15 minutes using a supported wired setup, while wireless charging reaches 50% in around 30 minutes. Apple says five minutes of wired charging on iPhone 18 Pro Max can provide roughly seven hours of video playback.
Both devices use aluminum unibody construction with Ceramic Shield 2 on the front and Ceramic Shield on the back. Storage options run from 256GB through 2TB.
The iPhone 18 Pro weighs 211 grams, while iPhone 18 Pro Max weighs 249 grams. Display sizes remain 6.3 inches and 6.9 inches, respectively.
Image Credit: Apple Inc.
iOS 27 brings Siri AI and new Apple Intelligence tools
The hardware launches alongside iOS 27, which places Apple Intelligence and the new Siri AI more prominently across the system.
Siri AI can use personal context from information stored across apps, respond to onscreen content, perform actions in supported apps, and handle more open-ended questions. A new Siri mode in Camera lets users ask questions and take action based on objects or information visible through the viewfinder.
Photo tools include Spatial Reframing, Extend, and an upgraded Clean Up feature, while Safari can monitor selected webpages for changes such as a product restock or price adjustment.
The Dynamic Island has also been physically reduced and redesigned. It can display up to three Live Activities simultaneously while continuing to support Face ID.
Apple released iOS 27 on September 14, while Siri AI is rolling out initially as a beta in English, with additional language support planned. iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max reach stores September 18, giving Apple a Pro lineup whose most substantial additions are less about a new exterior shape and more about physical camera control, heat management, and how long the hardware can sustain demanding workloads.
Chamado Imagem de Referência da Apple (Apple Reference Image), o recurso utiliza um novo sensor na câmera principal que assina os dados do sensor em nível de pixel, no momento da captura. Quando uma foto é tirada em um novo modo chamado Referência (Reference), esses dados são enviados para o Private Cloud Compute, que os processa para criar o que a Apple chama de “imagem de referência inalterável” (algo como um “negativo digital”).
Agora, você pode provar a autenticidade de uma foto tirada no iPhone. A assinatura segura dos dados da imagem no nível do pixel acontece no momento da foto, registrando tudo que o sensor da câmera viu.
As imagens de referência aparecem no aplicativo Fotos (Photos) ao lado da foto correspondente, permitindo que os usuários comparem visualmente as duas para verificar se houve alguma edição. A Apple também está disponibilizando APIs 1Application programming interfaces, ou interfaces de programação de aplicações. no iOS 27, iPadOS 27 e macOS Golden Gate 27 para que aplicativos de terceiros possam exibir essas imagens de referência.
Divulgação/Apple
A Apple apresentou o recurso como parte de uma iniciativa mais ampla voltada para a autenticidade de imagens, complementando os metadados de imagem já existentes e o futuro suporte ao padrão SynthID, que ajudará a identificar imagens geradas ou editadas com IA.
Entretanto, o novo recurso não estará disponível — a princípio — na China, devido a exigências regulatórias. Na União Europeia, a captura de imagens com o Apple Reference Image também não estará disponível já no lançamento dos novos iPhones; no entanto, usuários que estão rodando o iOS 27, iPadOS 27 e macOS 27 ainda poderão processar e visualizar imagens de referência.
Notas de rodapé
1
Application programming interfaces, ou interfaces de programação de aplicações.
Apple today announced iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, delivering the most advanced pro camera system in an iPhone, and huge leaps in battery life and performance. The new 48MP Fusion Main camera, now with variable aperture, brings creative control that wasn’t possible before, and new Pro controls let users customize their experience in the Camera app. Both models feature a smaller and even more useful Dynamic Island, as well as A20 Pro and a next-generation vapor chamber that together deliver the highest sustained performance in iPhone history.
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Pro controls is a new customizable experience in the Camera app for iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max that makes it easier than ever for users to access their most used settings and introduces new options for manual control.
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When a photo is taken in the new Reference mode, the camera captures signed sensor data that Private Cloud Compute develops into an unalterable reference image.
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The upgraded Dynamic Island can now show three Live Activities at once[…]
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eSIM-only models deliver up to 36 hours of video playback on iPhone 18 Pro and up to 45 hours of video playback on iPhone 18 Pro Max.
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iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will be available in 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB storage capacities. Available in burgundy, glacier, silver, and black, iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 or $49.95 per month, and iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at $1,299 or $54.12 per month for 24 months.
What I’m most happy to see is the ability to increase the depth of field. I don’t understand what Apple Reference Image is doing that it needs to be uploaded/offloaded to Private Cloud Compute.
Pro Controls is built around the variable aperture on the new Main camera. Six laser-cut blades move smoothly between four aperture settings, and the Camera app can adjust aperture automatically based on depth of field and lighting, or users can take manual control themselves for what Apple calls “truly unique shots that weren’t possible before” on an iPhone.
Pro Controls works across both photo and video capture. It also introduces Smart Focus Tracking, which uses on-device AI models to lock onto a subject and maintain focus even if that subject briefly leaves the frame and comes back into view.
To the layman’s eye, though, the 18 Pro just looks like it comes in new colors. That’s not a complaint, just a fact. Oh, but the Face ID infrared camera is now underneath pixels on the display, so the Dynamic Island cutout is now smaller. So the part of the Dynamic Island that is always black is smaller, but because there are now more display pixels next to it, the 18 Pro Dynamic Island can now show three active Live Activities, up from two. Apple is getting closer and closer each year to achieving a no-notch / no-cutout display.
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.
I'm here at the beautiful Dunton River Camp in southwest Colorado, where I've spent the last week testing the new camera and features on the iPhone 18 Pro.
I’m not saying iPhone camera hardware won’t continue to improve after that — I’m sure it will — but I suspect variable aperture is the last remaining “easy win”. I think every camera gain after this will be more incremental.
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I suspect that for sustained use cases, it would be more performant to have the 18 Pro’s new thermal system running the 17 Pro’s A19 Pro chip than to have the new A20 Pro chip running with the 17 Pro’s first-generation vapor chamber. But with the iPhone 18 Pro, you get both: you get the faster and more efficient A20 Pro chip and the second-generation vapor chamber thermal system.
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The 18 Pro is the third generation with the Camera Control button. But that button hasn’t changed at all since the 16 Pro, the phone on which it debuted. At some point in the last year, I gave up on using the Camera Control button as anything other than a simple button. I went into Settings and turned off all the features where you can soft-press it and slide your finger back and forth to adjust camera features while using Apple’s Camera app. What I found is that I kept changing things inadvertently and undesirably. It’s too prone to accidental half-presses that put it into slide-to-adjust for some setting, and because it’s an accident, my finger would start changing things. I turned that all off and I’m much happier for it.
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There’s a minor tradeoff with this design. Even my middle-aged eyes can see that the pixels on top of the Face ID sensor aren’t quite as sharp as those on the rest of the screen. The time of day in the status bar looks like it’s just a tad fuzzy, like the text isn’t anti-aliased correctly.
The Apple iPhone 18 Pro camera performance is evaluated across photo, zoom, and video use cases using DXOMARK’s objective measurements and perceptual analyses to assess imaging performance across common shooting conditions. This article provides a structured summary of DXOMARK’s lab measurements and perceptual analyses to describe the device’s imaging performance.
Apple’s new Texture and Grain controls for Photographic Styles are not available on iPhones other than the latest iPhone 18 Pro models and upcoming iPhone Duo, despite the company’s original wording suggesting otherwise.
A subset of iPhone 18 Pro Max users in the U.S. are experiencing issues with AT&T cellular connectivity and/or eSIM provisioning, according to complaints across the MacRumors Forums, Reddit, and the Apple Support Community.
Apple needed to create gaps between the pixels large enough to allow the IR light to pass between them, but without any visible degradation in the display. To do so, the company’s engineers set out to design a different pixel layout with larger gaps without visibly impacting what can be displayed on those pixels.
iFixit used a microscope to show this pixel pattern, with Apple confirming to me me that the overall pixel density over the module is reduced by half. This would potentially have created a second problem: half the pixel density might have created a visibly dimmer section of the display, so Apple increases the brightness of these pixels to compensate. There also appears to be an IR pass filter to block visible light from passing through the gaps, further hiding the components.
AT&T said that customers should immediately update to iOS 27.0.1, despite the fact that many affected users have said that the update does not resolve the issues. There are now at least thousands of users that have experienced this problem, according to discussion topics across the Apple Support Community, Reddit, and MacRumors Forums.
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