Call me old school, but I much prefer playing retro games from classic consoles like the Genesis, SNES, PlayStation 1, and Neo Geo. That’s the main reason I bought a power bank that doubles as a retro handheld over the holidays, but now I’m back to gaming on my phone thanks to MCON.

The company behind it makes some sweet iPhone accessories, like the Snap Grip Wallet, but the MCON Bluetooth Controller is truly in a league of its own compared to other mobile gamepads. Not only does it sport an ingenious, ultra-compact design, but it also differentiates itself by leveraging MagSafe to keep my phone securely mounted. Best of all, it packs all the buttons, triggers, joysticks, and grips needed to feel remarkably like a standard console controller — and you can snag one for $20 off today.

Compact design, easy to stow away

One of my biggest gripes with many Bluetooth gamepads is that they simply aren't designed with mobile in mind. Most look a lot like standard console controllers with clunky phone clips tacked onto them. The MCON Bluetooth Controller, on the other hand, is built from the ground up for on-the-go gaming.

Portability has always been the main bottleneck for mobile setups, but the MCON solves this by folding down into a sleek, self-contained rectangular slab that effortlessly slips into a pocket or the sleeve of a backpack. Looking at the photo above with my iPhone 17 Pro beside it, it shares a nearly identical footprint, just with a slightly thicker chassis.

What makes the design truly clever is its versatility. Rather than locking you into a single configuration, the magnetic MagSafe holder slides out and fully detaches to double as an adjustable kickstand for tabletop play. This magnetic system eliminates the constraints of rigid clamp widths, pairing just as seamlessly with my iPhone 17 Pro as it does with wider, notebook-style foldables like the Pixel 11 Pro Fold.

Small details go a long way

Beyond its compact form factor, the MCON Bluetooth Controller packs several subtle design choices that solves many more of the issues I have about mobile controllers. First and foremost, I really dig how the extendable side grips can change the way it feels. When I keep them collapsed, its flat profile channels that nostalgic-feel squared-off NES gamepad, while sliding them out instantly provides the deeper grip support and ergonomic contours of a modern controller.

On the connectivity front, multi-device Bluetooth pairing lets me switch smoothly between my devices without constantly unpairing and re-syncing them. And as much as I appreciate the wireless connection, there are just some games — like Resident Evil Village — that are better suited with a direct connection. I can eliminate any worry about latency by just connecting it via USB-C.

The most versatile mobile gaming controller

Whether you’re playing classic retro titles like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night or diving into modern mobile games like Diablo Immortal, the MCON Bluetooth Controller solves the portability headache without sacrificing the ergonomics of a dedicated console gamepad. I think the photo above really sums how much I've enjoyed using it to play classic titles on my phone.

Between its slick MagSafe mounting, adaptable fold-out grips, and reliable wired mode, I’ve quickly retired my dedicated retro gaming handheld and now keep this with me at all times. If you've been waiting for a mobile controller that doesn't feel like an afterthought, you can save $20 on the MCON Bluetooth Controller right now — making it an even easier recommendation.

More from Tom's Guide

• The best Samsung phone might not be the best for you — take our quiz to find out which you should buy
• I've been training with the Galaxy Watch 9 for a month — 3 things I like (and 3 I don't)
• We've tested the best Android phones available right now from Samsung, Google and Motorola

This year's Apple September Event is going to be a little different, in that there are only three new iPhones being released. But those three newbies are all premium devices, and that makes deciding between them a much trickier endeavor. With no standard iPhone 18 on the horizon, it's not just a case of picking between the regular and one of two sizes of Pro.

Prospective iPhone users that know they don't want to wait until iPhone 18's early 2027 launch need to decide whether they should stick with a Pro or go Ultra. But what exactly is different between all these new iPhones? Various leaks and rumors show that it's not quite as simple as spotting that one of them folds and the other two don't.

Here's what we know about iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone 18 Pro Max vs iPhone Ultra, and what the differences between all three upcoming iPhones are.

iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone 18 Pro Max vs iPhone Ultra: Rumored Specs

iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone 18 Pro Max vs iPhone Ultra: Price & Availability

Price will be a major sticking point with the next wave of iPhones, due to the fact they're likely to be pretty expensive. iPhones have never been cheap, but the ongoing issues with RAMageddon and skyrocketing memory and storage prices means prices are almost certainly going to be higher than in the past.

Analysts have predicted that the iPhone 18 Pro Max could be as much as $200 more expensive than the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and if that rings true we could see the starting price rise to $1,399. Even if the price hike isn't that high, I'd be surprised if Apple didn't tack on an extra $100 to both iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. In that instance both phones would start at $1,199 and $1,299, respectively.

iPhone Ultra is expected to be considerably more expensive than a non-folding iPhone, with rumors suggesting we could see a starting price somewhere around $2,400 and $2,500. While we don't have other foldable iPhones to compare this to, that would make the iPhone Ultra the most expensive foldable phone on the market — a title currently held by the $2,099 Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.

As for availability, we don't expect any significant changes for the iPhone 18 Pros. Apple is a creature of habit, and pre-orders for new numbered iPhones typically begin the same week as the launch event. With the event expected to happen on September 9, that would normally put pre-order day down for Friday September 11. Though it's suspected that Apple will want to avoid the anniversary of 9/11 and open pre-orders a day later on September 12. The actual release day will likely be a the end of the following week, on September 18.

Things aren't quite so simple with the iPhone Ultra, due to various reports that Apple is struggling to produce enough units. No two sources seem to be able to agree on when the phone will actually release, with some saying it'll happen at the same time as iPhone 18 Pro, and others claiming it'll be much later in the year.

One recent report also suggested that a global launch is out of the question for the time being, since Apple may stagger the release schedule in different regions — starting with the U.S. The one thing there does seem to be consensus on is the fact that supply is likely to be limited. But with a price tag that high, it isn't likely that people will be rushing out to buy one.

iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone 18 Pro Max vs iPhone Ultra: Design & Display

We're not expecting any significant design changes for the iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max, which means the two phones will probably look pretty similar to the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max at first glance. In other words we should expect to see the same 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays, alongside the raised camera bar Apple refers to as the "forged plateau."

It's unclear if Apple will do anything to fix the durability issues that affected the iPhone 17 Pro series. Since the phones were made of anodized aluminum, rather than stronger metals like steel or titanium, there were many reports of chips and scuffs on the exterior of the phone.

Multiple Tom's Guide employees were affected by "scratchgate," as it was known, to varying degrees as well. We haven't heard rumors about this yet, though, so I wouldn't expect anything more than token changes to the exterior metal.

That said, we have heard rumors that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will be thicker and the heaviest iPhone Apple has ever made, clocking in at 240g/8.47oz. It's not clear why, but it's possible that a switch to stronger and heavier materials could account for some of the extra weight — alongside changes like larger batteries.

The iPhone Ultra, on the other hand, is shaping up to be unlike any iPhone we've seen before. Dummy units show a phone that is shorter and wider than a typical iPhone, and that's just the 5.4-inch cover display. The phone will unfold to reveal a 7.8-inch cover foldable display, which is a similar size and shape to the iPad mini 7.

In contrast to the iPhone 18 Pro Max, the Ultra is expected to be ultra-thin and lightweight, with around 4.5mm of thickness when unfolded. That's thinner than the iPhone Air, which already felt like it was impossibly thin. However reports suggest it may weigh a similar amount as the Pro Max, which makes sense when you remember that this is effectively two phones in one.

Apple has apparently focussed on the durability of the Ultra, with an iPhone Air-style body made from titanium. Also rumored is a liquid metal hinge, a structural glass mid-frame and ultra-thin display glass for extra support on the foldable screen. This will also apparently have the added bonus of eliminating the display crease, though we've yet to see whether it's actually invisible or not.

iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone 18 Pro Max vs iPhone Ultra: Performance

The iPhone Ultra may bear the Ultra moniker, but its performance may not be at the same level. Rumor has it that the foldable may come with an A20 chipset, compared to the A20 Pro on the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. However, it will still reportedly still be built on TSMC's 2nm process, which is expected to offer a 15% improvement in speed and 20% boost to efficiency.

The A20 Pro is also expected to be built on the 2nm process, though we don't know as much about the kind of improvements this chip will offer. If past experience tells us anything, we should expect even stronger computing and graphical performance compared to the standard A20 chip. However, we won't know by how much until we actually benchmark all three phones and compare.

We should expect all three to come with 12GB of RAM, which is currently the minimum needed to power some of the more intensive Siri AI features that launched with iOS 27 — including the new dictation and expressive voices.

iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone 18 Pro Max vs iPhone Ultra: Cameras

We're not expecting any major changes with the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max's cameras this year, which means we're likely to see the same trio of 48MP lenses covering the duties of primary, ultrawide and telephoto photography — plus an 18MP Center Stage selfie camera.

However there are still some changes rumored, including the inclusion of variable aperture, and an adjustment to the Camera Control button. Variable aperture would allow iPhone users to adjust the amount of light that enters the camera lens on the fly. It's a feature that we've seen on other cameras, but it would be a first for iPhones — though some rumors suggest that this may be exclusive to the iPhone 18 Pro Max.

Various rumors have discussed the possible changes to Camera Control, including tweaking its capacitive capabilities and ditching the current design in favor of a mechanical button. Whether any of those predictions will come true or not isn't clear right now, but it's unlikely that any of those changes will affect the iPhone Ultra as much as they do the iPhone 18 Pro.

The main thing to note about the iPhone Ultra is that it only has two main cameras, which are expected to be 48MP main and ultrawide lenses. The lack of a dedicated telephoto lens is expected to be a point of contention among the die-hard iPhone fans likely to buy this device. Apple does offer limited "optical quality" digital zooming, but that's never going to replace the quality of a standalone zooming lens. Especially not with a 48MP main camera.

We're expecting to see two selfie cameras, both offering 24MP, but it's unclear whether they will utilize a hole-punch design or if they will be hidden under the display. My gut says the former, but renders and dummy units haven't been particularly forthcoming on this point. Don't expect to see Face ID, though, since reports claim Apple is ditching Face ID in favor of a Touch ID fingerprint sensor in the power button.

iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone 18 Pro Max vs iPhone Ultra: Battery

Battery size has never been high on Apple's list of priorities, but that hasn't stopped the company offering some of the best phone battery life in recent years. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max may take that a little further, by offering even larger batteries than we've seen before: 4,288 mAh and 5,321 mAh respectively.

Admittedly that's a pretty minor increase for the 18 Pro, but it's still a small improvement in overall capacity. Combined with the extra efficiency of the A20 Pro chipset, and inherent optimization between every aspect of iPhone's Apple-made software and hardware we're expecting to see a noticeable boost in battery life.

Those factors will also likely aid the iPhone Ultra, though the larger internal screen will likely eat up more battery life than you'd expect from a non-folding model. That's true of Samsung foldables anyway, with the 5,000 mAh Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra lasting a few hours less than a similar 5,000 mAh battery in the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Reports have suggested we'll see a 4,833 mAh battery, which sits in the middle of the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max's rumored battery packs. Though we'll have to wait and see how that might translate into real-world battery life.

Expect all three phones to come with MagSafe wireless charging, as well as varying degrees of fast wired charging — though since Apple is also pretty secretive about charging speeds we may have to wait before we can figure out just how fast each model is.

iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone 18 Pro Max vs iPhone Ultra: Software

Software is one of the few things that iPhone users don't need to worry about, since the general experience is the same regardless of which kind of phone you use. Often there are exclusive features to the Pro models, though that typically only affects the people who would want to buy the non Pro models like iPhone 18 or iPhone Air 2. I don't see Apple restricting the iPhone Ultra from accessing any premium features without a very good reason.

The software on the iPhone Ultra is going to have to be very different, on account of it essentially being an iPhone and iPad rolled into a single device. This isn't likely to affect the kind of features that are on offer, but it does mean iPhone Ultra's software is going to have to ensure apps can adapt to both screens — and transition whatever you're doing when you switch to a different display.

Likewise it would be a missed opportunity if Apple didn't offer some kind of multitasking capabilities that weren't available (or not as useful) on regular iPhones. Sadly we haven't heard anything about that, so it remains a mystery as to how iPhone Ultra will let users have multiple app windows open at once.

iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone 18 Pro Max vs iPhone Ultra: Outtlook

The differences between iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are likely to be (mostly) superficial and based around the differing sizes of both phones. However, the fact that variable aperture may be exclusive to the Pro Max means there may be some things further differentiating the two devices.

However the iPhone Ultra is set to be unlike any other device Apple has produced so far, which throws a wrench into the usual decision-making process. The fact we've never seen a foldable iPhone before means it's difficult to get an idea of what to expect — and how the Ultra will differ from other foldables already on sale.

Choosing between them all is not quite a matter of ticking off the right boxes and seeing which phone fits your needs the best. You're signing up for a very different iPhone experience than most people are used to. It's also worth considering that the Ultra has been nerfed in some key areas, but the benefit of having a larger and more productive screen could help make up for it.

Then again, if you can't justify spending over $2,000 on a brand new smartphone, the point might be totally moot.

More from Tom's Guide

• Foldable iPhone Ultra is apparently wowing early users — but the camera setup is the elephant in the room
• I've been testing Pixel 11 Pro XL for a week — here's why HiLight is the most disappointing new feature
• The iPhone 18 Pro has me ready to break my 15-year Android streak — but it needs to do these 5 things first

Anticipation is rising for the iPhone Ultra, especially as we near the rumored September 9th event, where we’ll finally get an official look at the upcoming foldable. However, it appears that early testers are sharing what they like about it ahead of the reveal.

Mark Gurman’s latest newsletter is full of praiseworthy tidbits from people who’ve reportedly used the iPhone Ultra. I’m not terribly surprised by this — let’s face it, a new form factor is always intriguing. However, I’m going to be more critical of this device than anything else the company has released, mainly because Apple is late to the game while rival Samsung has been leading and innovating for years.

Here is what these early users are reporting — and my take on their impressions.

Fits in the pocket

It comes as no surprise that early testers love how easily the iPhone Ultra slides into a pocket. Having spent several weeks with the Galaxy Z Fold 8, I completely get the appeal — even if Samsung beat Apple to the punch here.

The iPhone Ultra seems to follow the same playbook, favoring a passport-style aspect ratio over the tall, narrow silhouette typical of most notebook foldables. Thanks to a rumored 5.4- or 5.5-inch cover screen, its squatter, wider frame would feel much more natural to carry every day. And don't get me started on how much easier it is to use one-handed.

Feel and durability of the hinge

As much as phone makers obsess over eliminating display creases, it isn't the biggest factor for me. What stood out from these early impressions is the praise for the hinge's feel and build quality.

This is Apple, so I expect its engineering team to settle for nothing less than perfection. Long-term durability is non-negotiable on a foldable, though to be fair, the industry has come a long way since the clunky, fragile hinges of earlier generations.

Excels as a camera viewfinder

Another standout takeaway from early testers is how well the iPhone Ultra functions as a camera viewfinder. A rumored 7.8-inch main screen provides an enormous canvas for composing shots.

There is a tangible benefit to having that extra screen real estate for mobile photography and video, particularly as my close-up vision isn't what it once was. Having a massive, sharp preview makes framing subjects and checking focus far more forgiving. Even though it’s reportedly going to feature a dual-camera setup that pairs a main and ultrawide sensors, I don’t think the lack of a dedicated telephoto is going to be a deal breaker here.

iPad-like layouts

Finally, what I’m most eager to see in action is how apps actually look and behave on the iPhone Ultra. Because it will feature an aspect ratio unlike any previous iPhone, Apple needs to rethink how interfaces scale across both displays.

If Apple adopts an iPad-style layout, the iPhone Ultra could gain an inherent edge thanks to how intuitive iPadOS is at running multiple apps simultaneously. I fully expect these expanded layouts to optimize every inch of the main screen — nothing would be more frustrating than dealing with wasted space and letterboxing.

The one thing Apple can’t afford not to do

That might be everything early testers love about the iPhone Ultra, but there’s one critical factor that will make or break the experience for me: dynamic app continuity. While the report emphasizes iPad-like layouts, Apple must ensure apps transition seamlessly between screens.

I’m talking about how interfaces adapt when moving from the larger inner display to the compact cover screen, as well as shifting between portrait and landscape orientations. Many of the best foldable phones struggle with this, including the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Pixel 11 Pro Fold, often forcing users to relaunch apps just to trigger the correct layout.

With a rumored starting price of at least $2,000, the iPhone Ultra needs flawless execution if Apple truly wants to bring the foldable form factor to the mainstream.

More from Tom's Guide

• iPhone 18 Pro Max — I asked pro photographers what they really think of a variable aperture camera
• Apple's big September event is coming — but don't expect these 5 products
• iPhone Ultra vs. iPhone 18 Pro Max: Here’s the one I’m putting my money on

How excited should you be for the iPhone Ultra? Very, if the latest report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman is anything to go by, with the reporter declaring the foldable to be "the company's most exciting new product in several years." And it seems that opinion is shared by others — though there is one notable catch.

Gurman has spoken to several people that have already used the foldable iPhone. Those early users praised the phone's pocketability, the durability of the hinge and the iPad-style app layout on the larger foldable screen. However, Gurman notes the lack of a telephoto camera lens could end up costing Apple some sales.

After all, this is a phone that is expected to cost more than $2,000 — possibly as high as $2,500 if some reports are to be believed. As Gurman points out, people who spend that kind of money on a phone are also the kind who want top-of-the-range camera capabilities. In fact, the Venn diagram of those two groups of people "is probably pretty close to a circle."

Sadly, Gurman predicts that the foldable iPhone's camera won't be considered "the best camera system Apple can offer" for at least a couple of years. Which is obviously going to be a sore point for a lot of people, considering Apple's reputation for developing some of the best camera phones.

I have no doubt that the iPhone Ultra's main and ultrawide cameras will be able to produce excellent photos, but the lack of a telephoto lens could potentially be an issue. Apple and other phone makers may offer "optical quality" digital zoom, as well as the software to enhance photos after the fact, but those only go so far.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 series is a good example of this in action. As we noted in our Z Fold 8 vs Z Fold 8 Ultra photo face-off, the zoomed shots on the Z Fold 8 pale in comparison to the Ultra's dedicated zooming lens. Considering how weak the Z Fold 8 Ultra's zoomed performance is compared to the more powerful Galaxy S26 Ultra, that's hardly a ringing endorsement of a telephoto-free smartphone.

It's not all bad news

As disappointing as it is to not have a dedicated telephoto camera, we won't know how much of a limitation this is until after the iPhone Ultra is released — and we've actually used the cameras for ourselves. In the meantime, it seems like a lot of the other buzz behind the upcoming foldable is pretty positive.

That larger display is apparently excellent for productivity, video and gaming, thanks to the convenience of the foldable tablet-like display. The idea that you can have a traditional smartphone device for most daily use, with the versatility of a larger screen is one of the things foldables excel at, and that should be especially true of the iPhone Ultra.

I would agree, and believe that the dual-purpose nature of the phone is likely to be one of its key selling points among those people that can afford the high price tag. And the fact that this is an iPhone is likely to draw in a lot more eyes that equivalent devices from Android-powered rivals.

Gurman also notes that the inclusion of Touch ID, rather than the more common Face ID, is less of an issue than some people might realize — especially since fingerprint sensors are still employed on Macs and iPads.

The iPhone September Event is expected to happen in little over two weeks, which means we don't have long to wait to find out more about the foldable — and the kind of features Apple is offering with it. In the meantime, though, be sure to check out our iPhone Ultra hub for a rundown on all the latest news and rumors.

More from Tom's Guide

• iPhone 18 Pro Max — I asked pro photographers what they really think of a variable aperture camera
• Apple's big September event is coming — but don't expect these 5 products
• iPhone Ultra vs. iPhone 18 Pro Max: Here’s the one I’m putting my money on

My very first smartphone was an iPhone, the humble iPhone 3GS to be precise, but I quickly moved onto Android phones after my initial 2-year plan was over. It's been 15 years since that happened, and every personal phone I've used in the years since has been some kind of Android device.

I've often wondered what it would take for me to make that switch back to iPhone, and with the impending launch of iPhone 18 Pro it's been on my mind more than ever. I'll never say that I won't return to iPhone and iOS, but after all these years there are still things missing from iOS that I wouldn't want to live without.

Here are all the things Apple needs to bring to iPhone 18 Pro to make me even consider switching from Android phones.

Back button navigation

The biggest obstacle between me ditching Android and sticking to an iPhone for the first time in 15 years is the lack of consistent backwards navigation on iOS. Sure, Apple has the left swipe that brings you back in certain situations, but in my experience it's a gamble as to whether it will actually work.

It certainly doesn't work across the entire platform, at which point you're restricted to whatever UI features are available. More often than not those are in the top left corner of the screen, and getting to them is a lot harder than simply swiping from the left side of your screen. This is especially true if you have a larger phone, like the 6.9-inch Pro max iPhones.

It makes navigating on an iPhone an absolute chore, and it's exactly the kind of thing that puts me off using one on a daily basis.

Better File management

The Files app has been available on iPhone for almost a decade now, but the actual file management system is pretty basic in the grand scheme of things. You can access folders and store files on your iPhone, but you're only getting the absolute bare minimum of access.

Android, on the other hand, gives you full access to the entirety of your phone's system files. This can be a bad thing, if you're prone to messing with things you don't understand, but it gives you the freedom to store and access files however you like. Most importantly, it means your apps can too.

I can't tell you the number of times I've forgotten how VLC works on iOS and iPadOS, and that files need to be stored in a specific place and synced correctly. All while the Android version of the app can hunt down every scrap of media on your phone automatically — regardless of where it's kept.

Desktop mode

Desktop mode has been a rarity on a lot of platforms, and it was practically exclusive to Samsung DeX for a long time. But now it's spread to other Android devices, and it's about time Apple took note of this.

Admittedly, desktop mode is not something I use particularly often, but it is a very useful feature to have in a pinch. Plus, your phone is an exceptionally powerful device more capable than some laptops I've owned — so it makes sense that you should be able to put that performance to good use on a larger screen.

Launchers

There's a lot of variety when it comes to Android software, but if none of the stock options appeal to you then you can jazz things up with one of the best Android launchers.

These apps take over your phone, and offer a totally different experience straight from Google Play. There's no need for changing software or tinkering with settings on your phone, and reversing the process is as easy as uninstalling an app.

Apple has come a long way in allowing better customization of iOS in recent years, but we haven't got to the level where launchers are available. Which is a shame, because there doesn't seem to be any major ideological reason why Apple wouldn't allow it.

Sideloading

I know this isn't going to happen, but a guy can dream.

While Google seems to be testing the waters for limiting sideloading, Android's inherent openness is one of the best things about it. The software you use isn't beholden to the whims of a trillion-dollar company, and you have the ability to sideload whatever apps you like — regardless of whether it was approved to be in Google Play or not.

Apple has not been particularly forthcoming with this sort of freedom. The walled garden is ostensibly there for security purposes, but opening up iOS to unapproved installs potentially means ceding control of the iOS platform. Not only would users be able to avoid Apple's rules on what kind of software and content is permissible on iPhone, it would also help developers bypass the fees and commissions associated with the App Store.

Even in the EU, where Apple has been forced to open up to third-party app stores, there are measures in place to avoid offering too much Android-style freedom. Sideloading hasn't been given the green light, and the app stores in question still have to deal with Apple's red tape.

Sure, sideloading does put your device security at risk. But the same is true for installing any software on machines since the dawn of the personal computer. I don't mind security measures to protect from malware and other malicious software, but we don't need a giant company holding our hands and deciding what is or isn't ok.

The one thing Android still needs

Admittedly, Android is far from a perfect ecosystem, especially when you consider the nonsense Google seemed to be trying to pull with sideloading this year. But there is one thing in particular that Google desperately needs to steal from iPhones for Android: desktop connectivity.

The great thing about Apple products is that if you buy into the entire ecosystem, there are a bunch of extra benefits that you wouldn't otherwise get. The links between iPhones and Macs is the thing I'm most envious of, especially thanks to Apple's Handoff feature and the fact it lets you push content from one device to another almost seamlessly.

Granted, Google did have its own ecosystem with some Android support. But if we're being totally honest we know that ChromeOS was not great. There's a reason Googlebooks are coming, running their own version of Android, and we know that they will have better support for multi-device users. But we don't know a lot of the specifics yet, or how well they'll actually work

I'd also like to see closer links between Android and Windows, too. We have QuickShare and Windows Link, which are fine, but having smarter collaborative features would benefit my work and a bunch of other people who have the same Windows/Android device combination as me.

I don't think it's likely, considering that Google and Microsoft would have to collaborate, and the results of that team-up would not be as effective or efficient as a solo endeavor. But I can certainly dream, because I don't plan on buying a Googlebook (or a MacBook) anytime soon.

More from Tom's Guide

• iPhone Ultra is Apple's biggest product in years, but supply chain issues mean many could miss out at launch
• Apple's iPhone 18 Pro launch event is coming — but don't expect these 5 products
• Apple may have accidentally teased its own roadmap with 14 unreleased devices revealed — but this long overdue update has me most excited

Variable apertures might sound unfamiliar to the average person, but they’re not necessarily new in the smartphone world. Still, Apple could make a compelling case for the technology, with rumors hinting that the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a mechanical variable-aperture camera.

I remember how Samsung tried to popularize the concept with dual-aperture lenses on the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S10 years ago, before quietly phasing out the hardware in favor of software-driven computational photography. But as mobile sensors have grown larger and computational photography has pushed its physical limits, Apple’s attempt at reviving the feature could yield big rewards.

Apple has already proven it makes some of the best camera phones around, but a physical variable aperture could finally deliver what earlier iterations couldn't. Still, as a videographer, I have my reservations — so I asked professional photographers exactly how a variable-aperture iPhone could be beneficial (or not).

What is a variable aperture and why should you care?

For photographers who use elaborate, dedicated cameras to make a living, picking up a lens means having total control over its aperture ring. Turning that dial expands or contracts the mechanical blades inside the barrel, directly controlling how much light reaches the sensor and how dramatically the background softens.

Smartphone cameras, by contrast, have historically been locked into a single fixed opening, relying almost entirely on computational algorithms and simulated portrait modes to mimic what high-end glass accomplishes naturally.

In layman’s terms, think of the aperture like the iris of a human eye. The size of this opening is measured in f-stops, where a smaller number represents a wider physical opening.

That’s why photographers often recommend shooting “wide open” (dialing down to an f-stop value like f/1.4 or f/1.8) to flood the sensor with light in dim settings, or creating an authentic background blur with portraits. But altering that opening triggers a ripple effect across the entire exposure triangle.

“When we're working, we’re always conscious of shutter speed, aperture, and ISO — us old-timers call it ASA,” explains Ken Braswell, owner of ShoreGrafx. “Photographers know that you control your depth of field with your aperture, and you also can use it to control your shutter speed."

That dynamic balance is precisely what makes variable glass so powerful. By mechanically stopping down to a narrower aperture — represented by higher f-stop numbers like f/8 or f/16 — a shooter restricts incoming light, allowing for slower shutter speeds that can introduce deliberate motion blur to rushing streams or light streaks from passing cars at night.

Just as importantly, a smaller physical opening expands your depth of field, keeping an entire landscape or a group photo razor-sharp from foreground to background without any artificial software artifacts.

Samsung introduced a mechanical dual-aperture system on the Galaxy S9 and S10, allowing the main camera to physically switch between f/1.5 and f/2.4. In low-light environments, the lens opened to f/1.5 to let in maximum ambient light, while daytime landscapes benefited from a shift to f/2.4 to sharpen details across the frame.

However, because the switch was limited to just those two fixed stops on relatively small sensors, the optical differences were subtle for casual users. Apple could shift the landscape entirely by taking a more versatile approach with a true multi-stage variable aperture system.

Real-world benefits

While Apple’s Pro lineup has long relied on a fixed f/1.78 aperture across its 48MP main sensor, rumors point to a major shakeup for the iPhone 18 Pro Max. Leaks suggest the variable-aperture system will be an iPhone 18 Pro Max exclusive, leaving the standard iPhone 18 Pro with a fixed aperture.

Another potential incentive to choose the Pro Max over the standard Pro is that it might also feature an extended 6x optical telephoto zoom.

In tricky real-world scenarios, hardware control solves problems that software post-processing and digital trickery simply cannot. “Thanks to presets, face-tuning, and things like Google’s Remix feature, consumers have been spoiled by the benefits of AI and other software wizardry,” said Frank Filiatrault, owner and lead photographer at Curbside Captures. “A variable aperture allows you to not only let in more light, but it also allows you to adjust your photography to incorporate things like bokeh and more creative depth of field without the software after the fact.”

By giving shooters true mechanical control, the iPhone 18 Pro Max wouldn't just be calculating depth maps or masking edges post-shot — it would be capturing the scene optically from the start. It speaks directly to the ongoing "AI versus reality" debate across mobile tech, often highlighted by features like Google’s Pro Res Zoom on Pixel phones. Just take a look at some of the photos I've captured above.

Whether isolating a subject in a dimly lit venue or keeping an entire family crisp in a portrait, having actual blades move behind the glass ensures cleaner light gathering and authentic depth of field that no software patch can replicate.

Think different

No matter how advanced mobile camera sensors become, I can attest that professional photographers aren’t trading in their full-frame bodies or cinema rigs for an iPhone 18 Pro Max. For working pros, smartphones serve a fundamentally different purpose: secondary capture, studio prep, and as Braswell pointed out right from the start, “your best camera is the one you have with you.”

“I’m not going to add anything to my arsenal by having my iPhone having an aperture,” explains Ken Braswell. “I might use it in the studio to document lighting and camera, just to record how my studio setup was. But the intent isn’t for super high-quality images; you’re just trying to document what’s going on.”

Frank Filiatrault echoes that exact sentiment, viewing mobile hardware as a reliable supplement rather than an A-cam successor. “Pros will use it just the same — for BTS content, as a travel vlogging device, for social content, etc.,” Filiatrault notes. “Tide lifts all boats, so to speak.”

Because professional photographers won’t be swayed by mechanical blades alone, Apple faces a different challenge: convincing the average Joe that this hardware leap actually matters. Mainstream consumers don't shop for f-stops, shutter speeds, or sensor crop factors. In fact, I’d be surprised if Apple executives even mention the technical term "aperture" during the keynote.

“I don't think the average person is going to be into it so much,” Braswell admits. “They could be starting something new and bring awareness to aperture to average people, and they might start getting more creative.”

To bridge that gap and avoid the marketing pitfalls Samsung faced years ago, Apple will almost certainly package this hardware under intuitive, consumer-friendly branding — much like it did with FaceTime, AirDrop, and True Tone.

“Thanks to software, we’re getting to a point where sometimes ‘good-enough’ really is good enough,” says Filiatrault. “Folks don’t need to spend more money on the flagship device... What it will do is help inspire another generation of visual storytellers and empower them with better tools.”

I have plenty guesses on what Apple could do to highlight a feature such as this on the iPhone 18 Pro Max. Perhaps, it could be used for artistic effects, like somehow offering a long exposure mode where it could switch aperture levels to keep subjects crisp and add motion blur to the background.

By translating complex camera hardware into tangible everyday benefits, Apple won't just sell the iPhone 18 Pro Max as an enthusiast tool — it will reshape how casual shooters understand and use light. In the spirit of Apple’s classic “Think Different” spirit, this new camera system could ultimately inspire an entire generation to shoot differently.

More from Tom's Guide

• iPhone Ultra trade-offs: The biggest things you’re not getting versus iPhone 18 Pro
• 3 big reasons to buy iPhone 18 Pro Max over iPhone 18 Pro this year
• iPhone Ultra is Apple's biggest product in years, but supply chain issues mean many could miss out at launch

We know that Apple's September event is coming, and we know that Apple will announce a bunch of new devices including the likes of iPhone 18 Pro and the foldable iPhone Ultra. But despite the fact that there are likely to be plenty of new reveals at the event, there are plenty of things we're not expecting Apple to announce.

The latest reports suggest Apple has 14 unreleased devices that are still in production. None of the products are particularly surprising to anyone that pays attention to Apple rumors, but there just isn't space to reveal them all next month. In fact, a bunch of them may not even be revealed this year.

So where are all the things you shouldn't expect Apple to announce at the Apple September event

iPhone 18

Despite the fact we are expecting to see the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max at the Apple evet, the iPhone 18 is not expected to be on the agenda. Instead the phone is tipped \to launch in early 2027, alongside the iPhone Air 2 and (somewhat bizarrely) the lower-cost iPhone 18e.

It was originally claimed that it was an attempt to "rejuvenate" sales, which suggests Apple may be hoping more people buy the iPhone 18 Pro instead of waiting for the standard model. Whether that will work isn't clear, but regardless of how successful this new plan is it means we shouldn't expect to see more than three iPhones in September.

Camera AirPods

There have been a bunch of rumors about Apple's camera-equipped AirPods Ultra in recent weeks. That includes a demo video that was found hiding in macOS Tahoe 26.7, which suggested that Apple might be preparing to launch these buds soon.

Sadly, that's apparently not the case, with a new report suggesting that supply chain and software challenges are interfering with production.

The AirPods in question are said to feature low-resolution cameras that are designed to feed information to Siri AI. Using that contextual information, Siri can then offer better information based on what's around you. Crucially, these cameras are not designed to be able to take photos or record video.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman recently posted on X that the AirPods Ultra aren't coming until 2027.

Touchscreen MacBook Pro Ultra

It's been a long time since Apple announced any Mac news alongside new iPhones. Normally, Apple reveals new Mac hardware later in the year, assuming there are any new products that are ready to be announced at all.

It has been almost a year since the launch of the M5 series chips, and rumor has it that the M6 series may not have a particularly long lifespan. So if Apple is planning on releasing M6 Macs, then it's probably going to happen fairly soon — though it's unclear whether the touchscreen MacBook Ultra will be arriving this year.

But don't expect to see them until October at the earliest. Once the dust has settled on the iPhone 18 Pro launch, Apple is likely to go all in on any new Macs that are ready to release.

iPad mini OLED

There's only one iPad that's rumored to be on the way in the near future, and that's the iPad mini's long-awaited OLED refresh. But like Macs, iPads typically get announced separately from iPhones — and usually with a lot less fanfare.

We don't know a whole lot about the upcoming tablet, beyond the fact it's set to have an OLED display panel and is rumored to be arriving at some point in October. Meanwhile, new iPad Air and iPad Pro models are expected to arrive some time in early 2027, which is pretty typical for more premium Apple tablets.

Apple Watch SE

We are expecting to see the Apple Watch series 12 and the Apple Watch Ultra 4 at this year's September event. This doesn't mean you should expect to see a new Apple Watch SE. After all, the Apple Watch SE 3 was only released last year, and Apple typically leaves a much larger gap between its lower cost devices.

Don't expect the Apple Watch SE 4 until next year at the earliest, or possibly even 2028.

What will be there?

There won't be a shortage of new reveals at the Apple September event, and the three new iPhones are going to be the stars of the show. We're expecting to see iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max as well as the foldable iPhone Ultra. That'll reportedly be joined by the Apple Watch series 12 and the Apple Watch Ultra 4.

But that's not all we're expecting to see. Word is that Apple will also unveil a brand new Apple TV 4K streaming box, which is long overdue, alongside a new version of the HomePod mini. Plus, if we're lucky, we may even get to see the long-rumored Apple smart home hub — a product that was reportedly delayed due to the issues upgrading Siri to Siri AI.

More from Tom's Guide

• iPhone Ultra trade-offs: The biggest things you’re not getting versus iPhone 18 Pro
• 3 big reasons to buy iPhone 18 Pro Max over iPhone 18 Pro this year
• iPhone Ultra is Apple's biggest product in years, but supply chain issues mean many could miss out at launch

Like a lot of phone nerds I know, I've been waiting years to see what Apple could do with a foldable phone — and that reality may soon be here with the iPhone Ultra. However, it’s going to take more than just novel engineering and a new form factor to pull me away from its top-of-the-line flagship.

I know a lot of people may face this dilemma next month, if rumors turn out to be true about Apple’s iPhone event happening September 9. That’s why I’m exploring this iPhone Ultra vs. iPhone 18 Pro Max debate to tell you their biggest selling points based on the leaks and rumors.

Clearly, the traditional flagship design isn't broken, and the iPhone 18 Pro Max is poised to deliver all the marquee features I rely on day in and day out: unmatched battery endurance, top-notch camera performance, and relentless reliability. For Apple, though, the iPhone Ultra could finally give the Pro Max its toughest challenge to date.

Real productivity could finally arrive

After testing out many of the best foldable phones, like the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Motorola Razr Fold, there’s no denying how the iPhone Ultra presents itself as the ultimate productivity workhorse. It’s tipped to pack a massive 7.8-inch main display that inherently is better suited for getting work done than the iPhone 18 Pro Max’s 6.9-inch screen.

I’m not just referring to how it has an overwhelming size advantage for watching videos, but how that 7.8-inch display could finally bring real, side-by-side multitasking to an iPhone for the first time. If Apple somehow sneaks multitasking into iOS 27, it could theoretically be accessible to the iPhone 18 Pro Max — but it would be forced to stack them on top of one another when the orientation is in portrait.

Just as crucial, though, is the exterior screen experience of the iPhone Ultra. Unlike the wide, hefty footprint of the iPhone 18 Pro Max, the Ultra’s outer cover display is significantly narrower and easier to maneuver with one hand. That means quick-fire tasks — like snappy text responses and accepting calendar invites — would feel far more agile, giving the Ultra the edge whether it’s opened up or kept shut.

Catering to vloggers versus robust utility

It’s often said that the best camera is the one you have with you. So if I had to pick between the triple-camera setup of the iPhone 18 Pro Max and the rumored dual-camera system of the iPhone Ultra, it’s a no-brainer which one I'd want in my pocket.

That’s because I still value the versatility of a dedicated triple-lens system above almost anything else, and that is where these two diverge. All leaks point to a dual-camera setup on the iPhone Ultra, which trades zoom range for creator-first utility.

Similar to other book-style foldables, the iPhone Ultra gains an edge by leveraging its outer cover screen as a live viewfinder for the rear cameras. The Pixel 11 Pro Fold is the perfect example of this with its new Creator Suite.

Framing up solo vlogging shots is way easier with a foldable because you get an instant preview, whereas the iPhone 18 Pro Max would have to rely on add-ons like the Insta360 Snap or Dockcase Selfix iPhone case.

Yet for all of the Ultra's vlogging cleverness, the iPhone 18 Pro Max should be the definitive choice for serious creators. Between a true optical zoom telephoto lens that pulls in distant subjects and the rumored addition of a variable aperture, the iPhone 18 Pro Max offers a level of optical flexibility and creative command that a dual-camera foldable simply cannot match.

A shared chip, but a clear endurance winner

Under the hood, this matchup is expected to be a dead heat because the iPhone Ultra and iPhone 18 Pro Max are tipped to run on Apple’s next-generation A20 Pro chip. This means raw computing power and graphics rendering should be identical in real-world use. If there’s one thing Apple consistently gets right, it's keeping processing performance uniform across its lineup — and I have no doubt it’ll be the same here.

Battery endurance, however, is a different story. While the Ultra is likely to split its power supply across a dual-battery design to accommodate its folding hinge, the iPhone 18 Pro Max benefits from a unibody design that should pack a massive battery of 5,567 mAh compared with 4,883 for the iPhone Ultra.

Combine that larger capacity with a single 6.9-inch display, and the iPhone 18 Pro Max is almost guaranteed to last longer on our battery drain test and likely make our best phone battery life list.

Why the iPhone 18 Pro Max gets my vote for now

Software is where this battle will ultimately be won or lost for me. The single biggest factor that could sway me toward the iPhone Ultra is how Apple pulls off the holy grail of foldable phones: dynamic layouts with the interface. If iOS 27 indeed solves the persistent problems I’ve run into on Android foldables — namely poor app scaling, awkward aspect ratio letterboxing, and clunky orientation transitions — it would make an incredibly compelling case over the traditional iPhone 18 Pro Max experience.

If that’s not enough to consider, there’s also the financial reality of how much I’m willing to pay for an unproven foldable. While the iPhone 18 Pro Max is expected to arrive at a higher premium than its predecessor, a massive price jump could persuade me to look toward the Ultra instead. Rumors hint at a price hike of upward of $350 on the Pro Max, which is excessive to say the least — though a modest $100 to $200 increase would keep my interest.

Still, $2,000 seems to be the current sweet spot for book-style foldables, and the latest leaks suggest the Ultra could land well north of that, approaching $2,500. If the pricing gap between them ends up around $1,000, my pick would easily remain faithful to the iPhone 18 Pro Max for its proven formula and class-leading performance.

More from Tom's Guide

• iPhone Ultra trade-offs: The biggest things you’re not getting versus iPhone 18 Pro
• 3 big reasons to buy iPhone 18 Pro Max over iPhone 18 Pro this year
• Apple may have accidentally teased its own roadmap with 14 unreleased devices revealed — but this long overdue update has me most excited

How easy is it going to be to pick up an iPhone Ultra after its debut at the September Apple Event? Assuming you can pay the high price tag, rumored to be in the region of $2,000 to $2,500, there has been plenty of doomsaying and claims that supply may be extremely limited. Well, it turns out that might depend on where you live.

According to a report from Australian outlet ChannelNews, Apple could stagger the release of the iPhone Ultra by country. It's claimed the foldable will debut in the U.S. market before slowly rolling out to other regions. If that sounds familiar, it's because Apple previously employed a similar release strategy with the Apple Vision Pro.

Why stagger the release?

According to ChannelNews this information comes from one of Apple's Chinese suppliers. Apparently, the regional delays are "primarily down to supply and pricing issues," while also adding that they believe Apple is "also having testing issues with production models that have already been built."

There have been plenty of reports saying similar things over the past several weeks. It's claimed that there ae issues producing enough units that though various counter reports still maintain that the iPhone Ultra will still make an appearance alongside iPhone 18 Pro at the Apple launch event next month.

Right now we don't know which reports are accurate, or what Apple's actual plans are. However, the staggered release may be a "best of both" approach for Apple itself. Limiting the release of the iPhone Ultra to the U.S. market means it can still push ahead with a late 2026 release, without having to worry about those rumored production woes.

What could Apple's plan be?

Apple is not one to reveal its plans ahead of time, so it's not exactly clear how such a staggered release might play out — or how long it'll be for a non-U.S. release to happen.

Carrier sources in Australia have told ChannelNews that a local release could take months, and the phone won't be available with the rest of this fall's iPhone releases. It's also claimed that Apple may not announce the iPhone Ultra price tag, though it's unclear if this relates to local pricing around the world, or how much U.S. buyers will need to pay.

I guess it all depends on Apple and its partners getting to grips with the rumored production issues, and how strong the demand is in the U.S. market. Improving supply and production yields means they have more opportunity to release the iPhone Ultra in different regions without risking running out in the U.S.

Alternatively, if the Ultra ends up in a similar situation as the Vision Pro, Apple can adjust for weak domestic demand by rolling out the iPhone Ultra to other regions. Reports currently indicate that demand could be rather high, which would explain the staggered rollout and focus on Apple's home turf.

Do we need to worry?

If you're living in the U.S., or plan on visiting in the near future, then you should probably be able to pick up an iPhone Ultra at some point. That's assuming you are willing to pay the extreme price tag that Apple is rumored to impose.

Reports suggest that Apple wants to produce around 10 million units. That figure pales in comparison to the number of non-folding devices Apple sells each year, but those other devices also cost more than half of what the iPhone Ultra is expected to cost. Personally, while I know the iPhone Ultra will be popular, I feel as though the price is going to be a major barrier for entry — just as it was with the Apple Vision Pro.

Outside the U.S. is a totally different ball game, though, and it will likely depend on when Apple decides to release the iPhone Ultra in those regions. At this point, we just don't know when that might be.

More from Tom's Guide

• iPhone Ultra trade-offs: The biggest things you’re not getting versus iPhone 18 Pro
• 3 big reasons to buy iPhone 18 Pro Max over iPhone 18 Pro this year
• Apple may have accidentally teased its own roadmap with 14 unreleased devices revealed — but this long overdue update has me most excited

There could be some pretty big iPhone 18 Pro Max vs iPhone 18 Pro differences when the new iPhones debut at the Apple Event in September — and I’m not talking screen size.

Other than display and battery, the iPhone Pro and Pro Max have mostly enjoyed parity over the past several years. But there have been some notable exceptions where the Max got the shiny new upgrades first.

For example, the iPhone 12 Pro Max boasted a 47% larger main camera sensor, sensor-shift optical image stabilization (OIS) and a 2.5x telephoto lens. The regular iPhone 12 Pro made do with a smaller sensor, 2x telephoto and standard OIS.

Fast forward to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, and Apple debuted the 5x tetraprism zoom lens while keeping the iPhone 15 Pro at 3x.

Now after two years of total parity across the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro lineups, that gap appears ready to reopen. Assuming the latest leaks prove true around the variable aperture camera and more, the iPhone 18 Pro Max might once again be in a league of its own.

iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone 18 Pro Max: Similarities

Before we get into the differences, it’s important to quickly summarize the rumored upgrades coming to both the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, starting with the design.

Both new iPhone Pros are tipped to feature a smaller Dynamic Island. So it’s not going away, but the area reserved for the front camera and Face ID hardware should be shrinking. And you’ll still have Live Activities popping into this area.

In addition, it looks like Apple is ditching the two-tone look from the iPhone 17 Pro in favor of a more unified aesthetic on the back of the iPhone. And there should be new colors to choose from, including Dark Cherry and Light Blue.

The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max will likely be powered by Apple’s first 2nm chip in the A20 Pro. This should offer increased performance and longer battery life. Plus, Apple’s C2 modem should beef up connectivity while cutting down on power.

iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone 18 Pro Max: Differences

Variable aperture camera

At first it was believed that both the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max would get a variable aperture camera. This would allow users to manually control the aperture, giving you more control over the depth of field for portrait shots. It could also enable sharper close-up shots and better low-light performance.

However, some leakers now claim that the variable aperture lens will be an iPhone 18 Pro Max exclusive. This includes Ice Universe, who has a pretty solid track record. The reasoning is that Apple needs the larger chassis to pull this off. We’ll have to see if this proves true but this could be a big reason to go Max this year.

Even longer zoom

The iPhone 18 Pro Max could once again leapfrog the regular Pro when it comes to zoom capability. Ice Universe also claims that only the iPhone 18 Pro Max may be getting a 6x optical zoom in addition to a more advanced “five-refraction” prism.

The Pro version might offer 5x-6x zoom, Ice Universe wrote.

Much larger battery

If you want a phone with the most battery life possible, the iPhone 18 Pro Max looks to be the ticket. It’s tipped to get a 5,567 mAh battery, which would be a big jump over the 5,088 mAh battery in the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Meanwhile, the iPhone 18 Pro’s capacity could have a meager 1% increase over its predecessor, packing a 4,288 mAh battery. The iPhone 17 Pro had a 4,252 mAh battery.

In our iPhone 17 battery testing, the iPhone 17 Pro Max lasted an epic 17 hours and 54 minutes of 5G web surfing, compared to 15:32 for the iPhone 17 Pro. I would expect the gap to grow with the iPhone 18 Pro Max.

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs iPhone 18 Pro: Outlook

The decision between the iPhone Pro and Pro Max has usually come down to how big a screen you want, and that primary difference isn’t going away. The iPhone 18 Pro Max should feature the same 6.9-inch size as last year, compared to 6.3 inches for the Pro.

But it appears that the iPhone 18 Pro Max could offer major camera advantages over the iPhone 18 Pro in addition to a much bigger battery. What we don’t know is how much Apple is going to charge for these phones, but both are tipped for a price hike.

With a rumored increase for the iPhone 18 Pro to $1,299-$1,399 and $1,399-$1,499 for the iPhone 18 Pro Max, I think shoppers will want the most bang for their buck. So if these rumors and leaks pan out, I see a lot more shoppers splurging for the Max.

This week Apple released macOS version 26.7, and apparently hidden in the code are references to multiple unreleased Apple devices that all could launch in the coming months.

In total, the apparent accidental leaks reveal at least 14 products, including AirPods with cameras, the expected foldable iPhone Ultra, new OLED models of the MacBook and iPad mini and a next-generation Apple TV. The leak was discovered by Aaron Perris of MacRumors.

For many of these devices, the best we can note from the code is that they exist or will exist at some point. But it does give us an idea of what Apple could be working on and what's next.

Here's the full list for now:

• Apple Home Hub
• HomePod mini 3
• Apple Security Camera
• Home Accessory
• iPhone Air 2
• iPhone 18 Pro
• iPhone 18 Pro Max
• iPhone 18
• iPhone Ultra
• MacBook Pro 14” M6
• iMac M6
• MacBook Pro OLED touchscreen
• iPad mini OLED
• AirPod Ultra (with camera)
• Beats headphones

With Apple's annual iPhone event around the corner, we're expecting a majority of that list to be announced next month. That includes the iPhone 18 Pro models, the iPhone Ultra, and the AirPods Ultra with cameras that were revealed in a leaked video this week.

The leaked code doesn't appear to have release dates, not that it would. With that in mind, of the devices on the list, the base model iPhone 18 and super-thin iPhone Air 2 likely won't debut until next spring with Apple's rumored split launch.

There are two interesting reveals in the OLED devices and the suite of smart home devices.

OLED MacBook and iPad mini

Apple doesn't release MacBooks until later in the fall, typically in mid-October. The most recent leaks have suggested that Apple will add the MacBook to its burgeoning "Ultra" line.

The Apple MacBook Ultra is supposed to debut this year with an OLED touchscreen panel and the M6 chipset. The OLED panel and touchscreen would be among three firsts for Apple laptops, including a new iPhone-esque Dynamic Island. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has suggested that it will also get a redesign, though he declined to elaborate on what Apple is changing.

As for the iPad mini, the OLED redesign has been rumored for a couple of years, but recent rumors have settled on an October debut. The big change is the screen, but it should also feature a faster chip. So far, rumors haven't revealed any other changes.

Apple's Smart Home ambitions

Since Apple revealed Apple Intelligence in 2024, rumors about an AI-boosted suite of smart home devices have been repeatedly leaked, though the delay of Siri 2.0 seemingly kept getting in the way.

It's being built around a new version of the Apple HomePod. Per MacRumors, this code leak potentially revealed two versions of the HomePod: one that mounts on the wall and one with a built-in base that may or may not be a speaker with essentially an iPad on it.

One of the code names, "B525" apparently refers to what may be the HomePod mini 2, as the current version had a B520 codename.

The Apple Security Camera is both a surprise since it hasn't really been revealed previously, but also not that shocking. At WWDC 2026, Apple announced an upgrade to Apple Home Secure Video that adds AI for natural language search, detailed video descriptions and more. Apple is clearly thinking about security cameras.

The other interesting reference is to something labeled Pebble, which may be a smart home OS that we had previously seen codenamed as "Charismatic."

New Apple TV 4K and Siri remote

The one I'm most curious about is the long-rumored next-generation Apple TV 4K set-top streaming box Apparently, the code reveals a new, upgraded Siri remote too.

The code doesn't reveal any changes, but it seems to suggest that an Apple TV update is coming after years of rumors. Some rumors have suggested the new streaming box could have a camera for FaceTime calls.

Otherwise, we're mostly expecting internal upgrades with the rumored N2 chip for better Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, and at the very least the A17 Pro chip, though I expect something higher at this point.

We'll be tracking all of these potential devices in the coming months, with the iPhone lineup the first to hit in September.

More from Tom's Guide

• iPhone Ultra trade-offs: The biggest things you’re not getting versus iPhone 18 Pro
• I found the 15 best Apple deals in Best Buy's massive 60th Anniversary sale — AirPods, Apple Watches, MacBooks and more
• iPhone Ultra leakers reveal new details around release and 'extremely limited' availability

Given that the foldable iPhone is expected to cost anywhere between $2,000 and $2,500, there is some legitimate debate going on right now as to whether it will really be worth the premium. And at least based on the reports and rumors thus far, the so-called iPhone Ultra could have some serious drawbacks compared to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.

People shopping for a foldable phone compared to a traditional flagship slab are accustomed to making trade-offs. For example, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 series doesn’t have IP68 dust resistance, a telephoto camera or an S Pen like the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

The question is whether Apple is making the right trade-offs with the iPhone Ultra. Here’s what will likely be missing on the foldable iPhone — and my “bummer score” on whether it’s a big deal.

No telephoto lens (Bummer score: 8/10)

The iPhone Ultra will reportedly feature dual 48MP rear cameras: a main wide lens and an ultrawide. However, Apple is expected to skip a telephoto lens, which means you won’t get a long optical zoom as you will on the iPhone 18 Pro Max (tipped for 6x optical zoom).

In other words, you’ll have to rely on cropping from the main camera or digital zoom if you want to get closer to your subject. For example, the Galaxy Fold 8 also lacks a telephoto and features a max digital zoom of just 10x. Based on all of the design leaks, this omission would not be a surprise at all but would still be a very big bummer for a $2,000+ phone.

No Face ID (Bummer score: 7/10)

Face ID has been the standard way to unlock your phone since the iPhone X way back in 2017. But it looks like Apple simply won’t have the room to cram a TrueDepth sensor and the other necessary tech to make Face ID happen on the iPhone Ultra.

This is a big bummer because with Face ID you don’t even have to think about unlocking your phone — even in the dark. It just works. You’ll likely unlock the iPhone Ultra with Touch ID instead, and Apple has done a remarkable job perfecting this technology in the iPhone line and now the iPad and Mac. But fingerprints sensors are by their very nature more finicky than face recognition.

No dust resistance (Bummer score: 6/10)

It’s one of the most notable weaknesses of the Galaxy Fold 8, so it’s just as appropriate to mention here. The iPhone Ultra is expected to have a durability rating of IP48 or IPX8.

This would mean that the iPhone Ultra would be able to withstand being submerged in water but not dust or sand. This is another trade-off shared by the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra.

There are foldables that are IP68 rated for water and dust, including the Motorola Razr Fold and Pixel 11 Pro Fold. These are on the thicker side, though, and the iPhone Ultra is expected to be thinner at 4.5 to 4.8 mm when open.

No MagSafe (Bummer Score: 5/10)

It would be a definite step backwards if the foldable iPhone didn’t support MagSafe technology, which debuted on the iPhone 12 series back in 2020

With MagSafe you can easily attach your iPhone to various wireless chargers, as well as turn your phone into an alarm clock with StandBy mode. Whether it’s about achieving a thinner design or leaving room for a larger battery, not having MagSafe on board would stink. But at least you could buy a case with the necessary magnets built in.

iPhone Ultra outlook

When you add up these drawbacks, there are some major reasons to potentially skip the iPhone Ultra and get the iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max instead.

For me, not having a telephoto zoom camera is a big deal, and I might wait for an iPhone Ultra 2 to see if Apple can add this feature.

But the iPhone Ultra is still likely to draw a ton of interest (and buyers) because of its ability to give you a 7.8-inch display in a compact design. You’ll essenitally be getting an iPad mini and iPhone in one device. Apple is also rumored to have eliminated the crease (though we’ll see about that).

In short, the iPhone Ultra could be the ultimate phone for multitaskers. But you’ll have to be willing to live with less features and functionality to enjoy this versatility. Let me know in the comments if you think these trade-offs will be worth it — or not.

More from Tom's Guide

• iPhone Ultra leakers reveal new details around release and 'extremely limited' availability
• Apple iPhone 18 event — all the new products expected to launch in September
• iPhone Ultra and iPhone 18 Pro pre-order date just tipped — here's when you can get yours

Apple's annual iPhone event is only a few weeks away, and it could easily be the biggest Apple event in years. We're expecting a slew of new devices to be unveiled as John Ternus takes the reins as Apple's new CEO.

And all of that is before we discuss the launch of the long-rumored, much-hyped foldable iPhone Ultra — Apple's first attempt at a foldable phone. It's not clear when the device will actually launch, but at the very least, its reveal is almost certainly right around the corner.

In all, Apple is expected to launch up to eight different devices, from the expected new iPhones and upgraded Apple Watches to several new smart home-focused products.

Here's what we expect to see at Apple's September event, and when it should kick off.

When is the iPhone 18 event?

For the last several years, Apple has held its iPhone launch event during the second week of September, and usually on a Tuesday. This would normally mean that Apple would hold its 2026 event on Tuesday, September 8. However, the preceding Monday is Labor Day, so Apple will likely push the event to Wednesday, September 9.

This has happened in the past, and the reasoning is that Apple doesn't want to ask attendees to travel on a holiday weekend. For example, the iPhone 14 launched on Wednesday, September 7, following Labor Day on Monday 5, and that'll likely be the case this year too.

iPhones usually go up for pre-order the Friday following the Apple event, but this year that's September 11. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has reported that pre-orders will be pushed to Saturday, September 12.

This year's edition will be hosted by incoming CEO John Ternus, and it looks like his tenure will start with a bang.

New iPhones

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max

This year, Apple is expected to launch only its iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models. The entry-level iPhone 18 and iPhone 18 Plus reportedly won't debut until next spring alongside the iPhone 18e model.

The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are both tipped to feature Apple's new 2nm A20 Pro chip, a smaller Dynamic Island and Apple's new C2 modem. And both phones should get larger batteries.

However, the iPhone 18 Pro Max might have some exclusive upgrades, including a variable aperture camera and longer zoom. For more see our iPhone 18 Pro vs Pro Max comparison.

Unforutnately, analysts have predicted that the new iPhone 18 Pros could cost between $200 and $350 higher than the iPhone 17 Pro family.

iPhone Ultra

The biggest announcement of the Apple event is sure to be the debut of the foldable iPhone Ultra.

Leaks have suggested that it will have more of a wider shape, similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 8, with a 7.8-inch foldable display and a 5.5-inch cover screen. It could measure between 4.5 and 4.8mm when unfolded, making it one of the thinnest iPhones ever.

It's rumored to sport a 4,883 mAh battery, the A20 Pro chipset, Apple's in-house C2 modem, and a Touch ID fingerprint scanner in the power button. The rear is expected to come with a pair of 48MP cameras, horizontally positioned like the back of the iPhone Air, alongside two separate 24MP selfie cameras — one for each screen.

Apple reportedly delayed releasing a folding iPhone until it could eliminate the crease in the display, but whether it's accomplished this remains to be seen. Even Samsung and Oppo, despite their long lead time, have only had moderate success.

One downside is that the iPhone Ultra could be very expensive, costing anywhere from $2,000 to 2,500. And a recent leak suggests that iPhone Ultra may not be immediately available, with only "extremely limited" availability.

Just keep in mind that the iPhone Ultra could have a number of trade-offs versus the iPhone 18 Pro, including the lack of a telephoto zoom.

AirPods Ultra

These ones are a little surprising as based on a previous Gurman report, we weren't expecting the AirPods Ultra until 2027 at the earliest. However, rumor aggregator AppleTrack just reported this week that the Ultra version of AirPods will launch at the iPhone event.

The big change with these headphones is they will allegedly feature a camera that will feed into Siri to allow it to "see" the world.

It would utilize a version of Visual Intelligence to let you ask Siri questions about your surroundings or get turn-by-turn directions from the more powerful AI Siri releasing this fall.

The AirPods Ultra has also just appeared in a leaked video buried within the macOS Tahoe 26.7 release candidate, and it shows how they'll help you identify objects in the real world.

Apple Watch 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4

Unlike the iPhones, we know a bit less about the next Apple Watches. We are expecting two new models in the Apple Watch Series 12 and the Apple Watch Ultra 4.

The leaks have been sparse, but Apple is reportedly not bringing many upgrades this year. The biggest change might be a new kind of band attachment. This does mean that your old bands might not be compatible with the new watches.

Reportedly, Apple could offer a ceramic case option for the first time in years. It should also sport new health and fitness-related upgrades. We already know that watchOS 27 will bring new AI features, an updated Workout Buddy and more useful data tracking. Plus, it should feature better integration with the upgraded Siri AI which we've already seen in the iOS 27 beta.

Smart Home

Apple's smart home ambitions and the rumors surrounding them need to be taken with a massive grain of salt. Leaks have suggested Apple is planning on introducing a suite of smart home devices starting with a revamped HomePod and an AI-powered Apple TV 4K streaming device.

Those rumors have existed for more than two years and largely feed into the company's promises around the AI-powered Siri.

However, this year with iOS 27, Apple may finally have the chatbot that was promised. If it actually releases and works as pitched, this year could actually be the start of Apple Home.

HomePod Home hub

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, long a reporter of the rumored HomePod updates, believes that a new HomePod mini could launch this September alongside the rumored HomePod Home hub.

Several different iterations of this device have been rumored, including one with a $1,000 robot arm. The most common version involves a wall-mounted touchpad or a HomePod speaker with a touch display about the size of an iPad mini.

This device would have a FaceTime camera for video calls and presence sensors to initiate smart home routines.

HomePod mini 2

A new HomePod mini might also debut, but it might not be as big of an upgrade as the Hub. Most rumors suggest that it will feature a new chip and audio improvements.

To be clear, this one feels even more far-fetched than the Hub; the HomePod mini 2 has been on our rumor radar since at least 2023. The current version debuted in 2020, and like the next device, is long overdue for an update.

Apple TV 4K 2026

Like the HomePod series, Apple hasn't released a new version of the Apple TV 4K since 2022. We're long overdue for an upgrade — even if it's only a more powerful chip for stronger performance.

Previously, it was suggested that a new Apple TV could feature the A17 Pro chip, but it's more likely it'll get the new A20 or, to save some money, last year's A19. The device should also get the rumored N2 chip for better Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.

Outside of chips, the big upgrade would be Siri AI, which could let you connect the Apple TV as a hub for smart devices. One rumor suggested that Apple might release a set-top box with a camera, which would allow for FaceTime calls and gesture-based controls.

Will you be tuning in to Apple's event next month? Let me know which device you're most hyped for in the comments.

What we don't expect to see

Even with a huge event like this, there are still going to be devices that won't make an appearance. Due to staggered release schedules and supply-chain timing, Apple is spreading its hardware roadmap across multiple release windows over the next year. As a result, the following devices are unlikely to make any sort of appearance at the event.

• iPhone 18: Apple is reportedly holding back the base model until early 2027 to drive early demand toward the Pro models.
• AirPods Ultra: Rumored AirPods with cameras for Siri AI context are reportedly delayed until 2027 due to software and supply-chain bottlenecks.
• New Macs: Upgraded M6 MacBooks and touchscreen models are typically saved for dedicated computing announcements in October or later.
• OLED iPad mini: The next refresh of the compact tablet is slated for an October arrival rather than competing for stage time with the new iPhones.
• Apple Watch SE (4th gen): The entry-level wearable update will sit out this event, with Apple likely to focus on the Series 12 and Ultra 4 instead.

More from Tom's Guide

• iPhone Ultra leakers reveal new details around release and 'extremely limited' availability
• The 5 accessories that transformed my iPhone 17 Pro Max for under $50
• Ultimate back to school guide 2026: Laptops, Chromebooks, headphones and more

The iPhone 18 Pro launch is likely just a few weeks away, with the Apple September event tipped to take place on Sept. 9. So we have a pretty full picture of what to expect from the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max when they’re unveiled.

It doesn’t look like there will be many substantial design changes — leave that for the foldable iPhone Ultra — but there are several notable upgrades and tweaks that could compel you to get the new iPhone.

From the design and chip to the battery and more, here are 7 biggest iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max changes you need to know.

Variable aperture camera

This iPhone 18 Pro rumor seems like a lock given how many times it has come up. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are both tipped to feature a variable aperture camera for the first time.

What does this mean? The iPhone 18 Pro camera would have tiny mechanical leaves inside the lens module that would alter the physical size of the opening. In low light the aperture would open wide to let more light hit the sensor but in bright sunlight the aperture would step down to a smaller opening, preventing overexposure.

The benefits for photographers would include a more natural-looking motion blur, sharper details and better depth control.

Smaller Dynamic Island

The Dynamic Island on the iPhone comes in for getting live updates in that area of the display, but it can also be an eyesore when not in use. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are tipped to feature a smaller Dynamic Island, thanks to certain Face ID components moving under the display.

In other words, the display cutout for the front camera would be the smallest yet, building towards a true “all-screen” iPhone 20 next year.

New colors, new-ish look

If you liked the super-vibrant Cosmic Orange on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, you might be out of luck. It looks like Apple could be ditching this hue for a new Dark Cherry/Burgundy color. This would be the flagship color for the new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.

Additionally, we may be getting a light blue color for the iPhone 18 Pro series, along with silver and possibly dark gray.

The back of the iPhone 18 Pro series could have a slightly different look, too. Apple is expected to move away from the two-tone design and opt for a more unified appearance.

A20 Pro chip

Apple A20 Pro chip for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max is expected be the company’s first ever to be built on TSMC’s 2nm design process. As a result, Apple should be able to fit up to 15% more transistors on the chip, improving performance but also with a 30% reduction in power consumption.

As 9to5Mac reports, the A20 Pro chip will offer a packaging innovation called Wafer-Level Multi-Chip Module. This would also enable the SoC and DRAM to be integrated at the wafer level. The result is that the chip will be closer to the onboard memory and enable better performance and lower power consumption for AI tasks as well as gaming.

Bigger battery for iPhone 18 Pro Max

The iPhone 17 Pro Max already delivered astounding results in the Tom’s Guide battery test, lasting nearly 18 hours of web surfing over 5G. But the iPhone 18 Pro Max is tipped to get an even bigger battery going from 4,823 mAh all the way up to 5,391 mAh for the new iPhone.

Alas, the iPhone 18 Pro’s battery will reportedly be only 1% larger than the iPhone 17 Pro, going from 4,252 mAh to 4,288 mAh. However, the efficiencies gained from the A20 Pro chip and the new C2 modem could still result in significantly longer runtime.

C2 modem

The iPhone 16e featured Apple’s first cellular modem in the C1, followed by the C1X chip in the iPhone Air. According to 9to5Mac, the new C2 modem coming to the iPhone 18 Pro series brings a few advantages.

In addition to improved battery efficiency, the C2 modem should offer improved performance in spotty coverage areas. And we could see 5G via satellite capability added to the iPhone 18 Pro series.

Improved Camera Control

I don’t know about you, but I’ve found the Camera Control button to be a waste of space on iPhones. It’s too easy to activate and too finicky to control. But the updated Camera Control on iPhone 18 Pro will apparently be stripped back to make it less frustrating and more user friendly. MacRumors reports that Apple may remove touch-sensitive components entirely.

Outlook

While most of these iPhone 18 Pro changes are welcome, it doesn’t feel like Apple will be pushing the envelope with the Pro and Pro Max this year. Most of the attention will likely go to the iPhone Ultra/Fold, Apple’s first foldable phone.

However, the foldable iPhone is expected to make some trade-offs, including the lack of telephoto zoom and Face ID. So if you want the most cutting edge “traditional” iPhone, the iPhone 18 Pro’s variable aperture camera, faster A20 chip and bigger battery may be reasons enough to upgrade.

More from Tom's Guide

• Exclusive: Inside Google’s plan to win over your face with AI glasses — and avoid Meta's privacy missteps
• iPhone Ultra or iPhone Fold? Sudden questions emerge over foldable iPhone
• Apple's Craig Federighi on Siri AI: 'We see Siri not as a separate chatbot, an unintegrated place you go and chitchat, but rather as an integral but conversational tool'

Apple's long-rumored foldable iPhone — either called the iPhone Ultra or iPhone Fold, depending on which reports you go by — will likely be unveiled in just a few short weeks at the Apple September event. Over the weekend, a reputable leaker confirmed that September launch window, but warned that actually getting your hands on one around that time won't be easy.

iPhone Ultra supply will be "extremely limited" when Apple unveils the foldable next month, according to Fixed Focus Digital, a noted Apple leaker on the Chinese social media platform Weibo (h/t 9to5Mac).

Apple is targeting a total production run of around 10 million units, as outlined in a July report from Nikkei Asia, but suppliers may need 3 to 5 months to reach that output goal. That would make the potential best foldable phone contender very hard to come by at launch, which is bad news for early adopters.

iPhone Ultra = iPhone X all over again?

Industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously said suppliers may ship only 7-8 million units in 2026, suggesting that we may be in for a repeat of what happened with the iPhone X. Back in 2017, bottlenecks with new components like the TrueDepth camera system for Face ID and OLED panel production constraints severely hampered the iPhone X launch. Pre-orders sold out in minutes, pushing shipping dates back by months.

In another post, Fixed Focus Digital said that despite earlier rumors that the iPhone Ultra might only ship in the U.S. initially, their sources claim mass production is moving smoothly with Chinese suppliers. This would point to a broader global launch from day one.

iPhone Ultra or iPhone Fold?

For months, Apple’s foldable iPhone was widely expected to be called the iPhone Fold. But that started to change this spring, when the iPhone Ultra name began gaining traction. Several noted analysts and leakers have begun throwing cold water on the iPhone Ultra name this summer, though what exactly it could be called instead remains the subject of debate.

Over the weekend, leaker Instant Digital became the latest to cast doubt on the Ultra moniker. In a post on Weibo, he said he expects Apple to reserve the Ultra namesake for the 20th anniversary model and its successors. He noted Apple’s prior uses of Ultra in product naming, going on to say that he's skeptical the foldable will merit the name.

For what it's worth, Mark Gurman, who has been covering rumors around the foldable iPhone for years for Bloomberg, wrote back on X earlier this month that “Everyone calls it the Ultra internally. We’ll see what happens.”

We'll find out soon enough, with the iPhone Ultra/Fold/whatever it ends up being called likely to be revealed on September 9. We'll be there at the Apple event to bring you all the news and our hands-on impressions when Apple's first foldable goes live.

More from Tom's Guide

• iPhone Ultra and iPhone 18 Pro pre-order date just tipped — here's when you can get yours
• iPhone Ultra or iPhone Fold? Sudden questions emerge over foldable iPhone
• iPhone Ultra rumored release date, price, colors and all the latest leaks

Honor's new Robot Phone is finally official. After first teasing the device last year and then showing it off at MWC, the company has finally taken the wraps off its ambitious new smartphone at a launch event in China. The Honor Robot Phone goes on sale starting August 20, priced at RMB 9,999 (around $1,480). Sadly, there's no word on a global launch just yet.

The big highlight, of course, is the gimbal-mounted camera on the back. It promises much better stabilization and many of the features you'd expect from a dedicated handheld gimbal camera, while still giving you all the hardware and features of a flagship smartphone.

But does having a dedicated gimbal built into your phone actually make it better at shooting video than the iPhone 17 Pro Max? I put the two against each other to find out.

Honor has a hardware advantage the iPhone simply can't match

Right off the bat, the Honor Robot Phone has one pretty obvious advantage: it has an actual three-axis gimbal built into the back of the phone.

The 200MP f/1.6 camera sits on a motorized gimbal that can physically move around, and using it almost feels like having something like a DJI Osmo Pocket 4 built right into your phone.

The difference in stabilization isn't night and day. The iPhone 17 Pro Max already records incredibly stable video out of the box. Plus, you can also switch to Action mode if you need even more stabilization.

But put footage from the two phones side by side while walking, and you can definitely notice the difference. The Honor Robot Phone handles movement better, with the physical gimbal helping smooth out those little movements as you walk.

But stabilization is only part of the advantage. The bigger difference for me is subject tracking. The Honor Robot Phone lets you lock onto a person while recording, and the gimbal physically moves to keep that subject in the frame. Of course, there's only so far it can rotate before your subject moves completely out of view, but within that range, it keeps track of the subject pretty well in my testing.

And that's something you simply can't do on the iPhone 17 Pro Max. There's no option to lock onto a subject and have the camera follow them as they move.

I can already think of plenty of situations where this would be useful. If you're recording yourself during a gym session, for example, you could leave the Robot Phone in one place, lock the camera onto yourself, and let the gimbal follow you as you move around. The same applies when you're recording yourself outdoors or simply filming someone else without constantly having to reposition the phone.

But the iPhone still wins in a few important areas

The Honor Robot Phone works great in most camera-related scenarios, but there are still a few areas where the iPhone 17 Pro Max came out ahead during my testing, particularly in low light. The Robot Phone introduced noticeably more noise in darker conditions, while the iPhone handled the same conditions much better.

There's also a noticeable difference when shooting vertical video. Yes, the Robot Phone can record vertically, but the 200MP sensor itself remains horizontally oriented. The sensor physically doesn't rotate, which means the phone crops into the landscape image to create a vertical frame.

As a result, you're getting roughly 2.8K resolution rather than true 4K vertical footage. The iPhone 17 Pro Max doesn't have that limitation and can shoot vertical video at up to 4K 120fps.

For someone who shoots a lot of short-form content, that's not a small compromise. And probably the biggest reason I wouldn't say Honor has outright beaten the iPhone for video just yet.

But apart from somehow fitting an entire gimbal camera into a smartphone, what impressed me most about the Robot Phone is that Honor hasn't sacrificed the rest of the flagship experience to make room for it.

You still get a 200MP periscope telephoto camera with 2.7x optical zoom and a 50MP ultrawide alongside the gimbal-mounted main camera. Honor has also somehow squeezed in a massive 7,060mAh battery, despite the phone being smaller than the iPhone 17 Pro Max in terms of overall dimensions. And you also get the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 under the hood, which means the performance shouldn't be an issue either.

I still can't say whether the Honor Robot Phone is a better overall video-recording device than the iPhone 17 Pro Max. That's something that will require a lot more testing. But when it comes to things like stabilization and subject tracking, the Robot Phone can do things the iPhone physically can't.

Overall, at $1,480, the Robot Phone seems like a seriously impressive package. It's just a shame you won't officially be able to buy one in the U.S.

More from Tom's Guide

• I’ve been living with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 for 3 weeks — and I was wrong
• After 10 years of Pixels, why is Google still making phones?
• I tried the Pixel 11 Pro Fold and it's more 'Ultra' than Samsung's foldable (for $200 less)

Now that we’re getting closer to the Apple September event and the launch of Apple’s first foldable iPhone there’s a sudden debate over what Apple may call the device.

For several months, the Apple rumorsphere had settled on the iPhone Fold moniker, but since this spring the name iPhone Ultra started to gain a lot more traction. Now Creative Strategies analyst Max Weinbach has thrown cold water on the “Ultra” name.

The 'Ultra' debate

Max Weinbach wrote on X that “I still don’t believe the foldable iPhone will be called the iPhone Ultra. It makes no sense to me given the other Ultra branding Apple has. It does not seem Ultra.”

Weinbach continued, saying that the foldable iPhone would “be lesser than but unique compared to the Pro” and that it “is not an Apple Ultra-product.”

Carolina Milanesi, another analyst with Creative Strategies, chimed in on X. She wrote that "to some extent this is like the Neo a new category and the name Ultra would be a poor descriptor of what you are buying. Apple might not want to call the iPhone Fold or the iFold but that is what it is really."

However, Mark Gurman, who has been covering rumors around the foldable iPhone for years for Bloomberg, wrote back on X that “Everyone calls it the Ultra internally. We’ll see what happens.”

iPhone Fold trade-offs

Based on the reporting up until now, the iPhone Ultra/Fold will be missing some features compared to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.

For example, the foldable iPhone is expected to feature just dual rear cameras. So you wouldn’t get a telephoto zoom. This may be due to the shorter and squatter design versus iPhone Pros

It’s also worth noting that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 has just two rear cameras and doesn’t feature a telephoto zoom either. Yet that hasn’t stopped the device from being the most popular pre-order model by far in Samsung’s lineup.

In addition, the iPhone Fold is tipped to feature Touch ID for unlocking the device, while the iPhone 18 Pros should continue to offer Face ID.

Other iPhone Ultra trade-offs based on the leaks could include the lack of an Action button, a smaller battery versus the iPhone 18 Pros and the possible omission of MagSafe magnets in order to achieve a thin design.

Why this could be a true iPhone Ultra

Despite lacking some features versus the iPhone 18 Pro series that could undermine an iPhone Ultra Name, the foldable iPhone could live up to that name in other ways.

For starters, the iPhone Ultra is tipped to have the largest iPhone screen ever at 7.8 inches when open. Compare that to the 6.9 inches for the rumored iPhone 18 Pro Max.

This larger display would be like having an iPad mini in your pocket. And this would include both split-screen multitasking and the ability to run apps with dual-pane layouts. Yes, the iPhone Ultra is expected to borrow app layout elements from iPadOS while still running iOS 27.

The iPhone Ultra’s main display is also expected to be crease-free or very close to it, thanks in part to Apple’s rumored liquid metal hinge and other innovations. Though I’ll be curious to see how it stacks up to the Flex Titanium display on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 series.

When closed, the iPhone Ultra would give you a compact design with a 5.5-inch cover display, but it would be wide enough for comfy typing and running all your favorite apps.

What about the iPhone Ultra price?

The iPhone Ultra price rumors certainly sound ‘Ultra’ to me, with some expected Apple to charge as much as $2,500 for the device. The low-end estimate is $2,000.

By comparison, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is $1,899 and the Fold 8 Ultra $2,099.

And it’s worth keeping in mind that Apple is expected to hike the price on the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max due to the ongoing component shortage.

Bottom line

Right now I’m betting that the iPhone Ultra name will stick for Apple. Yes, you’re giving up some features compared to the Pro iPhones, but I think incoming Apple CEO John Ternus can justify the “Ultra” based on the unique experience it’s trying to deliver.

The big question for me is what Apple might wind up calling the iPhone 20 next year for what will be the 20th anniversary iPhone. That device is expected to feature a radical new all-glass design with close to zero bezels.

So Apple needs to decide if that device will be Ultra or if it’s the foldable. Or just go with a completely different name for the iPhone 20. We'll find out if the iPhone Ultra name is right likely on Sept. 9, and we'll be there at the Apple event to bring you all the news and our hands-on impressions.

More from Tom's Guide

• iPhone Ultra and iPhone 18 Pro pre-order date just tipped — here's when you can get yours
• 3 big ways the iPhone Ultra could beat the Galaxy Z Fold 8
• Apple September event: All the new products expected

The price hike could be even bigger than we thought. A new report from Counterpoint Research released today indicates that the iPhone 18 Pro models could be way more expensive than we previously expected.

"A price increase on the new iPhones is inevitable," the report ominously begins. Though it notes that the question is whether or not Apple will eat some of the costs or pass higher prices along to customers.

For comparison, the iPhone 17 Pro Max reportedly costs Apple around $500 to build. The BoM for the iPhone 18 Pro Max could cost closer to $1,000.

Like every other price increase in the last year, any bump for the iPhone is thanks to increased component costs. The largest culprit is the ongoing memory shortage due to the AI boom.

Counterpoint estimates that bill of materials (BoM) for the iPhone 18 Pro Max in the 12GB and 1TB configuration is increasing by $300, compared to the iPhone 17 Pro Max in the same form. Lower storage capacities options and the Pro models could see between $200 and $250 increases.

If Apple were to hold costs as is, we could see price increases between $250 and $350 for the next iPhone. That's a massive.

Sticking with the 1TB Pro Max, the current iPhone 17 model costs $1,599. This means the iPhone 18 Pro Max could cost between $1,849 and $1949.

Per Counterpoint, the question is whether or not Apple wants to protect its "gross margins" compared to previous generations.

Apple has options

There is some good news; Apple could reduce a potential price hike with several different tactics.

The company is pretty aggressive when it comes to negotiating component pricing, even when the company has to "reluctantly" raise prices. Apple will likely renegotiate pricing on non-memory components.

As an example, MacRumors reported today that Apple has secured lower prices for the OLED displays on the iPhone 18 Pro models. The potential price only went down by $10 from $120 to $110, but every little bit counts.

Additionally, Apple has rolled out the new Apple Upgrade program, which enables users to lease iPhones and other Apple devices. This results in a lower monthly fee and allows you to upgrade at the end of your lease.

Counterpoint suggests that Apple will likely institute tiered pricing for the iPhone 18 series, with the lower-tier storage models getting smaller price bumps. Meanwhile, the higher storage variants, which Counterpoint says are more popular among its "affluent and mature user base" could see higher prices.

Again, it all depends on if Apple is trying to protect its gross margins or not. If it is, then we'll see simpler, flatter increases across the board. If not, then variable pricing across the different storage capacities could give Apple more flexibility.

We'll know more when Apple launches the series this coming September. For more, see our Apple September event preview.

More from Tom's Guide

• iPhone Ultra and iPhone 18 Pro pre-order date just tipped — here's when you can get yours
• 3 big ways the iPhone Ultra could beat the Galaxy Z Fold 8
• iOS 27 beta 5 is out: New app icons, Siri voices, improved search, and every new iPhone feature

The official iOS 27 launch should be arriving at some point next month, just ahead of the Apple September event and the reveal of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. That doesn't necessarily mean that the software is ready just yet, and the release of iOS 27 developer beta 5 proves that Apple is still adding features and refining the software.

From new app icons and new Siri expressive voices to improved search, here's everything new in iOS 27 beta 5.

Updated app icons

Some of the Apple app icons have had new Liquid Glass designs, including Safari, Siri, Settings, the App Store, preview and Remote. Changes include brighter blues and more detailed compass arrows for Safari, while the Siri app looks more like the actual Siri bubble that opens when you speak to the AI.

App Store and Settings have had some extra translucency, Remote has some extra details, while Preview has an all-new look.

Apple has updated only a handful of app artwork throughout the iOS 27 beta, but it's certainly possible more tweaks could be on the way.

New Siri AI expressive voices

Siri AI's expressive voices have been expanded yet again. This time Apple has customisable Pace and Expressivity to all seven American voices and the four British voices.

Just remember that this feature is only available for iPhones with at least 12GB of RAM, which is so far the iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone Air. The iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone Ultra should be added to this list.

Liquid Glass slider

The Liquid Glass slider is very helpful, but if you ever looked at it and went "that isn't transparent enough for my liking," then you're in luck. The clearest option on the slider is now even clearer than it was before, which should make it a little easier to see details behind your on-screen bubbles.

Create a Pass outside the U.S.

Apple Wallet's Create a Pass feature is no longer exclusive to the U.S. and is available in other regions. To find it simply open Apple Wallet, tap the + icon at the top of the screen and select Create a Pass. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

Wallet, along with Photos and Music, also has a new splash screen telling you exactly what's changed in iOS 27.

Search

The Search and Ask features are getting new animations in iOS 27 beta 5, and the suggestions bar will show up immediately rather than a few seconds behind the bar itself. Apple's also letting users decide whether the search feature should include App results, and if so whether they want to see four or eight at a time.

Last update time

If you've ever wondered when your last iOS update was, the iOS 27 beta now tells you exactly when it happened. Head to the Software Update section of the General menu in the Settings app, and tap the More Details link at the bottom of the on-screen message

iOS 27 beta 5: Other updates

Contacts with a company name attached will now display that company in your contacts list — making it easier to keep tabs of all the different Daves and Debbies you might have in your phone.

Control Center has stopped showing cellular information if you're connected to Wi-Fi, and the battery section of the Settings app will warn you if a poor cell connection is causing excessive battery drain — which I'm surprised Apple hadn't thought about sooner.

Mail now includes a toggle for the Personalize Smart Replies feature. This is switched off by default, and can be toggled on in the Settings app's Mail section. Finally, Alarms and Timers now have a slightly thicker font in the Clock app — which is definitely welcome.

More from Tom's Guide

• iPhone Ultra rumors: Everything you need to know about the foldable iPhone
• iPhone Ultra and iPhone 18 Pro pre-order date just tipped — here's when you can get yours
• iOS 27 finally gives you total control over your iPhone lock screen — here's what to change first

Update (Aug. 8, 26): Bloomberg's Mark Gurman dropped a report this morning claiming that the all-glass iPhone 20 is not canceled. "Apple Inc. is still planning to offer a glass-centric overhaul of the iPhone for the device’s 20th anniversary," Gurman said.

Apple's designs are reportedly "mostly locked in" and in advanced testing a year in advance, barring any mishaps. Gurman noted that the design will feature some metal holding the two glass halves of the phone together. The iPhone 20 is supposed to be seamless, it's unclear if this metal band will be visible or not.

Apple's 20th anniversary iPhone could be less exciting next year. Today, Jefferies analyst Edison Lee released a new report that downgraded Apple from sell to hold in his stock recommendations.

The report, "Roadmap to Higher-Priced iPhone Looks Challenging; Downgrade to UNPF," claims that Apple has canceled the all-glass version of the iPhone 20 due to "low yield."

"Apparent cancellation of the 20th anniversary all-glass iPhone is a big setback to raising iPhone's ASP and margin in the medium term," Lee wrote in the report. This means when Apple tests manufacturing the new phone, only a small amount of its test batches have proven viable.

Lee views this as a "major setback" for Apple's plans to sell more expensive iPhones to protect itself against rising memory costs. Apple has been reluctant to really blame memory costs for the recent rising prices, but it's clearly a factor.

Despite this, Lee and other analysts appear cautiously optimistic about Apple's long-term outlook, per TipRanks.

iPhone Ultra and iPhone 19 Pro Max insights

Lee's report suggests that Apple will return to the iPhone 19 nomenclature next year, not iPhone 20, but the Pro Max would get an upgrade to 16GB of RAM from 12GB.

Unfortunately, that could mean higher prices. Lee suggests that the forthcoming iPhone Ultra could cost as high as $2,199 for the 256GB storage version, while the 2TB model could be $3,099 based on estimates.

The Pro Max could go up by $100.

What the iPhone 20 is supposed to feature

The 20th anniversary edition is supposed to feature at least eight major upgrades. The biggest design change is a bezel-less, quad-curved display seamlessly attached to the glass and ceramic back panel. The Pro and Pro Max models would come in 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch sizes.

It could also feature a larger 200MP main camera, on par with Samsung's Ultra Galaxy S series. Additionally, with Samsung finally adding silicon-carbon batteries, it's rumored that Apple could also test out the next tech next year.

One of the more intriguing rumors is that Apple will get rid of the speaker grill on the bottom of the iPhone 20. Instead, "vibration technology" would push out sound. We may see this in the rumored OLED iPad mini that is supposed to launch this fall.

What's next?

Honestly, we don't know.

Lee's supply chain report doesn't reveal how Apple will pivot, just that the design was canceled. At its simplest, this means next year could just be another version of the iPhone 17 Pro design that is expected to continue with the forthcoming iPhone 18 Pro models.

We know Apple will want to do something to celebrate the 20th anniversary, but it might not be the big design revamp that came with the iPhone X for the 10th anniversary.

It all comes down to new CEO John Ternus as he finally takes the reins from Tim Cook. Navigating the RAM crisis and an iPhone redesign is a tough first assignment, but it should give us an idea of how Ternus' term will go.

More from Tom's Guide

• iPhone Ultra and iPhone 18 Pro pre-order date just tipped — here's when you can get yours
• iOS 27 finally gives you total control over your iPhone lock screen — here's what to change first
• I ran 10K with the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 and my trusty Apple Watch Ultra 2 — here's 3 things Samsung did better (and 1 it didn't)

Apple's September event could be the biggest for the company in years as it readies to launch its first foldable phone. And now we have a very good idea of when the event will take place — and when pre-orders could begin.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the Apple event will see an avalanche of new products, from the iPhone Ultra and iPhone 18 Pro to the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4. We could even see a new Apple TV box and HomePod mini. But there could be a shift in new iPhone pre-orders this year.

Apple September event date (and why iPhone Ultra is the star)

As reported by Gurman, the Apple September event will take place during the second week of September, likely landing on Wednesday, September 9.

Labor Day this year falls on Monday, September 7th. It would not make sense to have people traveling on a national holiday, so moving the Apple event to the middle of the week makes sense.

This will be the first Apple event helmed by incoming CEO John Ternus, and the biggest launch by far is expected to be the iPhone Ultra (aka iPhone Fold). This will be Apple's foldable phone, and based on all of the rumors it's expected to have a short and squat passport-like design similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 8.

The front display on the iPhone Ultra is tipped to be 5.4-5.5 inches and the internal display 7.8 inches. The foldable iPhone will reportedly pack dual rear 48MP cameras (so no telephoto), Touch ID and a big 4,883 mAh battery.

The iPhone Fold is also rumored to eliminate the crease, though it remains to be seen if Apple can go even further than Samsung and its Flex Titanium technology.

iPhone Ultra and iPhone 18 Pro pre-order date and possible release date

Typically, the pre-order date for the new iPhone is the Friday after the Apple September event, but this year that would be Sept. 11. And since this will be the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attack, Gurman writes that Apple will push back the iPhone Ultra and iPhone 18 Pro pre-order date to Saturday, Sept. 12.

If this date winds up being legit, it's likely that the actual release date of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra will be either Friday, Sept. 18 or Saturday Sept. 19. It just depends on whether Apple wants the pre-order period to be a full week or not.

However, it's possible that the iPhone Ultra release date my not come until October, as there have been conflicting reports about possible production delays for Apple's first foldable iPhone. The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max should still be on target for the typical September release date cadence.

The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are rumored for a new variable aperture camera (for greater depth of field control), faster A20 chip, new dark cherry color, smaller dynamic island and a larger battery (at least for the Max).

The regular iPhone 18 is not expected to launch until the first half of 2027.

More from Tom's Guide

• 3 big ways the iPhone Ultra will beat Galaxy Z Fold 8
• iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max — 5 biggest rumored upgrades you need to know
• Apple Watch Series 12 rumors — everything we know so far

When it comes to streaming movies and TV shows, a larger screen is usually considered the better option. But, that only really works if the screen shape actually conforms to the aspect ratio of the content in question. That's not an issue for most phones or tablet screens, but what about the larger, oddly-shaped foldable displays like the one on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra?

I've been testing the Z Fold 8 Ultra for the past few weeks, and it shouldn't surprise anyone that watching video on the larger display means I also have to contend with large areas of blank space around the video. This can be rather irritating, especially in brighter environments that highlight both the display crease and my own reflection.

But as many people will no doubt point out, there are multiple ways to watch videos on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. There's the cover display which, while narrower than most phones, offers a traditional viewing experience. The foldable display can also be oriented in portrait or landscape modes, and switching between the two flips the aspect ratio.

While this may not seem like a big deal, the Z Fold 8 Ultra isn't a perfect square, and that means the flip also changes how video content sits on your phone. But which mode is the better way to watch stuff? I tested the Z Fold 8 Ultra's three viewing experiences against the iPhone 17 Pro Max to find out.

How I tested the screens

It's easy to load up some content on a screen and rely on vibes alone to make your conclusion, but I took things a step further by actively measuring everything on screen. This started with the screen itself, measuring between the bezels and calculating the amount of screen space that is actually available.

I should caveat at this point that this is only a rough calculation, because all four phones have curved corners. This is less of an issue on the Z Fold 8 Ultra because those curves are very slight. However the iPhone 17 Pro Max's corners are larger and more rounded, which means the total screen area is slightly smaller than the math suggests.

Once the total area of each display was calculated, I got to work streaming, throwing up a bunch of different kinds of content and measuring how much screen space they took up. Content included:

• "X-Men (2000)" (2:39:1) purchased on YouTube
• "X-Men-97" (2:35:1) on Disney Plus
• "The Emperor's New Groove" (16:9) on Disney Plus
• "Scrubs" (2001) (4:3) on Disney Plus
• "Avengers: Endgame" (2:39:1) on Disney Plus
• "Avengers: Endgame IMAX Enhanced Edition" (1:9:1) on Disney Plus
• Various vertical videos on TikTok

I set up each video playing on the four screen types, then measured how large each video was. With that in hand, I was able to work out just how much screen space they actually used, and thus, how much space is just sitting there going to waste. Crucially, this means I can figure out the best option for watching content in something close to a full-screen experience.

I should also note that while a lot of streaming platforms offer a "zoom to fill" option on smart phones and tablets, I have not taken this into account since that essentially crops the video and means you don't see everything that's going on.

iPhone 17 Pro Max

The iPhone 17 Pro Max has roughly 17.6 square inches of screen space available, but it seems as though a bunch of the tested content struggles to fill up that space by default. The most efficient use of the screen comes from TikTok, which takes up 92.94% of the screen. This shouldn't be a huge surprise given the platform's vertical video feed that can take up almost the full length of the screen.

When it comes to horizontal video, the content doesn't fare nearly as well. The worst offender was "Scrubs," though this shouldn't really be a surprise since the early seasons were broadcast in the (then standard) 4:3 aspect ratio. That box-like shape isn't great at filling up wider-screen devices, reflected by the fact it only filled 61.41% of the available space.

Widescreen live action movies didn't do so well either. Both movies have been cropped vertically, and can't take full advantage of the landscape height, but they don't fail to take advantage of the iPhone's width and crop that way as well. In fact, all the movies suffered from this and left at least 1.1 inches of wasted space across both sides of the display. In the end, though, both movies wasted only slightly less space than "Scrubs" did, taking up 61.95% of the usable screen space

The IMAX edition of "Avengers: Endgame" fared a little better, with the IMAX scenes using up more of the vertical space that the standard aspect ratio. Because of this, the movie, along with the bizarrely proportioned "X-Men-97," used up 77.95% of the iPhone's available screen space. This was closely followed by the 16:9 "Emperor's New Groove," with 76.53%, a difference accounted for by a slightly shorter and narrower video.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra (Cover Display)

Looking at the results for the Z Fold 8 Ultra's cover display, and you'll see a couple of oddities. Both "X-Men 97" and the standard edition of "Avengers: Endgame" both took up 100% of the screen space. Which is certainly good, though this made me pause and wonder what's going on.

Checking the measurements of the cover display versus the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and I noticed that the video was actually smaller on the iPhone — despite the fact the 17 Pro Max has almost 2.5 extra square inches of available screen space.

Weirder still was the fact that my Google-purchased copy of "X-Men" was smaller than "Endgame," taking up a paltry 53.19% of the screen. They were both the same size on the iPhone, but the Z Fold 8 Ultra decided that the black bars must be preserved for this particular movie. This appears to be a YouTube issue, because X-Men on Disney Plus expanded to the full size of the display, just like Endgame did.

The IMAX version of Endgame obviously came out a little worse, since the taller image requires more space than the 8 Ultra's cover display allows — causing black bars at either side of the screen. That said, it still used up 87.54% of the available screen.

16:9 content like "The Emperor's New Groove" fared a lot worse here, though, since the narrow screen forced the video to shrink at the edges even more than an IMAX movie. Likewise the design meant "Scrubs" left a load more wasted space thanks to its square-ish aspect ratio. Both videos used up a respective 71.55% and 57.74% of the available screen space.

As for TikTok, this result did surprise me. The vertical videos used up all the available width when playing, but they didn't take full advantage of the screen length. Which again, I assume is down to the 8 Ultra's narrow cover display, and means TikTok only used 76.94% of the available screen space.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra Foldable Display (Portrait)

The Z Fold 8 Ultra's larger display is the size of two cover displays side by side, which should mean a larger video to watch, right? Well, apparently not. At least not when the phone is in portrait mode. The size of the screen means there is a lot more wasted space, but the videos themselves aren't automatically bigger than they appear on the cover display either.

Both "X-Men-97" and the standard version of "Avengers: Endgame" ended up being smaller than their counterparts on the Ultra's cover display — in terms of height, width and overall area. Both used a respective 41.08% and 37.71% of the available screen space.

That only worse performer was X-Men on YouTube, which used up 37.04% thanks to the way YouTube presents the video. That means almost two thirds of the screen is going unused. However, the video itself is larger than what I saw on the 8 Ultra's cover screen and the iPhone 17 Pro Max. So there is still a benefit to using the large screen.

There is an awful lot of wasted screen space watching in portrait mode. "The Emperor's New Groove" only used 47.33% of the screen, while the IMAX edition of "Endgame" took up just over half (50.34%). TikTok also suffered, using up 55.63% and showed off a video that was both shorter and wider than the one from the iPhone.

The major winner here is "Scrubs," thanks to the aspect ratio, which means it took up 67.51% of the screen and offered a much larger overall image than we've seen from it so far.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra Foldable Display (Landscape)

The key benefit to watching video in landscape mode is that the entirety of the display crease gets covered up by whatever you're watching, which makes it nearly impossible to see. The other main advantage to watching video this way is that the videos are larger (and less wasteful) than in portrait mode

The biggest winner is again, "Scrubs," or any other older TV show that was filmed with a 4:3 aspect ratio. The show took up 83.74% of the total screen space, over 16% more than it did in portrait mode. This obviously means that the video is noticeably larger, though the standard definition image does not look great if you're getting up close with the screen.

Most of the other videos take full advantage of the extra width, with the only exception being "The Emperor's New Groove," which is about 0.4-inches narrower. However the extra height afforded to 16:9 movie means it uses up 58.33% of the screen, compared to the 46.46% utilized by X-Men and the standard version of "Avengers: Endgame."

"X-Men-97" is 0.2-inches taller in this configuration, meaning its total raises to 50.09%, while the IMAX enhanced edition of "Endgame" fills up 58.88% on account of its extra height.

The only real loser here is TikTok, which is shorter and narrower in landscape mode, and wastes an extra 11% of the screen compared to portrait mode. That also makes sense, since this orientation is wider than it is long, and that means the vertical videos get squashed down compared to viewing in portrait mode.

Verdict

With the exception of TikTok, landscape mode actually seems to have the largest overall video size of all four display configurations, barring one. The way "Avengers: Endgame" is presented on the cover display means it is slightly taller on the outer screen, by one tenth of an inch.

The cover display's aspect ratio means it seems to be uniquely suited to playing live action theatrical releases. Assuming the service you're using actually makes the most of the space, and doesn't do what YouTube did with my copy of X-Men and squashes the whole thing down for no reason.

As for TikTok, it's clear that the Z Fold 8 Ultra's foldable display is not as well-suited to vertical video as non-folding screens. Likewise, those of you that are bothered about black areas of screen around your video, you may want to avoid foldables for the time being. If you need a larger image to watch, you should probably invest in some kind of tablet.

But now the one question I have is this: How different would the results have been if I'd had a Galaxy Z Fold 8 to compare everything to? Samsung has positioned the passport-shaped device as the ideal device for streaming and media after all, but that face-off is going to have to wait.

More from Tom’s Guide

• I used a thermal camera to see how hot the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra gets compared to the Galaxy S26 Ultra — here's what happened
• I tested the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs Galaxy S26 Ultra for 2 weeks — here’s the one I’d buy
• I just tried the new Samsung DeX on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 — and it has one huge upgrade

Rumors about Apple's first foldable phone have been circulating for years, but 2026 is looking to be the year the foldable iPhone Ultra finally breaks cover. Considering the foldable phone space has been pretty small potatoes for almost a decade, this could be a turning point that edges this category closer to the mainstream — and puts Samsung's dominance at risk.

Everything we've heard points to the iPhone Ultra launching alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max during the September Apple event. Based on the rumors, we've heard that the iPhone Ultra will have a short and squat passport-style design, possibly no crease at all, dual rear cameras, Touch ID and more.

Here's everything we've heard about the foldable iPhone Ultra so far.

iPhone Ultra: Rumored specs

iPhone Ultra: Price & release date estimates

The iPhone Ultra is expected to be unveiled at the Apple event this fall, which typically happens during the first or second week of September. The date that seems most likely based on the rumors is Sept. 9, which is two days after Labor Day.

This event should also see the reveal of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, both of which should be released before the end of the month. iPhone 18 and iPhone Air 2 aren't expected to make an appearance, with reports suggesting they'll be released in early 2027.

There is some debate surrounding the iPhone Ultra's release date. Some sources claim that the phone will arrive around the same time as the iPhone 18 Pro, while others suggest production issues may see the phone arrive later in the year — the same way the iPhone X did in 2017.

Whenever the phone arrives, reports suggest that supply may be limited at first, though this may not be as big an issue considering how much the phone is rumored to cost. Another rumors indicates suppliers would potentially need three to five months to fulfill Apple's initial 10-million-unit production target.

Early estimates tipped the phone to cost around $2,000, but issues with supply chains and the rapidly rising cost of components now suggest that the iPhone Ultra price could start from $2,400 to $2,500.

iPhone Ultra: Design

The iPhone Ultra will obviously be like no iPhone that has ever been released, since it will ditch the unibody design in favor of the new folding form factor. A slew of dummy units have shown up online revealing the look and feel of the foldable, with Apple opting for a more passport-style design that is shorter and wider than traditional book-style foldable.

The closest comparable foldable is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, which adopts a similar look — but appears to be slightly larger than what we expect from Apple. It's speculated that Apple could utilize titanium to enhance the durability of the iPhone Ultra, while keeping the overall weight low — much as it did with the iPhone Air.

Reports suggest that the foldable display will be around 7.8-inches in size, which is around half an inch smaller than the iPad mini 7, with a 5.5-inch cover display. This would likely mean an aspect ratio close to 4:3, just like iPads and the Galaxy Z Fold 8, which makes the Ultra a hybrid phone/tablet.

It's also been claimed that an open iPhone Ultra could be as thin as 4.5mm, and somewhere between 9 and 9.5mm when closed. This would make it the thinnest Apple device so far, beating the 5.1mm iPad Pro. However, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is thinner than these dimensions.

The smaller size also means that the phone only seems to have two rear cameras, while the front display will reportedly skip Face ID in favor of adding Touch ID to the power button — similar to the system Apple uses on cheaper iPad models.

Rumors about possible colors suggest that Apple will stick to muted options like black or dark gray, and either silver or white. However, there are rumors that a color similar to iPhone 17 Pro Max's Deep Blue could be available.

iPhone Ultra: Crease-free display?

The iPhone Ultra is also expected to have no visible crease. Apple was reportedly very particular about this, and it rumored to be using the crease-free display as one of the iPhone Ultra's key selling points. Reports suggest this will be reliant on a bunch of design innovations, including a more durable liquid metal hinge, ultra-thin glass, a structural glass mid-frame and optically clear adhesive.

These hardware features will apparently work in tandem to ensure that there won't be a visible crease out of the box, nor will it form with continued use. Meanwhile, Apple has apparently worked to ensure the crease depth is under 0.15mm, with a crease angle below 2.5mm. Lower depth should make the crease less noticeable, while the lower angle should offer a flatter look when the screen is unfolded.

It's unclear as to whether the "crease-free" description holds up to scrutiny. After all, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra was reportedly crease-free, and while the crease is much harder to spot, it is still there.

iPhone Ultra: Performance

We don't know a lot about the performance capabilities of the iPhone Ultra, but it goes without saying that the phone should feature an A20 chipset — which is rumored to be built on TSMC's 2nm process.

The transition from the 3nm process will allow boosted performance from the increased transistor density. Reports suggest that the A20 could be 15% faster than the A19 chips, and 30% more efficient. That means stronger performance, less heat generation and lower energy consumption. The latter is particularly important because it means the large batteries rumored to be in the iPhone Ultra should last even longer.

RAM for the iPhone Ultra is expected to be at least 12GB, simply because that's the minimum needed to utilize the full range of Siri AI features. Any less and features like improved dictation and expressive AI voice styles will not be supported on the foldable — which would be absurd for a $2,500 phone.

iPhone Ultra: Software

The iPhone Ultra is going to have to make major changes to the way iOS handles multitasking, since it's going to have to start splitting apps across a much larger area than ever before. It's a feature that works well on iPadOS, and should make the transfer to the foldable device. Likewise, I'd be surprised if we don't see a menu bar, similar to what is already available on iPads and Samsung Z Fold devices.

The fact that this iPhone Ultra will feature two wildly different screen sizes to normal non-folding devices means app developers will need to ensure their apps are better optimized. Not only for the larger foldable display, but also the smaller cover display. Apple referred to something known as "app adaptability" at WWDC 2026, and it's likely this will play a key role in iPhone Ultra app support.

This concept will likely involve ensuring apps can adjust themselves based on the size of the screen they're on — which will allow them to switch between both iPhone Ultra displays. Hopefully, this ends up being a little more robust than some Android foldable apps, which simply blow up the phone app to take up more screen space.

iOS 27 beta also features references to a "foldstate" and "angledegrees," which all but confirms that iOS 27 will need to be able to detect the exact state of a foldable's hinge. Not only does this suggest the iPhone ultra will automatically transfer contents between screens when the iPhone Ultra is opened (or closed), it also hints at a feature similar to Samsung's Flex Mode.

Flex Mode is able to split the foldable screen into two distinct areas when the hinge is fixed at a 90-degree angle. That way you can do something on one half of the screen, while the other does something completely different. This could be helpful for gaming, with a split between the touch controls and the game itself, or when watching videos on social media.

iPhone Ultra: Cameras

The one common theme with iPhone Ultra leaks is that the rear camera array will only feature two lenses — arranged horizontally on a raised camera bar like the iPhone Air. It's unlikely that either of these will be a telephoto lens, due to the foldable's thin design, which means we're likely to see the traditional pairing of main and ultrawide angle lenses.

Both lenses are expected to offer 48MP resolution, which is par the course for modern iPhone flagships. So don't expect any Samsung-style 200MP cameras on this particular foldable.

Selfie camera rumors are a little sketchy, with some rumors speculating that we could see an under-display camera on the larger folding screen. However, the exterior cover display is likely to be a standard hole-punch design which, in the absence of Face ID hardware, should be a lot smaller than the Dynamic Island pill we've already seen on iPhone 17 Pro. Resolution is tipped to be 24MP on both cameras, should we get two.

iPhone Ultra: Battery

Apple is not really one to brag about the size or makeup of its batteries, so don't expect to hear much about the iPhone Ultra's power supply until we get our first post-launch teardowns. But rumor is that Apple won't scrimp on the battery with the iPhone Ultra, despite rumors of the ultra-thin display.

It's been claimed that the battery could be 4,883 mAh, which would be similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 8's 4,800 mAh.

The question is, what sort of batteries will Apple employ? Samsung recently added silicon carbon batteries to boost the capacity in the Z 8 series of foldables, with the highest being a 5,000 mAh battery in the Z Fold 8 Ultra. Since silicon carbon offers better power density, it could allow Apple to offer such large batteries while maintaining the slim, lightweight profile of the iPhone Ultra.

Then again, Apple may also have a different idea in mind, with rumors suggesting that it could redesign the power systems to be thinner, while simultaneously adopting high-density battery cells. What we should expect to see is the total battery capacity split across to separate battery packs — one on each side of the phone.

References in iOS 27 beta suggest that a future iPhone will have more than one battery, and the Ultra makes the most sense — especially since the split battery is a common design feature in other foldables.

iPhone Ultra: What's it actually going to be called?

The name iPhone Ultra has gained popularity over the last few months, toppling the old "iPhone Fold" nickname everyone had been using. However, as we draw closer to the Apple September event it seems the debate surrounding the name of this device is growing.

Creative Strategies analyst Max Weinbach doesn't believe that Apple will finally adopt the iPhone Ultra name for the foldable. His reasoning is that "It makes no sense to me given the other Ultra branding Apple has. It does not seem Ultra. It’s lesser than but unique compared to the Pro, that is not an Apple Ultra-product.

Fellow Creative Strategies analyst Carolina Milanesi, posted her own two cents, stating that, "to some extent this is like the Neo a new category and the name Ultra would be a poor descriptor of what you are buying. Apple might not want to call the iPhone Fold or the iFold but that is what it is really."

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Mark Gurman claims that the phone is referred to as the "Ultra" internally, but admitted that we'll have to "see what happens." In other words, nothing is set in stone just yet, but it's clear Apple employees are making the use of the long-rumored Ultra name.

Personally, I feel as though Ultra is a little more fitting, even if iPhone Fold is a literal description of what this phone is.

Not only is this tipped to be the most expensive iPhone ever made, Apple needs to emphasize that this device isn't just a gimmick. As descriptive as the term "Fold" is, it highlights the foldable nature of the phone while seemingly ignoring everything else. "Ultra" suggests that this is a step beyond the iPhone 18 Pro Max, and should intrigue people about the kind of things this phone can do. Or, at least, that's the way I see it.

We won't know for sure until the iPhone Ultra is unveiled at the Apple event, but until then the consensus is that Apple is opting for the "Ultra" name.

iPhone Ultra: Outlook

As we inch closer to the fall Apple Event, we're forming a much better picture of the iPhone Ultra and the kind of things it should be able to accomplish. Obviously, there are still a bunch of unknowns, and we can't form a concrete opinion until we test the phone for ourselves, but the rumors and leaks paint a fairly positive picture of Apple's very first foldable.

Then again, rumored $2,000+ price could be a major sticking point. While iPhone Ultra demand is expected to be high, the fact that it could cost more than three iPhone 17s may make shoppers think twice, even if the new Apple Upgrade leasing program is able to reduce that monthly cost.

We won't know for sure until Apple actually reveals and releases the iPhone Ultra later this year. Until then keep checking back for all the latest news and rumors about the first-ever Apple foldable.

More from Tom's Guide

• I used a thermal camera to see how hot the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra gets compared to the Galaxy S26 Ultra — here's what happened
• 3 big ways the iPhone Ultra could beat the Galaxy Z Fold 8
• This is the Pixel 11 Pro Fold — and this is when pre-orders officially start

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is getting pretty positive review, and it looks like this wide format device is the shape of foldable phones to come. That includes the iPhone Ultra, which is expected to launch this fall.

Based on the iPhone Ultra (aka iPhone Fold) rumors thus far, it looks like Apple’s device is going to be slightly heavier and thicker but sport a very similar passport-style design. So how is Apple going to stand out, especially with an asking price that could reach $2,400 or $2,500 — at least $500 more than Samsung’s device? Here’s three ways the iPhone Ultra could beat the Galaxy Z Fold 8.

No crease at all?!

Samsung worked to greatly minimize the appearance of the crease on the Fold 8. And the result is indeed impressive.

Thanks to Flex Titanium technology, the Fold 8’s display uses a titanium-alloy film to achieve a more stretchable panel. Meanwhile, a titanium plate supports the display module from beneath, allowing for tighter bonding and eliminating air gaps.

The crease is still there, but it’s less noticeable than on the Fold 7. However, Apple is apparently working on a truly crease-free display for the iPhone Ultra and is reportedly partnering with Samsung Display to make it happen.

Apple is apparently pulling this off by employing liquid metal alloy components inside the hinge mechanism. At the same time, Apple is reportedly working on a laser-drilled display metal plate to redistribute stress evenly across a wider bending zone.

Fully optimized apps

This is likely going to be the biggest difference between the iPhone Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold 8. There are plenty of apps that are optimized for the Fold 8’s 7.6-inch display with a dual-pane layout, such as Gmail, Calendar, YouTube and TikTok.

I especially like how you can watch vertical videos on one side while looking at comments on the other on TikTok, but on YouTube Shorts you have to close comments to keep scrolling, which is dumb.

However, there are also several high-profile apps on the Fold 8 that look like stretched-out phone apps. This includes X, with a lot of wasted space on either side of the content area. With Slack, you don’t get a dual-pane layout, which you do get on the iPad mini. And on Instagram, the comments cover the content (for now).

The iPhone Ultra likely won’t have this problem, as it will reportedly offer the same app scaling benefits as iPads, even if it’s still running iOS. Samsung says that Instagram’s layout will get an update sometime between July and August, which is nice, but there will still be lots and lots of apps that will “just work” on the iPhone Ultra on day one.

More efficient chip

If you believe the rumors, the iPhone Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold 8 are going to have similar size batteries. The Fold 8 has a 4,800 mAh battery with silicon carbon tech, while the iPhone Ultra is tipped to pack a 4,883 mAh split dual-cell battery that may also use silicon carbon.

So at least on paper the iPhone Ultra and Fold 8 have similar battery capacity. But Apple’s A20 Pro chip could make a big difference. The chip will likely use a 2nm process, making it more efficient than the 3nm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor.

That efficiency should turn into more endurance, and the Fold 8 already turned in a very good runtime of 14.5 hours in our battery test. We’ll see how much of a boost the A20 Pro provides.

What about the iPhone Ultra price?

Assuming Apple has these three major advantages over the Galaxy Z Fold 8, there’s still the price to contend with. The latest rumors have the iPhone Fold costing over $2,000 with some estimates putting in the $2,400 to $2,500 range.

That would be as much as $600 more than the $1,900 Galaxy Z Fold 8. But Apple has another secret weapon up its sleeve in the recently announced Apple Upgrade program. It will be able to entice buyers with lower monthly payments to help spread the cost out over time, even though it’s just a glorified leasing program.

iPhone Ultra vs. Galaxy Z Fold 8: Outlook

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 has raised the bar for wide-screen foldables with its super light and thin design, as well as smart AI upgrades like Now Nudge and My FanCam. It’s a very good foldable.

However, the iPhone Ultra could surpass the Fold 8 with an even less noticeable crease, a much better app experience and even longer battery life.

Which foldable would you buy? Let me know in the comments.

More from Tom's Guide

• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 review: Pros and cons
• Battery life tested: How the Galaxy Z Fold 8 stacks up
• iPhone Ultra delay leak right after Samsung's triumphant Galaxy Fold 8 launch has me sick of waiting for Apple's foldable

After putting the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra to the test, there’s no denying that Samsung continues to make some of the best foldable phones around. While the Ultra boasts better specs and performance, it’s the wider aspect ratio of the standard Z Fold 8 that continues to feel like the fresher of the two.

Yet, despite evolving the designs to be thinner and lighter — along with creating a much more subtle crease across their displays — there’s still one major problem that Samsung and Google have yet to solve properly: app scaling and dynamic layout adaptation.

Rumors are persistent that Apple will announce its highly anticipated iPhone Ultra foldable alongside or shortly after the iPhone 18 Pro lineup. While much of the industry's focus remains on engineering a nearly invisible display crease, Apple's upcoming foldable could ultimately beat its rivals in the area where Apple shines most: delivering a class-defining software experience.

If Apple wants to avoid the biggest trap in the foldable space, it must deliver a fluid, tablet-native UI transition system — and Samsung’s current lineup is proof of it.

Apple has already proven the importance of software over hardware

The idea that Apple products "work like magic" isn’t just a coincidence — it comes from how the company allows software to define the product. When Steve Jobs unveiled the original iPhone in 2007, the device lacked features that competing phones had offered for years: there was no 3G connectivity, no physical keyboard, and no stylus.

Yet, it instantly made those rival smartphones obsolete because Apple focused entirely on the user experience. Through fluid multi-touch gestures, smooth kinetic scrolling, and a desktop-class Safari browser, Apple demonstrated why its software was paramount. By prioritizing intuitive software, Apple didn't just compete with Nokia, Palm, and BlackBerry — it completely redefined what a smartphone could be.

And you know what? It could end up doing the exact same thing with the iPhone Ultra.

Galaxy Z Fold 8 is big on multi-tasking, but not so much with layouts

What appeals most to me about the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is how it’s a multitasking powerhouse, complete with the ability to run three apps simultaneously side-by-side. While the core value proposition of a book-style foldable is turning a compact cover screen into an expansive inner display, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and other book-style foldables fall short of that promise when opening daily apps.

Too often, unfolding current Android foldables results in apps not scaling properly. TikTok is a perfect example: while it looks fine on the cover screen, black bars flank the app’s layout when unfolded on the main display. Another example is how some games I play, like Age of Origins, end up looking stretched out. Worse yet, to get them to scale correctly, I’m often forced to restart the app entirely.

If that’s not enough, there’s also the issue of apps failing to dynamically scale when switching from portrait to landscape. Sure, native Google apps like Gmail and YouTube reorganize themselves seamlessly regardless of orientation, but the vast majority of third-party apps simply don't — and this frustration is shared across virtually all Android foldables I’ve tested.

iPhone Ultra needs seamless scaling

This is where the iPhone Ultra has the opportunity to completely redefine the foldable landscape. Apple doesn't need perfection in a crease-less display, nor does it need to reinvent multitasking — it simply needs to make app scaling invisible.

Apps shouldn't just blow up to fill space when the iPhone Ultra is unfolded because they should adapt using multi-column, iPad-optimized layouts. The UI needs to dynamically transform into a clean, iPadOS-esque interface instantly. Switching between screens shouldn't force apps to restart or clear from memory just to adjust their layout.

If Apple can enforce this level of adaptive scaling across its app ecosystem the way it did with the iPad, the iPhone Ultra won't just be another foldable — it will be the first one that truly feels complete.

More from Tom's Guide

• I tried using the Galaxy Z Fold 8’s MyFanCam on my dogs, but I hit a major wall
• iOS 27 finally fixes the most annoying iPhone workaround we all use
• Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra doesn't have a crease-free display — but it's the closest Samsung has ever got to one

Apple held its third-quarter earnings call today, where the tech giant reported "record" $109 billion earnings, largely driven by a 22% increase in iPhone sales. Despite that, Apple's stock fell 8% based on missed revenue estimates in China and the company's services arm.

Outgoing CEO Tim Cook, in his swan song earnings call, was also questioned by investors about the impact of the ongoing memory crisis on Apple supply and future forecasts.

"We reluctantly raised prices," Cook said, referring to last month's price increases that affected every Apple device except the iPhone.

"We did it because we’re in what I’d categorize as a 100-year flood on memory pricing," Cook continued, repeating an analogy he made a month ago.

What Apple is saying about the memory crunch

During the call, Cook admitted that Apple is facing supply constrains that are affecting iPhone, Macs and iPads, primarily on Macs. Cook asserted several times that this issue was largely driven by surprising amounts of demand.

Both Cook and Chief Financial Officer Kevan Parekh noted that the supply chain has become less "flexible" which was blamed on nodes for advanced SoCs and that they expected continued high levels of demand.

"We expect the impact from supply chain constraints to increase significantly [in September]," Cook said. In response to an investor Cook said that Apple expects to pay even more for memory through the next quarter.

Investors were only allowed two questions but nearly everyone who spoke used at least one to ask about memory and pricing. Cook repeatedly claimed that the cause of Apple supply constraints is "not a regular supply issue" and instead said it was a demand forecast issue where iPhones and Macs performed "remarkably better than we thought they would."

However, "we’ve got a quarter that we’re going to be scrambling on supply side," Cook told one investor.

The upcoming fourth quarter will tell us a lot about how Apple is dealing with the memory crisis. Price increases might defray rising component costs, and the new Apple Upgrade Program could help the company keep a more constant source of revenue.

Apple still has the iPhone 18 series, new Macs and iPads to release and potentially more. But we're already bracing for a potential $200 price increase for the iPhone 18 Pro models. And a possible $2,500 iPhone Ultra.

More from Tom's Guide

• Is the Apple Upgrade program a good deal or a rip-off? I asked ChatGPT to crunch the numbers and here's the verdict
• New iPhone 20 video reveals the 8 biggest upgrades to expect from the 20th anniversary iPhone
• I knew better than to carry around a naked phone — then my iPhone 17 Pro Max met the asphalt

This week, Apple revealed its new Apple Upgrade Program that lets you lease several of the company's devices, including iPhones, Macs, Apple Watches and iPads.

With fixed 12-, 24 or 36-month terms, you're locked into paying a monthly rate for your chosen device until the term is up or you decide to upgrade. Abandoning the lease early is possible, but there are a number of penalties and fees associated with doing so.

Is the Apple Upgrade Program a good deal versus buying the phone outright or getting it from a carrier? I crunched the numbers, but also turned to ChatGPT to find out if it's a ripoff or worth your dollar.

iPhones and Apple Watches

Here's how much an iPhone or Apple Watch will cost you over a 24-month term. If you want to keep the device at the end of the lease, you'll need to pay the remainder.

Macs and iPads

And here's how it looks for Macs and iPads, which are eligible for a 36-month lease. This table specifically looks at a 24-month lease.

The fine print

There are two big caveats to Apple's leasing program. The first is that, according to the terms of service, if you miss three consecutive payments, Klarna (the company managing the lease) will terminate the contract, and the customer will owe the remaining balance.

The second is that AppleCare+ is not included with the lease. You could roll the dice and not subscribe to AppleCare+ but you are liable for any damage, per the fine print.

"Insurance is not included in your lease, and you may incur damage fees if the device is lost, stolen, or not returned in the condition required by the lease."

AppleCare+ ranges in cost from $2.99 (Watches) up to $9.99 (iPhone) per month depending on your device. There are annual payment options as well.

Here's the iPhone and Watches table again with how much a 24-month lease would set you back with AppleCare+.

As you can see, over two years, the price goes up by a few hundred dollars and in some cases exceeds the initial price of the iPhone or Apple Watch.

Yes, that would be the case if you weren't leasing an iPhone. AppleCare+ is a protection plan that you subscribe to a monthly or annual basis.

However, as mentioned, it may be more necessary for a leased device than one you own because of those potential damage fees. You could also be hit with upgrade fees or substantial termination fees if you try to end the lease early.

What about trade-ins?

Another factor against Apple's lease program is that, because you don't own your device, you won't get any credits for trading in your older device, which could lower your monthly payments to something lower than you would get from the Apple Upgrade program.

Let's take the iPhone 17 Pro as an example.

If you're upgrading from an iPhone 16 Pro, you could get as much as $560 in trade-in value, which would lower the cost to $22.45/month for 24 months.

If you were upgrading from an iPhone 15 Pro, you could get as much as $410 in trade-in value, which would lower your monthly bill to $28.70.

While you can trade in your current phone and get credit in the Apple Upgrade Program, it's a one-time thing, as you wouldn't own your phone from then on.

What ChatGPT had to say

According to ChatGPT, the Apple Upgrade Program is not a rip-off, but it may not be the cheapest way for you to obtain an Apple device.

"For most people it's more expensive than buying and later selling or trading in the device. The biggest winner is Apple, because leasing encourages customers to stay on a continuous upgrade cycle," the AI said.

For those who keep their devices for three or more years not be a good deal, especially since Apple devices tend to retain their resale or trade-in value. Plus, the leasing program means that you don't own the device.

Interestingly, I actually prompted ChatGPT as well as Gemini and Claude and none of them mentioned AppleCare+ beyond noting that it is no longer bundled with the Apple Upgrade Program the way it was with the iPhone Upgrade plan.

Unless you upgrade annually or money isn't an issue for you, Apple Upgrade Program may not be the right fit for you. I'm a major proponent of owning your devices and this program doesn't let you do that until the end of the terms.

More from Tom's Guide

• Is your old fitness tracker good enough? I tested a 5-year-old Fitbit vs Apple Watch Series 11 on a 5,500-step walk to find out
• New iPhone 20 video reveals the 8 biggest upgrades to expect from the 20th anniversary iPhone
• I knew better than to carry around a naked phone — then my iPhone 17 Pro Max met the asphalt

I thought turning my iPhone screen monochrome would be a straightforward, low-stakes experiment. A minor productivity tweak to trim maybe twenty minutes off my daily screen time. I was radically, foolishly wrong.

What I expected to be a mild digital detox turned into two weeks of sensory deprivation, phantom-limb anxiety, and a genuine shock at how my brain relies on color, especially in the middle of summer.

If you want to experience instant disorientation, and ultimately, a profound sense of digital freedom, flip your phone to grayscale on a blazing July afternoon. But consider yourself warned: the transition is an absolute shock to the system.

Before you reach the quiet relief of a quieted mind, you have to survive the initial withdrawal of a world drained of its color.

Summer cast in newsprint

The first three days felt like a slow-motion collision between muscle memory and self-restraint, with my brain throwing a quiet, frantic temper tantrum every time my thumb touched the screen.

Taking photos, in particular, degenerated into a bizarre act of blind faith. Standing on a packed pier, trying to capture the moment where the English coast looks like the Mediterranean, yielded nothing on my screen but a dull, slate gradient. It looked less like a seaside holiday and more like an archival photo of a Victorian industrial dock.

Social media felt completely drained of its pull. We rarely notice how much platforms like Instagram rely on rich warmth and hyper-saturated color to trigger envy, hunger, or idle curiosity. In grayscale, the endless feed loses its hypnotic spell.

I'd open an app purely out of habit, stare at a flat gray wall of content for three seconds, realize my brain wasn't getting the cheap reward it wanted, and close it. Then I'd do it again two minutes later.

They say insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result, and grayscale definitely caught me red-handed.

The day 7 shift

By the time I hit a week, the constant low-grade frustration completely evaporated, replaced by a strange, liberating quiet. The initial withdrawal phase was over.

My thumb stopped twitching toward the phone every time there was a lull in my day, because my brain had finally registered that the rectangle in my pocket was no longer a source of instant entertainment.

With screen time down over sixty percent, my attention span began to heal in ways I didn't expect. I found myself picking up a book on my commute, turning to my neglected record player, and, for lack of a better term, finding play again.

My iPhone went from being a black hole for my attention back to what it was originally meant to be: an inanimate utility tool.

If you want to reach that same turning point without throwing your iPhone into the nearest ditch, you need a strategy to get you through the adjustment period. Here is what helped me survive the shift, and the rules I wish I'd set on day one.

How to enable Grayscale on your iPhone

• Open settings
• Navigate to Accessibility
• Tap Display & Text Size
• Select Color Filters and toggle the switch on
• Select Grayscale

The greyscale survival guide

How two weeks of gray reshaped my habit

By week two, the novelty wore off and my brain just got used to it. The urge to constantly check my phone died down because there was nothing visual pulling me in. I stopped reaching into my pocket out of sheer boredom.

When the two weeks ended and I switched the color back on, it was surprisingly jarring. Everything looked aggressively bright, almost like the screen was turned up too high.

The real test, though, was whether the old habits would immediately come back. They didn't. Even with full color restored, the automatic reflex to scroll was broken. My screen time has stayed way down, and I stop defaulting to my phone every time I had two free seconds.

Did the experiment break my dopamine addiction? Yes, aggressively so. Going grayscale for a bit isn't a silver bullet, but it does a fantastic job of resetting your baseline.

It's a clear reminder that our phones are designed to keep us hooked, docile, and distracted. You just have to decide if you're willing to play along.

More from Tom's Guide

• I’ve been using my iPhone as a real-life Pokédex to scan every bug in my garden this summer
• Apple hid a perfect 'dumb phone' feature inside your iPhone that's great for kids — here's how to turn it on
• I've been testing Siri AI in iOS 27 for 3 weeks: 7 things to try first (and the feature that won me over)

Today Apple announced its new leasing program, Apple Upgrade which is undergirded by Klarna for iPhone, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad.

The program lets customers sign up for a plan, similar to how you would lease a car, for fixed 12-, 24- and 36-month terms depending on the device. There are options to upgrade to a new device early or return it at the end of the lease.

Apple called the new plan a "more flexible way to pay for products."

It's possible this does offer some flexibility from paying an upfront lump sum or tying yourself to an onerous contract via a network carrier like Verizon or T-Mobile.

However, experts I spoke with think the Upgrade plan is meant to cover rising component costs.

"By shifting the focus to lower monthly payments, it helps mask the effect of rising hardware costs and makes premium devices feel more affordable and attainable for a broader range of consumers," Jitesh Ubrani, a director at IDC, said.

They added that it could entice people who don't want to pay the higher upfront costs, as even Apple has hiked prices recently. It also gives Apple a "steady stream of trade-ins" that the company can resell to expand its customer base.

"Many people are effectively leasing their phones already through carrier plans; leasing a watch or a Mac -- when you know that these are also devices that have upgrade cycles -- can make sense," Techsponential's Avi Greengart told Tom's Guide. "it's still a lease, so you won't be able to use it until it dies unless you buy out the lease, and it may not be the absolute most economical approach."

Beyond upfront prices, is Apple Upgrade better for you? Let's take a look at how the program works.

How Apple Upgrade works

Apple Upgrade offers 12- or 24-month lease terms for eligible iPhones and Apple Watches. For those seeking a Mac or iPad, there are 24- or 36-month options.

Prices start as low as $11.99 per month for the Apple Watch and iPad, depending on size and storage capacity. iPhones start at $17.99, while Macs can be leased starting at $24.99 a month.

You can sign up online or at an Apple Store, where you will be approved by Klarna, which does require a soft credit check that should not impact your credit score.

At the end of the lease term, you can return the device or upgrade to a newer generation or purchase it with a one-time payment.

Compared to the outgoing iPhone Upgrade program, the Apple Upgrade Program does not include AppleCare, which is a separate subscription price and varies in price depending on your device.

Per MacRumors, if you miss a payment, it will be rolled into the next month's payment with no late fees. However, if you miss three consecutive payments, the lease will end, and you will have to pay the full outstanding balance, minus the value of the device when returned. If Klarna can't collect, a debt collection agency will be sent your information.

Apple Upgrade prices

Apple is offering the entire iPhone 17 lineup, plus the iPhone Air, both the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 and three iPad options, including the iPad Air, iPad Pro and iPad mini.

For Macs, you can lease the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac and Mac Studio.

Apple defaults to the 24-month leasing option, so we'll share that. The other options can lower or raise your price. Additionally, higher storage capacity or chip versions will also increase the monthly price.

Finally, the price does not include taxes and fees.

Here's how much the base model of each device will cost you.

We've separated the iPads and Macs out because these devices can have the longer 36-month term. Again, the prices below are for the base model of each device and the 24-month term.

No leasing entry-level devices

You may have noticed several Apple devices aren't eligible for the upgrade program. It includes the vanilla iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, as well as the entry-level models of almost every device category.

Here's the full list of Apple products you can't lease:

• iPhone 16
• iPhone 16 Plus
• Apple Watch SE
• MacBook Neo
• Mac mini
• iPad (A16)
• Studio Display

Availability

Apple Upgrade is available now for all of the listed devices. Apple says that a security deposit is not required and that a trade-in device could reduce monthly payments.

I will note that if you end a lease early, you could see termination fees. Also, if you don't do anything at the end of the lease, you'll be charged the purchase fee.

Lastly, hidden in the fine print, upgrading a device could increase your monthly payments, which is true for both higher-capacity versions of devices and more expensive models when new generations launch in the coming years.

More from Tom's Guide

• We asked 368 people what they want from the Apple Watch Ultra 4. Here’s the resounding answer (and it’s not AI)
• iOS 27 finally fixes the most annoying iPhone workaround we all use
• New iPhone 20 video reveals the 8 biggest upgrades to expect from the 20th anniversary iPhone