The iPhone Duo is almost here, and there are lots of reasons to snatch up Apple’s first foldable phone come October 16 when pre-orders begin. It gives you a compact 5.4-inch phone and 7.6-inch mini tablet in one device, and it looks like an awesome option for those who want a more immersive viewing experience on the go along with dual-app multitasking — finally!

But as many in our comments have reminded me, Samsung has been making foldable phones for seven years. And that experience shows in the Galaxy Z Fold 8. It has a similar passport-style design to the iPhone Duo, but it offers some pretty unique advantages over Apple’s device and could be the best foldable phone for you. If you’re on the fence about getting an iPhone Duo or Galaxy Z Fold 8, here’s where Samsung’s device could sway you.

It’s considerably thinner and lighter

I only played around with the iPhone Duo for about an hour between various hands-on sessions, but it definitely feels heftier than the Galaxy Z Fold 8. Sure, the iPhone Duo is technically the “thinnest iPhone ever,” at just 5.2 mm unfolded. That’s even less than the iPhone Air’s 5.64mm. However, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is only 4.5 mm.

When folded, the iPhone Duo measures 11.3mm thick, compared to 9.7mm for the Fold 8. For context, the iPhone 18 Pro Max is 8.75mm thick. So while the Duo will slip into a pocket with ease, it will take up some room.

In addition, the iPhone Duo weighs 8.96 ounces or 254 grams, while the Fold 8 is a feather light 7.09 ounces (201 grams). Samsung’s foldable is even lighter than the regular iPhone 18 Pro (7.44 ounces), which has a relatively tiny 6.3 inch display compared to the 7.6-inch panel on the Fold 8.

You can run more apps at once

I give Apple plenty of credit for making running two apps at once so seamless and intuitive on the iPhone Duo. You just select an app and then place it on the left or right side of the display. From there you can easily create app pairs and go back to them at any time. And it’s also a cinch to switch out apps; you just swipe up and go back to the home screen — it’s like having two distinct desktops.

However, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 can let you run three tiled apps at the same time on screen. So, for example, I could have Gmail in one window, Slack in another and Spotify in another. It’s pretty cool. Plus, Samsung lets you put up to five floating windows on top. Now, eight apps at once seems like overkill to me, but it’s pretty amazing that you have that flexibility.

Gemini AI is more advanced

Siri AI is definitely improved in iOS 27, and it lets you do some pretty cool things on the iPhone Duo. You get better personal context understanding in all sorts of apps, including Messages and Notes. And there’s on-screen awareness, so you can say things like “add these items to my shopping list.” And I also appreciate that there’s finally a Siri mode in the camera app, so you don’t have to think about performing any shortcuts.

However, I think Galaxy AI and Gemini on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 are not only more advanced but more tailored to the foldable experience. For example, Now Nudge gives you suggestions in Messages for apps that you can open in split-screen mode, such as Calendar.

And Gemini itself is just more versatile than Siri AI. You can share your live camera video in real time and get advice and troubleshooting tips. I did this when trying to figure out how to clean out battery corrosion from an outdoor flood light.

Bonus: It’s $100 cheaper

The Galaxy Fold 8 starts at $1,799, which is $100 less than the iPhone Duo. Plus, there are already some pretty good deals out there. At time of writing I found the Fold 8 for just $1,649 on Best Buy, which is $250 off.

I’m sure there will be plenty of iPhone Duo pre-order deals around Apple’s launch as well, so you should be able to get it at a discount. But as of now the Fold 8 is a better value.

Where the iPhone Duo wins

As good as Samsung’s foldable is, there are several ways the iPhone Duo beats the Fold 8. For example, the iPhone Duo offers an IP68 rating for durability, which means it’s protected from both water and dust. Samsung’s phone is only water resistant.

In addition, the iPhone Duo offers MagSafe built in for wireless charging, Apple Pencil support and vapor chamber cooling, which will presumably help with sustained performance for Apple’s faster A20 chip.

But Apple’s biggest advantage will likely come with software and apps. The iPhone Duo’s software can react based on the position of the hinge while the Fold 8 lacks Samsung’s Flex Mode. And I expect a sizable wave of Duo optimized apps at launch, including Slack, Netflix and Zoom.

Bottom line

The iPhone Duo clearly has the most buzz, and it makes sense because Apple is entering a new category. But I wouldn’t overlook the Galaxy Z Fold 8. It feels so light and thin that it almost seems like Samsung cheated physics. And if you like the idea of multitasking on a big screen, the Fold 8 lets you run more apps at once. And while Siri is smarter than ever, Samsung and Google are in the lead with AI features.

So which foldable has your interest? Let us know in the comments.

Around this time of year, many iPhone owners ask themselves the same question: is it time to upgrade? That’s what I set out to answer in my iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max face-off. The two-year gap between models might tempt some current 16 Pro Max owners to make the jump, even though I generally recommend waiting at least three years.

In our iPhone 16 Pro Max review, we highlighted standout additions like Camera Control, an expansive 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR display, and Apple Intelligence right out of the box — along with what turned out to be the lineup’s final 5x optical telephoto lens.

Fast-forward two years, and there are even more substantial changes detailed in our iPhone 18 Pro Max review, including a new variable-aperture main camera, the 2nm A20 Pro silicon, and next-gen Siri AI. But does a two-year cycle offer enough of a generational leap to justify retiring your trusty flagship?

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max: Specifications

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max: Cameras

Let me cut to the chase and focus on what matters most in this matchup: the cameras. There are several significant hardware leaps that make a compelling case for the iPhone 18 Pro Max. First and foremost is the new 48MP main sensor featuring a mechanical variable aperture, giving photographers physical control over how much light hits the sensor.

That means more natural, optical bokeh without relying solely on software processing, along with the creative flexibility to dial in motion blur on fast-moving subjects or stop down to keep large group shots in razor-sharp focus from front to back.

The iPhone 18 Pro Max also boasts a faster maximum f/1.48 aperture, handing the new iPhone an inherent hardware advantage in challenging low-light conditions. Up front, you get an upgraded 18MP Center Stage selfie camera, a noticeable bump over the 16 Pro Max’s 12MP shooter. Even though the telephoto reach remains at 5x optical zoom across both phones, the 16 Pro Max is clearly out-spec'd across the rest of the camera array.

Beyond the optics, the real game-changer for the 18 Pro Max is the addition of native Pro Controls — which I consider just as big an upgrade as the hardware itself. Having manual exposure, shutter speed, and focus tools baked right into the stock camera app is a massive workflow win, sparing you the hassle of jumping into third-party apps just to take full control of your shot.

Based on all the snapshots I captured, I wouldn’t say that the iPhone 18 Pro Max has an overwhelming advantage purely on performance. Well, not enough to convince me to upgrade. Here’s why.

The beachfront shot above proves my point exactly. Both cameras handle the scene admirably, balancing the highlights and shadows without blowing out the sky. They also resolve nearly identical detail throughout the frame, from the sign along the railing to the grassy dunes in the far background.

At 4x zoom, it’s pretty clear that the iPhone 18 Pro Max holds a significant advantage. Finer details around the apartment building, like the bricks and graffiti, look sharper with more definition.

But when pushed to their outer limits — 40x on the iPhone 18 Pro Max and 25x on the 16 Pro Max — both manage to clearly resolve individual bricks surrounding the graffiti. Despite relying on an older 12MP sensor, the 16 Pro Max’s 5x optical reach holds its own, delivering enough clarity to closely match the 18 Pro Max’s upgraded 48MP telephoto shooter.

In broad daylight, both primary cameras consistently impress with wide dynamic range, crisp detail, and dependable color fidelity.

Speaking of dynamic range, you can see how cleanly shadows are lifted against the bright afternoon sky in my Bryant Park test shots above.

There are subtle variances in color reproduction: red bell peppers take on a deeper, punchier tone on the iPhone 18 Pro Max, though other shades across the Whole Foods produce display look nearly identical between the two.

Macro photography is well-handled on both handsets, provided you keep the phone steady and nail your focus point. That said, I give the nod to the 18 Pro Max for producing richer saturation and sharper petal textures.

Despite drastic lighting shifts across the panoramic scene, both phones stitch the frame cleanly into a seamless-looking panorama, balancing highlights and shadow areas to ensure an even final exposure.

For selfies, the iPhone 18 Pro Max’s new 18MP Center Stage camera delivers a noticeably wider field of view, making it ideal for group shots. Beyond that expanded framing, however, there’s very little difference in detail or processing to give the newer flagship a runaway victory.

When shooting in portrait mode, Apple’s subject-separation algorithms do an exceptional job cutting me out from the background while rendering a convincing, progressive optical falloff. Notice, for instance, how my foreground arm closest to the lens softens naturally into the blur.

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max: Battery and charging

Apple packs a substantially larger 5,391 mAh battery into the iPhone 18 Pro Max — roughly a 15% increase in capacity over the 4,685 mAh cell in the iPhone 16 Pro Max. While a bigger battery doesn’t always guarantee a proportional leap in endurance, our proprietary battery drain test proves it does yield real-world gains.

That extra capacity helped the iPhone 18 Pro Max average 18 hours and 27 minutes, outlasting the 16 Pro Max’s already impressive 17 hours and 38 minutes by nearly an hour. Still, across a two-year generational gap, that works out to a modest 4.63% improvement in overall endurance. Where you’ll notice a much more dramatic difference is charging speed.

Thanks to upgraded 60W wired charging, the iPhone 18 Pro Max nearly doubles the charging pace of its older ancestor. In just 15 minutes the 18 Pro Max reaches 53% compared to the 16 Pro Max’s 29%. By the 30-minute mark, the 18 Pro Max surges to 80%, while the 16 Pro Max trails at 55%.

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max: Performance

Frankly, there has never been an instance where I felt an iPhone was sluggish. Still, looking across our suite of synthetic benchmarks, it is undeniable that the A20 Pro is significantly more capable than the A18 Pro.

In Geekbench 6, the iPhone 18 Pro Max clocked a single-core score of 4,741 and a multi-core mark of 12,789 — outpacing the 16 Pro Max (3,386 and 8,306) by 40% in single-core and an impressive 54% with multi-core.

While those numbers highlight a substantial CPU leap between generations, graphics testing is where the iPhone 18 Pro Max truly pulls away. Running 3DMark’s Solar Bay Unlimited test, the 18 Pro Max hit an average frame rate of 67.9 fps (17,850 score) versus the 16 Pro Max’s 28.1 fps (7,396 score) — representing a massive 141% surge in graphical performance.

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max: Software and AI

Because both phones run iOS 27, they offer practically the same everyday experience, core tools, and customizations. That means foundational Apple Intelligence perks — including Clean Up photo editing, Reframe, and interactive polls in Messages — are available across both devices.

The arrival of Siri AI in iOS 27 signals a major shift for Apple, making the assistant far more proactive with broader automation. For instance, it intelligently suggests creating reminders or calendar entries when someone mentions an upcoming event in Messages.

I’ve also been genuinely impressed with Siri AI in CarPlay because it lets me tackle hands-free tasks I previously couldn't manage safely, such as dictating quick impressions of a vehicle I’m testing from behind the wheel and reopening that same note later to add more details.

However, the most advanced Siri AI capabilities are exclusive to the iPhone 18 Pro Max and leave the iPhone 16 Pro Max behind. Specifically, Siri’s new Expressive Voices and the upgraded advanced dictation system require hardware that only six iPhone models currently possess. The former gives Siri a far more human, conversational cadence, while the latter dramatically enhances voice-to-text accuracy by smartly filtering out vocal filler words like “ums” and “ahs”.

Ultimately, the beauty of Apple’s software ecosystem is that the core user experience remains remarkably consistent across generations — even in a two-year flagship matchup like this one.

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max: Displays

On paper, both flagships look evenly matched. Each sports an expansive 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with a 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate that keeps animations looking buttery smooth. In the real world, however, the iPhone 18 Pro Max delivers an unmistakable visual upgrade the moment you step outdoors into direct sunlight.

In our lab testing, the iPhone 18 Pro Max reached an eye-searing 2,326 nits of peak brightness — the highest we’ve ever recorded on an iPhone, and a massive 68% jump over the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s 1,385 nits. The practical advantage is immediate: web pages, camera framing, and video playback remain effortlessly legible with far fewer washed-out reflections bouncing off the glass.

Another welcomed change is the redesigned Dynamic Island, featuring a noticeably more compact cutout on the iPhone 18 Pro Max. Apple also expanded its software utility, allowing up to three simultaneous Live Activities on the 18 Pro Max versus just two on the 16 Pro Max. While that extra Live Activity slot isn't a massive game-changer on its own, pairing it with such an immensely brighter panel makes the display a decisive win for the 18 Pro Max.

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max: Verdict

I know firsthand how enticing a shiny new phone can be, but even with a two-year gap between these flagships, the case to ditch the iPhone 16 Pro Max for the 18 Pro Max isn’t entirely convincing. That’s even harder to stomach knowing you’ll have to pay more out of pocket thanks to a $100 price hike that pushes the iPhone 18 Pro Max to $1,299.

In my testing, the biggest areas of improvement come down to the A20 Pro’s exceptional processing muscle, along with key camera additions like the variable aperture and native Pro Controls. Beyond that, there simply isn't an overwhelming reason to justify making the leap.

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One of the drawbacks of foldable phones is that the interior display develops a more and more visible crease over time. Apple allegedly delayed the release of the iPhone Duo as the company tried to solve this problem.

Apple's VP of Hardware Engineering, Kate Bergeron, recently revealed one way that the company is combating creasing: replacement layers.

Per an interview with @angietutorials on TikTok, Apple made a replacement cover layer on the folding screen.

“The matte display coating does a really nice job of, I’ll say, minimizing the crease. But there’s a cover layer on top, and we’ve done a significant amount of engineering work to help that wear in as long a manner as we can, and to make sure that you get the most out of that layer’s performance," Bergeron said.

"It’s actually replaceable, which is a really nice thing for the customer, that you can peel off that layer and get a new one," she continued.

This layer, referred to as the Nano Texture "cover layer," is actually considered a separate part of the display per an AppleCare service cost listing spotted by tech YouTuber Quinn Nelson. This cover layer costs $19 for service, while inner display damage will set you back $99.

I have not seen any reporting or releases from Apple detailing replacement prices for uncovered phones though. If you keep the Duo for a while and the crease starts to bother you, it seems like Apple has a solution.

Let us know if the crease is a concern for you in the comments below and whether an inexpensive to replace cover layer would make a big difference.

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The iPhone Duo isn't available yet, and pre-orders aren't set to open until October 16 — but that doesn't mean you won't see ads promising to let you pre-order the foldable. These ads are a scam, and you should avoid them at all costs.

Spotted by Malwarebytes, this scam promises buyers that they can save $500 by pre-ordering an iPhone Duo. I can see the appeal of that when the Duo starts at $2,000, but that's a big red flag. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is, but logic tends to go out the window when hundreds of dollars are on the line.

This isn't just your ordinary run-of-the-mill scam, though. Malwarebytes reports that the bogus pre-order page is actually using a leaked DarkSword exploit chain to try and crack into vulnerable iPhones. A successful version of this exploit attempts to steal any saved credentials, notes and crypto wallet data. This exploit targets iPhones running iOS 18.4 to iOS 18.6.2, but apparently the offending code shouldn't affect iPads or Macs.

The scary part? The exploit starts when you open the webpage. You don't need to download or click anything, nor do you have to fill out the fake pre-order form for things to start going south.

The page certainly looks legitimate. It has Apple's logos, font, copyright information and overall language style. Unlike a lot of scams there aren't any obvious typos or grammatical mistakes . However all the links to things like the privacy policy and terms & conditions don't actually go anywhere.

The fake pre-order form does feature some red flags, such as the mention of a "Natural titanium" color, despite the fact the iPhone Duo is only available in Start White and Night Sky (black). It also gets the dimensions wrong, listing size options of 6.3- and 6.9-inches, which are the screen sizes on iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. The Duo only comes in one size, with a 7.6-inch foldable screen and 5.4-inch cover display.

But by that point it's already too late and the DarkSword exploit has already begun. However, this form does hand over a bunch of your personal data directly to the scammers, letting them use it as they please. That includes selling it for profit, using it to try and scam you even further and all those other risks that come from exposure of your personal data.

How to protect yourself

The first thing you can do to ensure this scam doesn't affect you, is to update your iPhone to the latest version of iOS. Since it only affects certain versions of iOS 18, updating to the newly-released iOS 27 will ensure that your iPhone is protected from DarkSword. It also means you have access to the best new iOS 27 features and updates, some of which are incredibly useful.

Apple has patched the exploit already, but it can't forcibly send fixes to your phone if you ignore the update notices iOS sends you. It's not pestering you for the sake of being annoying, those patches are important.

The second is to always be wary about the kind of links you click — especially if you're not keeping your device software up to date. If an ad is offering something a little too unbelievable, steer clear. Odds are it's some kind of honeypot designed to lure you in for other nefarious purposes.

Finally, be sure to only pre-order iPhones from legitimate channels. That means the Apple Store, major retailers like Walmart or Best Buy, as well as the best phone carriers. Many of those third parties will also have different deals, but for something as new and sought after as the iPhone Duo they're likely to come in the form of enhanced trade-ins or discounted data plans — not money off the phone itself.

As for Apple, they almost never offer discounts on their devices, certainly not at the start of their life cycle. So any official looking sites offering major discounts is guaranteed to be some sort of scam. And just to reiterate, pre-orders for the Duo open on October 16, and won't be available anywhere until that day.

If you have already accidentally clicked a potentially dangerous link, don't worry, Malwarebytes recommends updating your phone and restarting it. Apparently the exploit doesn't continue stealing data after a reboot, though there's no telling what they may have stolen before that. If that has happened be sure to create a new crypto wallet with a different recovery phrase, and transfer your money over.

Likewise, you should change any passwords that may have been stolen. iOS 27 does have a feature that can do this for you in the event of future data breaches, but for now you'll need to do it all manually.

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If you want to get professional with your videos, you should check out Final Cut Camera on your iPhone. The Apple-owned app features recording and shooting options that you won't find in the normal Camera app, including exposure control and monitoring tools that pros use.

For those with or planning to get the iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max, today Apple released an update to Final Cut Camera that adds support for the new variable lens, a streamlined UI and more.

What is Final Cut Camera?

For the unfamiliar, the iOS Camera app is already pretty good for shooting videos with simple controls, HDR and SDR recording, slow motion and even a Cinematic mode. However, if you want more control with settings and option adjustments, it can be a bit of a pain.

Final Cut Camera puts those controls front and center with an interface that lets you swap between exposure modes, change frame rate, color modes and encoding formats. It also includes multicam recording to sync multiple iPhones.

What's new

Version 2.4 brings a new interface meant to give you easier access to settings like shutter angle, ISO, and white balance using customizable overlays. The updated controls include a new tally light to indicate when recording is underway, and a two-finger tap control to clear the viewfinder so you can see your shot.

The update also supports the new Variable Aperture lens in the iPhone 18 Pro models. This will let you dial in your aperture settings or choose your shutter priority and aperture priority modes.

For editing, version 2.4 gets Cinematic mode effects for your videos including those captured in ProRes and Apple Log. This will let you adjust focus points and depth of field while editing in Final Cut Pro.

Finally, in iOS 27 the app now has support for professional video scopes, clean SDI out and genlock offset.

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A new report from the Chinese publication Jiemian News revealed both bad news and good news about iPhone Duo production.

According to the article, Apple has not completed the expected mass production ramp-up for the company's first foldable phone. Foxconn, Apple's manufacturing partner, has only managed a yield rate of 60%, even with a small production run.

The yield percentage refers to the number of viable devices created during a manufacturing run. At 60%, that means 40% of the produced devices have some flaw that would prevent Apple from selling them.

Even before the announcement earlier this month, it was rumored that Apple was having production issues and that it would only be available in "extremely limited stock." Largely, this is based on the complicated manufacturing process for the foldable phone.

Exacting standards

Here's the caveated good news: per Jiemian, the low yield is thanks to Apple's quality standards, which the company refuses to relax.

"The supply chain is now waiting for Apple to make a decision on whether to relax the quality requirements," an unnamed source who is allegedly close to the Foxconn supply chain told the outlet (machine translated). "If the quality requirements are relaxed, it will be possible to move towards mass production more quickly."

The source reported that the production line is still debugging the process and repeatedly adjusting things during actual production to optimize equipment and processes.

Reportedly, delays in receiving Samsung Display's OLED panels and some hinge-components have also contributed to delays and lower yields.

Manufacturing isn't expecting to reach maturity for at least another six months.

Apple is only expected to produce around 6 to 8 million iPhone Duo units for its global inventory, a third of what the company will make for the more mature iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, which should get between 20 and 30 million.

Expectations and price

If Apple is able to sell out an initial inventory of 8 million Duos, that would be a major win for the company.

We're still two weeks out from the launch date of October 16, and you can preorder now if you're interested.

With a starting price of $1,999, Apple's take on the foldable is more expensive than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, but it's nice to know that Apple's high standards means you should get a quality, working device if you buy one.

Apple is causing quite the stir with the Duo but, it'll be interesting to see if customers respond. As we found in a recent reader poll, most of you are more interested in the Z Fold 8 which has seen a surge in popularity since Apple's announcement.

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After Apple revealed the iPhone Duo at its September launch event, you may have assumed we'd found out everything there is to know about the phone. That's apparently not the case. A new leak has revealed specific details about the foldable's StandBy Mode that Apple hasn't officially shared yet.

Apple already confirmed that StandBy would be coming to iPhone Duo, and that the feature would work regardless of the physical configuration of the phone. It's also available to use without having to plug the Duo in to charge, which is a privilege the company doesn't offer to other iPhones. But leaker pdfu just discovered a bunch more uses, thanks to a code deep-dive.

Specifically pdfu uncovered several new StandBy faces for the iPhone Duo, including:

• Home Camera, which features between one and nine live camera feeds
• Home Modular, which pdfu speculates is a screen focused on home accessories
• Flow, which is assumed to be an abstract animated design
• Face, which is a total unknown
• Snoopy, which is almost certainly another Apple tie-in with Peanuts

To me, that suggests Apple is prepping StandBy Mode to be more of a smart home hub than a glorified clock and weather device. Considering the long-standing rumors that Apple has a dedicated Smart Display in the works (tentatively called the HomePad), it makes sense that it would try and expand those features to tablet-like devices like iPhone Duo.

The question is whether iPadOS may finally get its own StandBy mode as well. If the Duo is getting its own version, and without needing to charge, then there's little reason why iPads can't follow suit.

Pdfu also discovered a new face editor, which they liken to the Apple Watch face editor. This mode lets you swipe between settings and different options. Those options include a calendar, plus analog and digital clock faces, with different looks, fonts and color options to choose from.

The code also mentions five separate layouts for the Duo's StandBy mode, including StandBy, Stacked, Top, Middle and Bottom. Pdfu speculates that the last four are intended for the foldable screen, while StandBy sounds just like the normal StandBy mode iPhones have had for a few years.

You can see all the leaked designs in greater detail by checking out pdfu's thread on X. Meanwhile, let me know what your early impressions are of the iPhone Duo in the comments below.

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There are a lot of things to love about the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, but they definitely are not perfect. There are things that Apple's latest flagships are missing, and that could give Samsung an advantage with the release of the Galaxy S27 Ultra next year.

Success over Apple isn't guaranteed, but with Galaxy S27 Ultra rumors arriving pretty regularly, we're getting a good idea of what the next Samsung flagship could offer. There could be some pretty big changes, including a brand new design that ditches the vertical camera array of the last several generations of Galaxy phones.

That's only scratching the surface. These 5 things in particular could help the Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra beat the iPhone 18 Pro — but there are two ways Apple could stay on top.

A bigger battery

Samsung already proved that it has what it takes to boost battery capacity without affecting the design of the device — as we saw with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's 5,000 mAh silicon carbon battery. Rumor has it that Samsung could utilize the same tech in the S27 Ultra, which makes total sense considering how long the Ultra models have been stuck with 5,000 mAh batteries

Regulator documents have already revealed that Samsung could add a 5,700 mAh battery to the phone. That's a 14% increase over the Galaxy S26 Ultra, and while it's nowhere near as large as the 7,300 mAh OnePlus 15, it's still a noticeable jump in available power. That should hopefully increase the overall battery life. That said, we won't know whether it will exceed the iPhone 18 Pro Max's 18 hours and 27 minutes.

That would require an extra two hours of battery life on Samsung's part, so it better get to work on the efficiency side of things.

An improved privacy display

The Privacy Display is the S26 Ultra's stand-out feature, but it wasn't perfect, and what we really want to see are some improvements to the technology. We'd hope that means brighter overall displays, even when Privacy Display is turned off, and more versatile use of the dimmed sections of the screen.

The latter may be coming true, with leaker Ice Universe claiming that Samsung will adopt a feature that Xiaomi included on the newly-released 18 Pro — a split-screen privacy display. This feature would work in tandem with the S27 Ultra's multitasking, and would expand or contract according to how big the different windows are. The other window is fully lit and visible.

S Pen

While the iPhone Duo is set to get Apple Pencil support, the iPhone 18 Pro does not. The Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra is likely to stick with the same level of S Pen support Samsung has offered for the past several years.

We're not expecting any major changes with the S27 Ultra's S Pen. This means you shouldn't expect to see the return of Bluetooth or other more advanced functionality we have seen in previous years. But even the simplest S Pen around is something that Apple doesn't offer on its flagship. So if you like to use a stylus to draw, take notes or make fine photo edits, the S27 Ultra is a more appealing device.

Better camera hardware

Ultra-tier Galaxy phones already have superior camera hardware, thanks to the 200MP main sensor, but things could be getting even better with the S27 Ultra — in the front and back of the phone.

The first upgrade rumor is the addition of a 16MP selfie camera, which would be a notable upgrade from the 12MP shooter on the S26 Ultra. While that's still a little bit less than the 18MP Center Stage camera on iPhone 18 Pro, it's still a welcome upgrade. However, Samsung could jump ahead with rumors of a large sensor on the telephoto lens.

Some rumors suggest that Samsung could offer a larger 1/1.9-inch telephoto sensor, but as a result reduce the amount of optical zoom from 5x magnification to 4x. However, this has been disputed by some leakers, who claim Samsung is sticking with the same 5x 1/2.52-inch sensor as the S26 Ultra. But either way, it's a telephoto lens offering higher resolution and sensor size than the 48MP 1/2.55-inch sensor on iPhone 18 Pro Max.

A 16GB RAM option

While it's unlikely that we'll see the S27 Ultra get a full 16GB of RAM in its cheapest form, there's still a good chance the pricier 1TB models will get that memory boost. This should in turn give those models a slight advantage when it comes to processing, specifically where on-device AI is concerned.

Considering on-device AI is a big focus for Apple, the 12GB of RAM in the iPhone 18 Pro doesn't seem quite so impressive. The S27 Ultra, with more advanced Galaxy AI and computing hardware, could end up leaving the iPhone 18 Pro in the dust here.

2 ways Apple can still win

Performance power

We can't say for certain how powerful the Galaxy S27 Ultra will be, but we have tested the chip that should power the phone when it arrives next year — the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6. We have done some benchmarking tests with a Qualcomm Reference Device, which gives us an idea of how the chip should perform. As powerful as it is, it doesn't really compare to Apple's A20 Pro in a lot of areas.

As you can see, the A20 Pro pulls ahead in most areas, including single- and multi-core benchmarking tests, and 3DMark's Solar Bay Extreme graphics test. The figures are close in a lot of places, but the only time the Gen 6 chip outpaces Apple is with the 3DMark Wildlife Extreme graphics test.

We don't know how Qualcomm's chip will perform on the S27 Ultra, especially if Samsung gets another custom "for Galaxy" chipset, but for now it seems like Apple certainly has the upper hand.

More storage

As small a difference as it may be, we know that Apple currently offers more storage space than Samsung — offering a maximum storage space of 2TB to Samsung's 1TB. There's always the possibility that this could change, but the rumors suggest otherwise. In fact, the S27 series will apparently have the exact same storage options as the S26 series. This means the Ultra will max out at 1TB.

Those larger storage variants might get LPDDR6 RAM and UFS 5.1 storage, which would be a benefit for performance and loading speed. Sadly, your maximum limit will be the same 1TB as always, if these rumors are to be believed.

More from Tom's Guide

• There's a new shortcut in iOS 27 I’m using every single day — here's where to find it
• Apple confirms iPhone 18 Pro Face ID freezing bug — what you need to know
• iPhone Duo: 7 features you’re giving up by not buying the iPhone 18 Pro Max

Did you hear about the new Xiaomi 18 Fold? Maybe not, but this foldable phone is getting a lot of attention on YouTube for “beating” the upcoming iPhone Duo at its own game. Here’s just some of the ways it wins.

• It’s lighter
• It’s thinner
• It has a telephoto camera
• It has a bigger battery
• It charges faster
• It’s better at multitasking
• It has a brighter screen
• It’s hundreds cheaper

As you’ll see in the very slick video by Mrwhosetheboss, which at last count has over 16 million views, Xiaomi has superior hardware. On paper. But when he digs deeper a bunch of flaws emerge in this would be iPhone Duo killer.

For starters, the phone is made of less durable aluminum, versus the stronger titanium frame on the iPhone Duo. And that durability advantage extends to the Duo’s IP68 rating for water and dust protection, which the Xiaomi lacks.

In addition, the crease is more noticeable on the Xiaomi 18 Fold because it lacks the Duo’s nano-texture display. Even worse, Mrwhosetheboss found that just opening and closing the Xiaomi foldable resulted in unsettling clicking sounds.

But the real reason the iPhone Duo is superior is the software experience, specifically how Apple optimized its OS and apps for the foldable form factor. It looks like Xiaomi just threw its regular OS at a foldable, with sometimes awkward and ugly results.

This is the same reason why the iPhone Duo will likely beat all other Android foldables once it’s released: no other company focuses as obsessively on how the hardware and software work together.

Hardware + Software innovation

For example, Apple redesigned the dock on the iPhone so it sits on the right side, making it easier to reach both when the display is closed and open. The same thing goes with the controls for apps.

This is admittedly a bummer for left-handed people, but it is a good use of the available space and wider aspect ratio, so you can see more of your content.

In addition, Apple has optimized the software so that apps can adapt based on the “pose” the device is in. For example, when you turn the iPhone Duo upside down in tent mode, it can automatically morph into an alarm clock. And it emits a soft glow when your alarm goes off.

Apple has also redesigned iOS 27 so that the iPhone Duo reacts as you fold the device. If you fold the phone half way while in Safari, for example, a keyboard will automatically appear at the bottom of the display. And when it’s stood up vertically, you can display your calendar on the left and favorite photos on the right, just like one of the best digital photo frames.

Apple is making an API available for developers as well to enable them to make apps that can “read” the angle of the hinge, and in an interview with Donald Decodes on YouTube Apple’s Craig Federighi confirmed it’s accurate to within 5 degrees. But he said that most developers will simply be focusing on various pose states for the device, like the book pose, table pose or tent pose.

“We make those things so that as a developer you’re not having to operate on how many degrees [it’s] open,” said Federighi. “We can deliver a really standard and consistent experience across apps.”

Meanwhile, Samsung abandoned its similar Flex mode for the Galaxy Z Fold 8, reserving this feature only for the Fold 8 Ultra.

“There are choices that Samsung previously tried that Apple is revisiting, including hinges that open at different angles and under-display selfie cameras,” said Avi Greengart, founder and lead analyst at Techsponential. “The different hinge postures are well-supported in iOS27 with interface elements and are a clear win for Apple.”

A seamless transition, but what about multitasking?

Apple has taken a lot of heat for how much buzz the transition animation has gotten that takes you from the inner to the outer display. But it does make the device feel magical.

And if this effect was just eye candy, then you wouldn’t have developers racing to copy the effect within the first day.

To be fair, the iPhone Duo is limited when it comes to multitasking. You can only run two apps side by side, whereas the Galaxy Z Fold 8 lets you run three apps at once, plus put floating windows on top. The Xiaomi 18 Fold lets you run up to eight apps.

So it remains to be seen if the Duo is versatile enough in this category.

However, I do give Apple credit for how it enabled Split View. The two sides feel like independent desktops or workspaces. It feels natural when you’re using it.

The iPhone Duo app difference

Apple hasn’t shared much in the way of third-party applications yet, but what I’ve seen so far looks promising.

On Slack, for example, you’ll see your rooms and contacts on the left and messages on the right. The last time I checked, Slack was just a stretched out phone app on Android foldables with a ton of wasted space. And Zoom lets you easily see the content being shared and other call participants down below.

Apple's software experience is extremely polished on the Duo, but Android works fine on foldables,” Greengart said. “The real test will be whether Apple can get developers to update their apps so that the entire experience is fluid and optimized; that's the area where Android falls short.”

There's already one independent developer showing off an app for the iPhone Duo that's creating some buzz. Vidit Bhargava has revealed the very retro Duo Man app, which mimics the Sony Walkman experience on the foldable. You open the Duo to pick your music and "insert" the cassette, then close the Duo to start listening.

I also think it’s telling that Netflix has an iPhone Duo-optimized app on day one for this device, while it refused to make one for the Vision Pro at first. Yes, $2,000 is expensive for a phone, but I don’t think Netflix would have bothered with a Duo app unless it believed this device was going to take off.

Where Android foldables still win

As someone who reviewed the Galaxy Z Fold 8, I really like how thin and light the design is. It's nearly a 2-ounce difference, with the Fold 8 weighing 7.09 ounces, compared to 8.96 ounces for the Duo.

It makes the iPhone Duo seem bulky by comparison when you hold them both as I did. But there's a benefit to this additional heft.

"The iPhone Duo is thicker and noticeably heavier than Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold8," Greengart said. That's both a disadvantage and a specific choice: the iPhone Duo is more water and dust resistant compared to most Android foldables.

It's true that the Fold 8 and Fold 8 Ultra both lack an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, but the Motorola Razr Fold and Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold both offer it.

In addition, the Fold 8 has some really cool software tricks I don't think the iPhone Duo will offer, such as suggesting apps that can open in mult-window mode on the fly.

Bottom line

It’s clear that the iPhone Duo has some drawbacks, especially for its $2,000 price. It’s heavier and thicker than other foldable phones, and you don’t get iPhone 18 Pro features like a telephoto zoom.

But the real reason that this device will put other foldable phones on notice is how the hardware and software work together. And I think that will spur more innovation on the Android side, which is good for everyone.

Update: A fix is now available, keep reading to find out how to get it.

The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are out in the wild now. The launch has been fairly smooth so far, with most people who really wanted the phone able to order one and receive it, though some models and colors were pushed back from the launch date due to popularity.

But a new issue is emerging that is making iPhone 18 Pro owners upset. Apparently, when Face ID fails to detect a user's face, the phone can sometimes crash, which is obviously frustrating for anyone trying to get into their phone.

iPhone 18 Face ID bug

Face ID is a huge convenience for iPhone owners (though some would prefer Touch ID back). But when a failed Face ID attempt causes the iPhone to restart, it becomes much less convenient and more of a problem.

If Face ID reads the user's face and unlocks the phone, there's no issue. But when the angle is off, or Face ID fails for one reason or another, then the problem pops up, and the phone sometimes restarts itself. Though it doesn't seem to affect all iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max users, even an intermittent bug like this on a brand new phone isn't a good look.

Thankfully, Apple is aware of the issue and told 9To5Mac that a fix should be launching in the next few days. That fix is already here, thanks to an iOS 27 update.

The fact that the problem is a software bug, not a hardware issue, is a huge relief. If the company had to recall iPhone 18 Pro devices due to a defect, it could have been a much bigger headache for both Apple and customers with affected devices.

Of course, we'll have to wait for an update to see whether it completely rectifies the situation.

In the meantime, there isn't a lot you can do to fix the issue. Instead, just make sure Face ID gets a clear, straight-on view of your face when you unlock your phone to reduce failures. In theory, if Face ID recognizes you, your phone shouldn't restart itself. It's annoying to deal with, but at least you know the end is in sight.

iOS 27 update fixes the bug

Today, Apple released an update that appears to fix the FaceID bug. iOS version 27.0.1 is the first update for Apple's newest version of iOS.

You can download iOS 27.0.1 by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple also released iPadOS 27.0.1 and visionOS 27.0.1 updates, as well as iOS 26.7.1 and iPadOS 26.7.1 for devices that don't support iOS 27.

Here's what the release notes say about the bug fixes, per MacRumors:

This update provides bug fixes for your iPhone, including fixes for the following issues:

• iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max may unexpectedly restart when Face ID fails to authenticate
• A color artifact may appear on photos captured at 2x under certain lighting conditions at f/1.48 on a small number of iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max devices
• Opening Notification Center and Control Center simultaneously may cause the touchscreen to become unresponsive

More from Tom's Guide

• Android president on Apple's iPhone Duo: 'I'm glad to see more people joining what is now the obvious party'
• Forget iPhone 18 Pro — 9 reasons to wait for the iPhone 20
• I finally unlinked my iPhone alarm from my ringer volume — here is where Apple hid it in iOS 27

I’ve spent the last couple of weeks testing both the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, which revealed some of their biggest upgrades — like the class-leading performance of the A20 Pro chip and improved battery life. But with the launch of the iPhone Duo right around the corner, plenty of people are likely still undecided about which one they should buy.

The fact that the Duo is Apple’s first-ever foldable device is appealing all on its own. Who wouldn’t want the novelty of having an expansive 7.6-inch canvas to multitask and watch videos on the go? However, the price gap certainly gives reason to pause. With a starting price of $1,999, the iPhone Duo commands a massive premium over the $1,299 iPhone 18 Pro Max.

Paying significantly more for the Duo doesn't just mean a lighter wallet — it comes with the reality of accepting some real compromises. And I'm not just talking about potential iPhone Duo dealbreakers we've already covered, like the lack of telephoto zoom and Face ID. After testing the 18 Pro lineup, these are the 7 features you’re giving up if you choose the iPhone Duo over the iPhone 18 Pro Max.

Proper MagSafe compatibility

MagSafe is no longer just an option for me — it’s a necessity given the utility it offers. While the iPhone Duo does include a magnetic ring, I won’t be able to use my favorite MagSafe accessories nearly as smoothly as I do on the iPhone 18 Pro Max.

That's because the Duo's folding design shifts internal components and cuts into rear real estate. Meaning, standard-sized MagSafe accessories don't sit flush against the back. A perfect example is the MagSafe wallets I've tested, which would overhang past the bottom edge of the frame. Sure, they might still technically stick — but you lose the seamless feel that makes the ecosystem so good in the first place.

Variable aperture

Even now, I’m constantly impressed watching the mechanical aperture blades over the main camera open and close on the iPhone 18 Pro series. This new system finally brings true optical versatility, letting me stop down to keep expansive landscapes in razor-sharp focus or open wide to produce authentic background blur in portraits.

I won’t have that mechanical control on the iPhone Duo, leaving me entirely at the mercy of digital post-processing and simulated depth maps. Missing out on the iPhone 18 Pro Max's physical aperture also means losing creative flexibility in other shooting scenarios — like intentionally adding motion blur with moving subjects.

Action Button

Whether you stick with its default setting or customize it, the Action button on the iPhone 18 Pro Max offers genuine utility and granular control over how the phone behaves.

I rely on it daily for tactile access to my flashlight, camera presets, and favorite Shortcuts — a luxury the iPhone Duo simply won't have. That absence stings even more on a foldable, where a programmable physical key could have effortlessly launched two apps side by side with a single click.

ProRAW/ProRES

For serious shooters like myself, Apple ProRAW and ProRes on the iPhone 18 Pro Max provide an essential layer of control in the editing room. ProRAW captures uncompressed files with full sensor readout, giving me the ability to recover highlights, lift shadows, and fine-tune white balance. Pair that with ProRes video — which preserves 10-bit color depth and low compression for smooth scrubbing — and the 18 Pro Max can easily double as an A-cam when I can't use my professional setup.

With the iPhone Duo, though, you’re limited to standard HEIF and JPEG photos alongside heavily compressed video. While those are perfectly fine for quick social shares, they strip away the post-production editing workflow that lets me get the most out of the cameras.

Log recording

Another video-centric feature that delivers noticeable quality gains is Apple Log on the iPhone 18 Pro Max. While the unedited footage looks flat and desaturated straight out of camera, the Log profile preserves maximum dynamic range in the highlights and shadows — giving me far more control when color grading. That becomes especially crucial whenever I need to match mobile clips to footage shot on dedicated mirrorless cameras.

Because Log recording isn’t available on the iPhone Duo, I’d be stuck with Apple’s baked-in color science and contrast. That’s more than fine for casual social clips, but if you rely on your phone as a reliable B-cam, losing Log support makes the Duo a tough sell for serious video workflows.

Spatial photos and videos

Even if it isn't an everyday shooting mode for most people, the ability to capture spatial photos and videos has real perks. The iPhone 18 Pro Max has the calibrated sensor array required to record lifelike stereoscopic media ready for playback on Apple Vision Pro — while letting you preview that parallax effect right inside the Photos app.

Because the iPhone Duo lacks a LiDAR scanner and the necessary lens alignment, spatial capture isn't an option. That's a miss in my book, especially given how much more pronounced and lifelike the 3D depth feels with static shots. It's way more genuine than the AI-assisted generation of Reframe.

More from Tom's Guide

• Android president on Apple's iPhone Duo: 'I'm glad to see more people joining what is now the obvious party'
• Forget iPhone 18 Pro — 9 reasons to wait for the iPhone 20
• I finally unlinked my iPhone alarm from my ringer volume — here is where Apple hid it in iOS 27

Being able to carry a powerful camera in my pocket is fantastic, and I can't tell you the number of times I've been able to pull out my phone to snap something that would have otherwise vanished in a second. The problem is that smartphones are not so great and shooting a lot of photos in a short space of time.

The lack of a burst mode has always irked me, especially since I'm often trying to take photos of things that are moving around — mainly my dogs or my son. My workaround has been to shoot video and then try and screenshot the appropriate frame, but those results are often lacking. You lose resolution and the whole process is rather fiddly, as you try and find the perfect frame.

Thankfully Google and Apple have each developed systems to do this exact thing, without all the same pitfalls. The execution is very different, though, and I set out to see whether Google Pixel 11 Pro's Magic Capture or the Save Video Frame as Photo option from iPhone 18 Pro and iOS 27 offered a better experience.

What are Magic Capture and Save Video Frame as Photo?

Magic Capture is a new AI-powered feature exclusive to Google's Pixel 11 series, and it functions as a separate mode within the Pixel camera app. Magic Capture records videos up to two minutes in length, and once finished, uses AI to analyze the footage and export a handful of frames as standalone photos.

The crucial thing there is that the whole process is automatic. You don't get to choose what Magic Capture picks out, and the number of photos you get is actually pretty limited. You get one photo at first, but that number increases to five once the cloud-based processing is complete.

In contrast to this, Apple's Save Video Frame as Photo feature is all on you. Rather than having a specialist camera mode, or complicated AI integration, it all functions as a feature in the Apple Photos app. Simply find a video you want to pull photos from, tap the three-dot menu in the top-right corner, and tap the Save Video Frame as Photo option.

Tapping that option then isolates the frame that's on screen and exports it to Apple Photos as a photo. It doesn't matter whether the video is playing, or if you've paused it, the feature will work as advertised, dropping the newly-created photo at the end of your timeline. Naturally, the manual process means you're not guaranteed to get a good photo, since it only copies what's seen on screen.

How do they actually differ in practice?

Magic Capture is certainly the more convenient method of extracting photos from video, though it definitely comes with some downsides. The fact that you can record a video clip, and have Google's AI do all the hard work for you to get things done quickly and stress-free. That said, the limitations do get in the way.

One issue is that Magic Capture is limited to two minutes of actual use. That's not an issue for short bursts of video, but if you want continuous, uninterrupted recording, you're out of luck. Similarly the feature sticks you with five photos no matter how long the clip is — no more, no less. It doesn't matter whether you record 30 seconds or the full two minutes, you get five photos.

If you want anything more, or you don't like what Magic Capture selected, you're going to have to do things the old fashioned way. That is less than ideal, especially since Magic Capture was supposed to solve this problem. The reliance on cloud processing may also be a little much for some people, depending on how much you trust Google's servers to keep your video clips secure.

Apple's system has no such limitations, because it doesn't rely on AI processing or a specialist camera. You simply record a video as normal, with no extra caveats or conditions you need to meet. The obvious downside is that you need to pull each individual frame out manually, which is not that easy — especially on an iPhone touchscreen.

There's a difference between photographs and video frames, since one is designed to be standalone and the other is one part of something much larger. Without the surrounding frames, that single snapshot could look like absolute garbage. And that happens quite a lot with the Save Video Frame as Photo feature. Not always, and rapid movement definitely makes it a lot harder, but it is something to be aware of.

The process is fairly simple, though. You load up the video you recorded in Apple Photos, and slide the progress bar along until you get to the frame you want to see as a photo. The main issue is that doing it in Portrait mode is not easy, especially if it's a particularly long video. This isn't like VLC, where you can advance frame by frame until you get to the spot you want.

There isn't enough finesse in my fingers to be super accurate with everything, but I found that flipping the phone into landscape mode made the process slightly easier. Similarly, loading up the video on my iPad and cycling through the video using the Apple Pencil made it feel as though I had more control over the entire process. Yes, iPadOS 27 has this feature too, and it works in the exact same way.

Clipping videos down into shorter clips can also be a big help, since the playback bar is the same size no matter the length of the video in question.

Verdict: Which is the better option?

The most important thing to remember about Magic Capture and Apple's Save Video Frame as Photo is that they are both rather different methods of reaching the same goal. The way they work is going to impact which of these is actually right for you, and the truth is that neither of them is a bad option.

Magic Capture has its limits, but it's the easiest way to get a handful of photos from short video clips. Personally I think Google's option is better suited to those times when you know getting a good photo is going to be difficult, but you don't want the moment to pass. So you use Magic Capture to record the video, and have Google AI select five photos of the event in question.

Meanwhile Apple's Save Video Frame to Photo feature is arguably better for those times you know you're going to be recording anyway, but want to be able to export different frames as their own photos. Or, alternatively, for those of you that prefer to put the effort into generating those photos yourself, rather than having a faceless collection of cloud-based AI algorithms do it for you. It's certainly the more labor-intensive option, but it's also the one that ensures better data security. Provided you have the will and means to go through your video frame-by-frame — or close enough to it.

A blend of the two wouldn't be a bad option, especially if Apple can adapt its own version of Magic Capture through Private Cloud Compute. However, we can all agree that it certainly beats the alternative of screenshotting videos and losing all resolution in the process.

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I'm a big fan of magnetic phone accessories, especially when it involves MagSafe-compatible wireless charging. Portable battery packs are great, but the reliance on cables is not something I will ever be happy about. Switching to wireless charging, and using magnets to keep everything in place, means that problem is eliminated — though it's not ideal that those batteries add a bunch of bulk and weight to your phone.

Belkin's newest magnetic battery pack, UltraCharge Pro Slim Magnetic Power Bank with BoostSolid Cell, helps to eliminate that problem. The "Semi Solid State" battery design is significantly thinner and lighter than you might expect, which makes a surprising amount of difference for comfort. However, that also comes at the cost of overall capacity, which may or not be a dealbreaker.

What the heck is a 'semi-solid-state' battery?

You may be wondering what Semi-Solid-State actually means. The idea of solid-state batteries is nothing new, since those offer power without any of the chemical movements and reactions.

According to Belkin, this "semi-solid" design utilizes a gel-like layer alongside a liquid electrolyte. The company hasn't gone into the specifics of how everything works, but the design enables a slimmer and more compact design, greater longevity and a much lower risk of overheating. That should help improve the overall safety of using these batteries, and considering the clampdown by airlines in recent months, that's definitely a good thing.

Speaking of airlines, Belkin says that the $70 UltraCharge Pro Magnetic Power Bank has been built to comply with standard safety requirements, and the TSA's carry-on guidance. Though this doesn't necessarily mean that you are cleared to use this one in the air. Each airline has their own policies, and you need to be aware of them before you travel.

The battery itself is Qi2 certified, offering up to 15W charging speeds on compatible phones. Wired USB-C charging is also available if you have a cable, with speeds up to 7.5W. The battery itself recharges at up to 22.5W. Naturally, being magnetic, it snaps onto the back of your phone — whether it has built-in magnets or you're using a special case.

Materials-wise, you've got a battery that is a mix of metal and rubber, which is not exactly uncommon in magnetic batteries, though the actual size of the thing is arguably where its biggest strength lies.

How does it compare to my existing magnetic power bank?

The magnetic battery pack I use most of the time is UGreen's 10,000 mAh magnetic power pack. It's a fairly cheap option, which means it isn't officially certified as MagSafe or Qi2 — it's just a regular wireless charger with a MagSafe-compatible connection. That means it's slow, and it has a habit of getting pretty hot.

UGreen's model is 0.79-inches thick, which is more than double Belkin's 0.35-inches. It's also heavier, weighing 7.9 ounces compared to 4.4 ounces for the Belkin. The UGreen battery is actually heavier and thicker than an iPhone 17 Pro (0.35-inches and 7.27 ounces), and only slightly lighter than the iPhone 17 Pro Max (8.33 ounces).

The UltraCharge Pro Magnetic Power Bank is still going to add thickness and weight to your phone. However, it is a lot more comfortable and convenient to use compared to the bulky UGreen option I've been using.

The downside is that it the Belkin has half the capacity of the UGreen. 10,000 mAh is enough to charge just about every phone at least once — and often more. 5,000 mAh doesn't go quite as far, but it's no small amount of power. It's enough to recharge a lot of phones in full, and enough to add a significant amount of power to others.

Personally, while I like to overprepare and make sure I have more than enough energy to keep me going, I'll admit that 10,000 mAh is a bit overkill for most situations. So long as you have enough power to make it through the day, and get back to a home charger, then what does it matter how much of a reserve you have?

In terms of charging and heat, I decided to test the two batteries on my iPhone 17 Pro Max starting at 47% charge. The Belkin battery restored 10%, bringing the total to 57% in that time, while the UGreen battery brought the charge to 54% — a 7% increase. It's not a huge amount of difference, but over the course of many hours that will add up.

As for heat, the Belkin battery definitely felt warmer, but a quick check with a thermal camera saw the temperature peak at just under 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The UGreen battery didn't feel nearly as warm, but the thermal imaging revealed that a small part of the battery had risen to just shy of 97 degrees. That's not a huge difference, but you do have to remember that the UGreen charger is going much more slowly — and I did feel that heat start to add up over extended charging sessions.

Wireless charging is always going to produce some heat if you don't have some sort of active cooling system. The Belkin UltraCharge does get warm, but it doesn't get too hot, which is quite nice.

Bottom line

I really like the Belkin UltraCharge Pro Magnetic Power Bank. Not specifically because it's a semi-solid-state battery, but because it manages to do all the things you need from a portable battery pack. It's slim and lightweight, with the magnetic connection making it incredibly easy to recharge your phone. Plus, the 15W Qi2 speeds mean it's fairly speedy as far as wireless charging goes.

Admittedly, the 5,000 mAh capacity would be enough to make me hesitate on buying one for myself — especially with a $70 price tag. You can buy wired battery packs that offer four times the capacity for similar prices, if not less. Still, you can't fault the Belkin for convenience or comfort, and that premium might be worth it if you regularly find that you need to top off your phone on the move.

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For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been putting all the iPhone 18 Pro (and 18 Pro Max) camera upgrades to work. While the variable aperture system has drawn plenty of attention — and rightfully so, given the natural depth of field it delivers — the bigger upgrade for me has been the introduction of new Pro Controls.

I can’t tell you how long I’ve been asking for this. Apple has historically been reluctant to give users full manual control, but over the last few generations, it’s slowly been rolling out incremental features that prove it's actually listening. Even so, it wasn't until recently that I stumbled onto something that takes the feature to another level: the ability to fully customize the Pro Controls layout to match your exact shooting style.

Whether you want shutter speed pinned front and center, or the focus slider positioned for precise fine-tuning, customizing this interface completely transforms the experience. Here’s how to do it.

How to customize Pro Controls layout using the iPhone 18 Pro/Pro Max

All of your selections will stay locked in the exact order you arranged them, making Pro Controls vastly more practical since you're no longer forced to constantly tap the six-dot icon to dig into settings. I love this level of customization because it gives me the flexibility to tweak key parameters on the fly, letting me refocus on framing and shooting instead of fumbling through menus.

Best of all, this layout customization carries over seamlessly to video recording. While you’ll find familiar core adjustments like aperture, shutter speed, manual focus, and white balance, Apple also adds video-specific tools like Dual Capture, Action mode, and Adaptive — the latter designed for time-lapse recording to dynamically slow the frame rate when motion is detected.

More from Tom's Guide

• Android president on Apple's iPhone Duo: 'I'm glad to see more people joining what is now the obvious party'
• Forget iPhone 18 Pro — 9 reasons to wait for the iPhone 20
• I finally unlinked my iPhone alarm from my ringer volume — here is where Apple hid it in iOS 27

Back in March we heard rumors that Apple could add an important anti-theft feature to iPhones: the ability for iOS to lock everything down in the event your phone is snatched out of your hands. While I had hoped that such a feature could launch with iOS 27, that hasn't happened — but it doesn't mean anti-snatch protection is dead in the water.

Code discovered in the newly released iOS 27.2 beta reveals that Apple could still be working on this feature — as well as what signals could end up triggering it in the real world.

Google launched something similar last year, known as Theft Detection Lock, and I'm glad to see that Apple is still powering ahead with its own version. Considering how much we have on our phone, and how easy they are to steal, there's no such thing as having too much protection from thieves and other criminals.

How Apple's anti-snatching feature might work

Android's Theft Detection Lock works by detecting sudden changes in your device, using the internal sensors. So if it notices your phone suddenly jerks in one direction and takes off at speed, odds are someone has snatched your phone and started running off with it.

We assumed that Apple's version would work in a similar manner, but the uncovered code offers a little bit of detail about how iOS will register possible thefts.

Code snippets seen by 9to5Mac shows that the theft detection is internally known as "AutoLock," though there's no guarantee that Apple will actually use that name for the public launch. The code also suggests that AutoLock will rely on five key signals to determine whether a phone has been stolen or not.

The first trigger is the presence of a "sharp acceleration" that is "consistent with a phone being snatched." Or, in other words, the internal sensors detecting your phone moving in a way that is inconsistent with typical use. Connectivity to the Apple Watch is also considered, including a paired watch not being reachable for an extended period, and general loss of connectivity to that watch. Presumably if that loss of contact is very sudden, then the AutoLock feature will realize something is up.

The code also refers to being disconnected from the network for extended periods. This would be consistent with thieves switching a phone into Airplane mode in an attempt to evade Find My Device — either for tracking or remotely locking down the phone.

Finally it's said that AutoLock could engage when a device has been unlocked beyond a specific time interval. This suggests that there may be circumstances where AutoLock can engage after being snatched, rather than during the process — the way Android's version of the feature does.

The code also makes reference to safeguards designed to avoid false positives, including location-based systems that would prevent AutoLock engaging in familiar locations like home ort work — similar to how Apple's Stolen Device Protection works. Other safeguards mention a veto system, in which certain features can override a request to AutoLock, biometric authentication, and a "backoff mechanism" that temporarily prevents automatic locks after repeated AutoLock events.

Naturally, this feature is still a work in progress, and that means things can (and likely will) change between now and the official release. So don't expect the final feature to arrive in this exact form, whenever that day might actually be.

Why it's important to have

I doubt there's anyone reading this that hasn't heard about phone snatching, and many of you may have experienced it first hand. It's become quite a problem, especially in big cities and places with lax enforcement of rules regarding ebikes and mopeds.

It certainly doesn't help that we use our phones so much, and some people tend to wander around with their phones out, oblivious to the fact that they're putting their device at risk. Last time my wife and I both went to London, I repeatedly had to tell her to put her phone away because she has the awful habit of absentmindedly wandering around with her phone by her side. It's a problem made worse by the fact it's so hard to find women's clothing with phone-friendly pockets.

Really, we should know to keep our phones more secure. Not only are they expensive devices, the amount of data we keep in them is arguably worth more than the hardware itself. Banking apps, social media, personal photos and videos, the list is endless. The last thing you need is for someone to snatch your phone and gain access to all that data, simply because your phone was unlocked at the wrong moment.

Obviously staying vigilant, and ensuring your phone is not exposed unnecessarily is always going to be the best way to avoid drive-by phone snatching. But it's foolish to assume that you can stay safe 100% of the time, and there will be points where you need to use your phone and your guard is down just enough for an opportunistic thief to swoop by and grab it from your hands.

Having a system that locks your phone down means it's that bit harder for a thief to access your data, or attempt to wipe the phone and sell it on for a profit. Crucially it gives you a little more time to find a way to get into Find My Device and lock the device down — significantly reducing its value to the potential thieves.

AutoLock wouldn't be the only system helping to safeguard your data. Stolen Device Protection has measures to stop potential thieves from accessing key areas of your device — including Find My settings, your Apple account and factory reset. Most importantly, it also works if the thief knows your PIN, since it relies on biometric security. Apple also forces your iPhone to restart after 72 hours of inactivity, which encrypts your device and makes it even harder for thieves to try and break in.

Replacing a phone sucks, especially if it isn't covered by AppleCare+ or some other form of insurance. But the cost of a new phone pales in comparison to the cost of losing control of your accounts and data.

Bottom line

It's important to keep tabs on your phone, no matter where you are or how secure you might feel in the moment. Constant vigilance is a nice idea in theory, but it's not realistically possible. For that reason, it's great that phone companies are continually adding features to keep your devices secure, and lock everything down in the event that your phone is stolen.

I'm mainly an Android user, and I've lost track of the number of times I've looked at my phone and been met with a notification telling me the screen has auto-locked because it thought someone was stealing it. Some may find that slightly irritating, but not me. Considering how easy it is to unlock a smartphone with biometrics (be it a fingerprint or Face ID), I'd rather the software be a little more cautious and ask me to unlock my phone again than face the alternative.

And the sooner Apple implements that feature on iPhones, the better.

More from Tom's Guide

• Android president on Apple's iPhone Duo: 'I'm glad to see more people joining what is now the obvious party'
• Forget iPhone 18 Pro — 9 reasons to wait for the iPhone 20
• I finally unlinked my iPhone alarm from my ringer volume — here is where Apple hid it in iOS 27

The iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max are definitely the best phones Apple has ever made, but that doesn't necessarily mean you should rush out to buy one. In fact, there's a strong case to be made for waiting another year and picking up the iPhone 20 instead.

The 20th anniversary model is expected to follow in the iPhone X's footsteps, with Apple reportedly releasing a device that will set the standard for the next decade of iPhone flagships. This means if you've found yourself disappointed with the level of upgrades Apple has offered over the past few years, the iPhone 20 could make up for a lot of it.

Here are nine reasons why you should skip the iPhone 18 Pro and wait for the iPhone 20.

Quad-curved, all-glass display

The most noticeable iPhone 20 change is shaping up to be the quad-curved all-glass display. While a screen with four curved edges is fairly common among Chinese brands, it never really took off in the U.S. and other regions. However, Apple's version is a little different.

The design reportedly wraps around all four corners, connecting with a separate glass back-plate to give the illusion that this device is made from nothing but glass. Obviously, the interior will still have the usual metal frame and other components, but it should ensure the iPhone 20 is one of the most visually striking phones Apple has made in a while.

Better OLED screens

The iPhone 20's design may not be the only thing changing about the screen. Apple is rumored to be offering new OLED display panels that are brighter and thinner than what we have now. The panels themselves are expected to come from Samsung, complete with the Color Filter on Encapsulation (COE, not to be confused with the Church of England) technology.

This tech is said to be able to reduce the thickness of the display itself, while also allowing more light through. This improves the overall brightness, but in a way that doesn't increase the power consumption. Considering how much battery power a phone display can use, this could potentially be a massive win for battery life.

Under display Face ID and cameras

We know Apple can make under-display cameras, since it's added that technology to the iPhone Duo's foldable display. One of the long-standing rumors for the iPhone 20 is that both the camera and Face ID will vanish beneath the display, offering a true, uninterrupted display — though the Dynamic Island may still stick around.

Face ID hardware has slowly been making that migration for a few years, and it makes sense Apple would be ready to make the jump next year. The camera is a different matter, especially with under-display cameras' reputation for mediocre quality. Even the iPhone Duo's hidden camera is only designed for FaceTime and video calls, and it's unclear whether Apple can fix that issue before next year.

Solid state buttons

There have been rumors circulating about Apple switching from mechanical to solid-state buttons for years, and iPhone 20 could be the year it finally happens. Such a move would see traditional buttons replaced with haptic alternatives that are built directly into the device itself — which would aid that uninterrupted glass look.

Those buttons would not have any moving parts, which has two benefits. Fewer chances to break down, and fewer gaps in the frame that could be damaged and invite water or dust inside the phone. All while retaining a tactile button-like response from the built-in haptic feedback.

A21 Pro

One thing we can all but guarantee is the inclusion of the A21 Pro chipset. As is the case with new Apple chips, this will likely come with increased computing and graphical performance, alongside gains in AI processing.

The level of improvement isn't clear right now, but we should expect the iPhone 20 to be the most powerful iPhone Apple has made — and among the most powerful phones on sale. Naturally, we should also expect improvements to power consumption and energy efficiency, which should in turn improve the overall battery life.

No Qualcomm modems in sight

While Apple was keen to hype up the addition of the C2 modem in the iPhone 18 Pro series, it turns out that Qualcomm modems are still being utilized. iFixit teardowns revealed that the iPhone 18 Pro Max still uses a Qualcomm modem, and they have a reputation for being a little power-hungry.

The reason Apple hasn't ditched Qualcomm in its entirety is all very legal. Suffice it to say Apple was obligated to continue using some Qualcomm modems in its devices until this year. As far as we know, the end of 2026 means Apple is free to use its own modems across the entire iPhone lineup — including iPhone 20.

Silicon carbon batteries

More and more phones are adopting Silicon Carbon battery technology, and the iPhone 20 could be the first Apple smartphone to make the switch. These batteries use a silicon-coated anode and are able to offer much better energy density as a result. Effectively meaning Apple can reduce the size of the iPhone 20 battery without lowering the actual capacity in the process.

OnePlus 15 did this with its monster 7,300 mAh battery, without adding any meaningful amount of weight or thickness to the phone. Samsung did it with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 too, increasing the total battery capacity while maintaining a sleek, thin foldable profile. So there's little reason for Apple not to follow suit.

Better cameras

Apple could be developing a stacked image sensor for the iPhone 20's cameras, effectively replacing the Sony sensors iPhones have relied on for years. The benefit of this is that the camera would be able to capture even more detail in bright and darker areas, without losing any information in the process. In other words, better picture quality and dynamic range rolled into one.

It's also been rumored that Apple may copy Samsung and adopt a 200MP main camera on the iPhone 20 — up from 48MP on the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. It seems like quite a big leap, especially since Apple generally focuses on improving photography software, but if it's going to happen, it might as well be on the iPhone 20.

New screen sizes

The all-glass displays also mean the iPhone 20 could come with slightly larger screens. A recent rumor from Digital Chat Station claims that the iPhone 20 Pro will feature a 6.41-inch display, and the Pro Max model will have a 6.96-inch display. That's up from a respective 6.3 inches and 6.9 inches on the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.

Both new phones are rumored to come with resolutions of 2,686 x 1,236 and 2,912 x 1,340 — suggesting that they will be incrementally taller and wider as a result of the larger screen. Not by much, but that extra screen space has to come from somewhere, right?

More from Tom's Guide

• I put the iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 17 Pro Max through a 7-round face-off — here’s the winner
• I finally unlinked my iPhone alarm from my ringer volume — here is where Apple hid it in iOS 27
• I tested Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 — 16% faster CPU and huge AI-infused gaming upgrades, but Apple’s A20 Pro pulls ahead in some areas

If there’s one phone I saw out in the wild more than any other this past year, it was easily the Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro Max. As tempting as it is to credit that eye-catching finish alone, Apple backed up the fresh coat of paint with substantial hardware improvements and top-tier performance that drove people to buy it .

Now that the iPhone 18 Pro Max is officially here, Apple has to convince those same owners that it’s time to move on. While my general rule of thumb is to upgrade every three years, the pull of the latest flagship is hard to resist.

That sets the stage for my iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 17 Pro Max face-off: can Apple prove its newest generational leap is actually worth the investment? Armed with the cutting-edge A20 Pro chip and an ambitious variable-aperture camera, the 18 Pro Max enters the ring with serious firepower. Here’s how it holds up against the reigning heavyweight.

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 17 Pro Max: Specifications

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 17 Pro Max: Price and release

When it comes to your wallet, the older flagship came with an initial starting price of $1,199 when it was released last year. With the latest flagship now on shelf, Apple's asking $100 more for the the iPhone 18 Pro Max — pushing its starting price up to $1,299.

While the iPhone 18 Pro Max certainly brings cutting-edge upgrades to the table, an extra hundred dollars is a tough pill to swallow when last year's top-tier phone offers 90% of the same experience. For raw value and affordability out of the gate, the older model takes the crown, especially with the extra discounts you're likely to find right now as carriers and retailers try to clear out remaining stock.

Winner: iPhone 17 Pro Max

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 17 Pro Max: Design

Besides their colorways, it’s nearly impossible to tell them apart at a cursory glance. That’s because Apple sticks to the same design, featuring an identical titanium frame, contoured edges, and the familiar stretched-out camera arrangement across the back. While Apple has gone after a unified color scheme with the iPhone 18 Pro Max, I still like the two-tone look of the previous design.

When I pick them up, however, I notice a subtle difference. By no means is the iPhone 17 Pro Max lightweight, but the iPhone 18 Pro Max feels noticeably denser in the hand because it tips the scales at a heftier 8.78 ounces — compared to the 8.22-ounce iPhone 17 Pro Max. It’s not a massive differential on paper, but it’s still immediately felt.

Besides that, I think it’s worth pointing out how Apple has trimmed the size of the Dynamic Island with the iPhone 18 Pro Max. It was never a distraction for me with the iPhone 17 Pro Max, but I nonetheless appreciate it being scaled down to make the display look more seamless.

Sure, it weighs more, but the slimmed-down Dynamic Island compensates for the 18 Pro Max’s overall design.

Winner: tie

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 17 Pro Max: Display

Both phones feature a 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR display, complete with 120Hz ProMotion that makes nearly everything on the screen look buttery smooth. Our lab testing reveals that the iPhone 18 Pro Max reaches a much more substantial peak brightness of 2,326 nits, making it a breeze to see whatever I’m doing when the sun is beating down on me.

While the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s peak of 1,899 nits is no slouch, the difference side by side is obvious — with the 18 Pro Max exhibiting superior visibility when I need it most.

Apple also touts an updated anti-reflective coating on the iPhone 18 Pro Max, but in my experience, it’s an enhancement I hardly notice. Harsh overhead lights and reflections still pose a challenge.

Winner: iPhone 18 Pro Max

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 17 Pro Max: Cameras

Apple has long set the gold standard for reliable point-and-shoot smartphone photography in virtually any condition. At a glance, both flagships seem to share the same 48MP triple-camera array, but the iPhone 18 Pro Max introduces two transformative upgrades: a mechanical variable aperture and native Pro Controls.

This variable aperture represents one of the most substantial hardware evolutions the iPhone line has seen in years, cycling through four distinct physical stops: f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8, and f/4. As an avid photographer, I know just how significant optical control is on mobile hardware — it grants the 18 Pro Max an immediate edge in capturing natural depth of field and managing light.

Better yet, Apple backed up the optical hardware overhaul with native Pro Controls. Enthusiasts have spent years pleading for true manual tools baked directly into iOS's default camera app, and Apple finally answered the call. The 18 Pro Max puts granular adjustment of shutter speed, ISO, white balance, manual focus, and aperture right at your fingertips.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max remains an effortless, dependable shooter that produces gorgeous results with zero fuss. But the synergy of a true mechanical aperture and extensive manual shooting tools turns the iPhone 18 Pro Max into a legitimate photographer’s tool, delivering creative versatility its predecessor simply can't touch.

Starting with their main cameras, it’s a dead heat between the two — and I genuinely can’t see a meaningful difference under daytime settings like this. Both flagships capture exceptional detail in the signage, pumpkins, and clouds in sky, with only a trained eye spotting that the iPhone 18 Pro Max lifts the deepest shadows beneath the awning just a hair more.

These ultrawide camera shots again show how similarly both phones handle daytime scenes. From the rich blue water and rolling cloud formations to finer details like the sand patterns and docked rowboats, dynamic range and sharpness look nearly identical side by side.

I’ve shown earlier how the physical variable aperture of the iPhone 18 Pro Max produces a more authentic background blur in standard shooting, but that hardware perk matters very little in Portrait Mode since both handsets lean entirely on computational photography. They perform almost identically, isolating my colleague Mark cleanly along the shoulders, with matching skin tones, exposure levels, and edge-detection accuracy.

Switching over to their front-facing Center Stage cameras, the selfies reveal another remarkably close face-off. However, the iPhone 18 Pro Max pulls ahead with slightly cleaner dynamic range, warmer skin tones, and clearer facial detail.

At 4x zoom, both flagships capture the rowboats with nearly identical clarity — it’s really hard to tell them apart.

Pushing them to 40x zoom, however, reveals the iPhone 18 Pro Max's superior processing. It keeps the phone number's stenciled lettering crisp and legible with noticeably less artifacting. The iPhone 17 Pro Max still manages to keep the text readable, but fine details begin to soften.

Low-light performance leans in favor of the iPhone 18 Pro Max, largely because its wider f/1.48 aperture takes in more light without needing to artificially brighten the entire room. The iPhone 17 Pro Max pushes exposure a bit too far, resulting in blown-out candle highlights along the mantel and a washed-out wall that loses the moody ambiance of the scene.

That wider aperture also allows the iPhone 18 Pro Max to capture the scene at ISO 1600, resulting in noticeably less noise and grain than the iPhone 17 Pro Max at ISO 2000.

Winner: iPhone 18 Pro Max

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 17 Pro Max: Performance

While last year’s A19 Pro was already a beast on its own, Apple widens the gap significantly with the new 2nm-class A20 Pro silicon powering the iPhone 18 Pro Max. Synthetic benchmark tests reveal this in a substantial way, with the iPhone 18 Pro Max churning out Geekbench scores that blow away its predecessor.

Its 4,741 single-core and 12,789 multi-core scores beat the 17 Pro Max by a wide margin (3,871 and 9,968). Essentially, this translates to roughly a 22% performance increase in single-core and an even better 28% jump in multi-core. The newer Geekbench 7 test tells a similar story.

Graphics processing also sees marked improvements for the iPhone 18 Pro Max, showing an even greater divide that could be attributed to its larger, redesigned vapor chamber. In 3DMark’s Solar Bay Unlimited test, the 18 Pro Max hits an impressive 67.9 fps average (17,850 score) — which represents a massive 45% leap over the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s 46.6 fps average (12,260 score).

Those benchmark numbers look great on paper, but synthetic results don’t always tell the whole story. Personally, I’ve enjoyed playing my go-to games on my iPhone 17 Pro Max — but the iPhone 18 Pro Max simply makes them look and run way better with more fluid animations and tighter, more responsive gameplay.

Winner: iPhone 18 Pro Max

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 17 Pro Max: Battery Life and charging

The iPhone 17 Pro Max was already an absolute endurance beast, setting an exceptionally high bar. Yet, the iPhone 18 Pro Max manages to stretch that lead even further — although I was expecting a bit more.

In the Tom’s Guide battery drain test — which involves continuous web surfing over 5G with the display calibrated to 150 nits — the iPhone 18 Pro Max turns in an average time of 18 hours and 27 minutes. That stretches out to 18 hours and 41 minutes on its longest run. This average eclipses the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s time of 17 hours and 54 minutes. In real-world terms, both are reliable two-day phones, but the 18 Pro Max gives you that extra cushion of reassurance.

Where the newer flagship truly pulls away, however, is charging speed. Apple finally upgraded the iPhone 18 Pro Max with 60W charging support for the first time. The payoff is immediate: the iPhone 18 Pro Max rockets to 44% in 15 minutes and 77% in 30 minutes, easily besting the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s slower 35% and 64% fill-ups at the same intervals.

Winner: iPhone 18 Pro Max

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 17 Pro Max: Software and AI

Both flagships run the latest iOS 27 software, so the experience is virtually identical with a couple of exceptions. Visually, you get the same level of customization with the interface — complete with control over Liquid Glass’ look, icon arrangement, and lock screen personalization. At the same time, both phones offer identical Apple Intelligence tools like Clean Up, notification summaries, Writing Tools, Reframe, and more.

One of the biggest driving forces that comes with these titans is the arrival of Siri AI, which works identically on both models. This turbocharged version of Apple’s virtual assistant is more proactive and aware, offering contextual responses based on whatever you’re doing — like suggesting a calendar event if someone mentions an upcoming appointment in Messages. I’ve also tested out Siri AI with the new CarPlay in iOS 27, and I can say that it’s way more reliable at handling multi-step tasks.

However, the iPhone 18 Pro Max pulls away with a couple of standout exclusive features. I’ve already pointed out the slimmer Dynamic Island, which takes advantage of the redesigned cutout to monitor three simultaneous Live Activities at once — compared to the two-activity limit on the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Secondly, the 18 Pro Max exclusively packs native Pro Controls into the camera app, something Apple simply doesn’t include with the updated iOS 27 experience on the 17 Pro Max.

Winner: iPhone 18 Pro Max

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 17 Pro Max: Verdict

Apple didn’t just deliver a routine refresh with the iPhone 18 Pro Max — it pushed the envelope where it matters most. Pairing the physical variable aperture with native Pro Controls transforms the camera into a creative setup that could happily replace my point-and-shoot camera. Backed by the blistering performance of the A20 Pro silicon, a much brighter display, faster 60W charging, and class-leading battery endurance, the iPhone 18 Pro Max handily wins this matchup.

That said, if you already own an iPhone 17 Pro Max, you will find it hard to justify spending even more money — especially with Apple slapping a $100 price hike on the 18 Pro Max. Last year’s flagship still delivers phenomenal battery life, blazing-fast speed, and nearly the exact same iOS 27 and Siri AI software experience.

More from Tom’s Guide

• I've been testing the iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone 18 Pro — your 10 biggest questions answered
• iPhone 18 Pro teardown reveals the ins and outs of the latest iPhone models — including one annoying repair issue
• Apple's $250 million class action settlement website is now open — here's how eligible iPhone owners can file a claim and how much they'll get

Even before the iPhone Duo launched, Android and Samsung fans were ribbing Apple for being so late to the foldable phone party. After all, the first Galaxy Fold launched in 2019.

Right after the Apple September event, Samsung tweeted “Let us know when you're done reheating our leftovers.”

Now that we’re edging closer to the iPhone Duo pre-order date of Oct 16, I thought it would be interesting to get the reaction of Sameer Samat, who is the president of Android Ecosystem at Google.

We were sitting down to talk about the new Googlebook push, but since those laptops are powered by Android, I wanted to ask him what he thought about Apple’s foldable entry versus Android foldables.

Better late than never

As you might expect, Samat pointed out that Apple’s foldable launch is a wee bit behind the Android camp.

“I think that it's wonderful to see more people realizing after so long that the foldable space is the place to be. And Android is usually where you see the future first.”

It’s true that Android beat Apple to the foldable punch by a long shot, including the wide passport form factor the iPhone Duo has. Samat has been using the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and is a big fan of that device in particular.

“The Fold 8 is an amazing device, Samat said. “It helps me get so much work done. I actually find myself starting productivity quite often on that device, and then moving to my laptop.”

But the Duo is still a real threat

At the same time, analysts predict a big foldable phone market share for Apple. For example, Counterpoint Research says Apple will gain about 25% of the market in year one, growing to 40% by the end of 2027.

A lot of that likely has to do with the ecosystem factor. I did a story recently ranking the iPhone Duo trade-offs — from the lack of telephoto zoom to a heavier weight versus the Fold 8 — and this reader comment summed up the pent-up demand best.

“Seriously, I've been waiting since the first Galaxy Z Fold for Apple to enter the arena (tried the Fold 5 and Fold 6, but just couldn't do Android because I'm locked into the rest of Apple's ecosystem).”

Despite Apple’s momentum at the moment, Samat is confident that the Duo will have a halo effect on Android foldables, because it will only increase interest in the category overall.

“I think that what this speaks to is something that we've known for a long time in the Android ecosystem, which is that the foldable space, the foldable form factor is awesome.”

Apple = app advantage?

In addition, Apple could have a sizable advantage when it comes to app support for larger foldable displays, as it is making a big push with developers.

In fact, Apple specifically called out Slack during its event as one of the optimized apps, which as we speak still looks like a stretched out phone app on Android foldables. Apple also showed off a foldable-friendly version of Netflix.

Samat admitted that there’s still work to be done. And ironically Apple’s entry could be the tide to lift Android’s boat.

“I think that as this form factor becomes more and more popular, developers realize that there's more and more value in investing in it,” Samat said. “I think one of the things that we've done is to make the tools simpler and easier for them to invest in. And of course there are apps that haven't made that transition yet. Either they're working on it, or we're in conversations with them, but there are also thousands of thousands of apps that have.”

We talked about one of those apps in TikTok, which works very well on the Samsung Fold 8. You get an immersive viewing experience on the outside display, and on the inside you can scroll videos on the left and view comments on the right.

In addition, many of Google’s own apps have been fully optimized for foldables, including Gmail and YouTube.

“We can cherry pick an app or two that you know one platform will have or the other platform will have, but the reality is this form factor is a hit,” Samat said. “It's growing. It was growing even before these last couple weeks, and I'm glad to see more people joining what is now the obvious party.”

More from Tom's Guide

• iPhone Duo hands-on: Apple nailed it — and just put everyone else on notice
• iPhone Duo vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8
• I spent 30 minutes with the iPhone Duo — 3 things you just don't get from the pictures

The iPhone Duo is the most expensive phone Apple has ever made, and for good reason.

You get a compact 5.4-inch phone and tablet in one device with a huge 7.6-inch nano-texture display. And Apple promises unparalleled durability in the Duo’s design along with a new software experience that takes multitasking to the next level — and makes the most of all the positions you can put this foldable in.

But it’s only fair to call out the compromises for this foldable phone versus other flagship phones, including Apple’s own iPhone 18 Pro Max that I just reviewed.

What annoys me is that people are already lumping all of the missing features and trade-offs into a list of “dealbreakers” as if they’re all of equal value. Spoiler: they’re not.

As we get closer to the Oct. 16 iPhone Duo pre-order date, I think it’s worth sense checking these trade-offs. I’m scoring each trade-off on a scale of 1-10 to tell you what’s an annoyance versus an actual dealbreaker.

No telephoto zoom: ‘Dealbreaker’ score 8/10

There’s no getting around it. The iPhone Duo’s 2x optical quality zoom is not the same thing as having a dedicated telephoto lens. You’re getting that zoom via cropping on the 48MP main sensor. If you want to get closer to the action, you’ll max out at just 10x digital zoom.

Meanwhile, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max both have 4x telephoto lenses with 8x optical quality zooms. And you get a 40x digital zoom. If you like to zoom in a lot when shooting pics, don’t get the Duo.

No Face ID: ‘Dealbreaker’ score 7/10

It’s understandable why the iPhone Duo doesn’t have Face ID given that there’s less space for all of the sensors that are required for it, but it’s still a bummer because it’s such an easy way to unlock your phone. And Face ID is better than any face unlock solution on any Android phone.

Instead, you get a Touch ID sensor built into the power button on the right side. At least I’m fairly confident it will work well based on how reliable Touch ID is on the MacBook, iPad and previous iPhones.

Weight: ‘Dealbreaker’ score 6/10

The iPhone Duo is certainly compact enough to slip into your front pocket, but it’s definitely heftier than the iPhone 18 Pro Max and Apple’s main foldable rival.

Weighing 8.96 ounces, the Duo is the heaviest iPhone yet and slightly heavier than the iPhone 18 Pro Max’s 8.78 ounces.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is the portability champ, weighing just 7.09 ounces. You really notice it in the hand.

But it’s worth keeping in mind that the iPhone Duo packs in some features that to many will be worth the extra weight, including IP68 durability, a vapor chamber and a digitizer layer on the display to support Apple Pencil input.

Price: ‘Dealbreaker’ score 5/10

You might have thought I would have ranked the high $2,000 price of the Duo higher on this list of dealbreakers. But it’s really more of a dealbreaker for the category as opposed to this particular phone.

After all, most foldable phones like this are in the same range. The Galaxy Fold 8 and Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold are $100 less. Still, the price certainly skyrockets as you add more storage. We’re talking $2,200 for 512GB, $2,599 for 1TB and a whopping $3,200 for 2TB. Though the competition makes out at 1TB.

Less battery life than iPhone 18 Pro Max: ‘Dealbreaker’ score 4/10

Based on Apple’s own estimates, the iPhone Duo is going to last less than the iPhone 18 Pro Max in a charge. And that makes sense because the Duo’s dual battery system has to power a larger display.

Apple claims the iPhone Duo will last 24 hours with regular use versus 30 hours for the 18 Pro Max. But that gap grows with video playback, with the Duo rated for 31 hours and the Pro Max 45 hours. You can get up to 44 hours on the Duo’s small display.

Under-display camera: ‘Dealbreaker’ score 3.5/10

Apple decided to give the iPhone Duo an under display FaceTime camera while other companies have ditched them due to quality issues. Based on what I’ve seen so far, I’d say it looks good enough for video calls but you'll want to use the front 12MP camera or even the main 48MP camera for selfies.

Lacks variable aperture and Pro Controls: ‘Dealbreaker’ score 3/10

It’s a bummer that the variable aperture main camera is limited to the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. It does give you more flexibility when shooting.

But the bigger annoyance for me is that Apple didn’t grace the Duo with Pro controls. Why not make it easier to control shutter speed, white balance and more?

Bottom line

When you add it all up the only real iPhone Duo dealbreaker for me is the lack of a telephoto zoom. And while I really wish it had Face ID, I can live with Touch ID.

But what about you? Are there any iPhone Duo dealbreakers high on your list or do you plan to buy despite any trade-offs? Let us know in the comments.

A lot of iPhone users are still getting to grips with the recent release of iOS 27, but that doesn't mean Apple gets to take a break. It's just released iOS 27.2 beta, which comes with a bunch more changes and upgrades for beta testers to try out.

Some of you may be wondering what happened to iOS 27.1 beta, and that's a fair question. Apparently Apple has skipped over that bit of software, and it's speculated that the iPhone Duo is the reason. The foldable will apparently arrive running iOS 27.1 out of the box, complete with all the extra software needed to run a foldable phone. Whether other devices will get iOS 27.1, or if they'll jump straight to iOS 27.2, isn't clear.

In the meantime, here are all the newest features and changes coming as part of the iOS 27.2 beta release.

Revamped Health app

Back during its September iPhone launch event, Apple confirmed that it would be revamping the Health app — and iOS 27.2 beta is our first chance to see it in action. This new version of the app is laid out with three tabs: Insight, Longevity and Browse.

Insights includes general health information, such as vitals, sleep score, heart rate and your activity rings. Longevity takes that information and applies it over time, offering a Health Age score calculated from various health metrics — including VO2 max, sleep time and activity levels. Browse is the same as it always was, offering health-based resources to help you with your fitness, or general healthy-living goals.

Call context

iOS 27.2 beta will now surface relevant information during phone calls, specifically warning you about birthdays or anniversaries. The caveat being that you need to have entered that information into the Contacts app first. You also need to call those people to get the reminder, which means you actively need to be calling them for a totally different reason.

It might be worth making sure your calendar reminders are set up properly instead. But this could be the start of even more contextual information in calls, some of which may not be quite as difficult to to forget.

CarPlay Ultra

Apple's advanced version of CarPlay isn't that widespread, but if you do have a compatible car the iOS 27.2 beta will let you select new options for the wallpaper, gauge style and overall color of your interfaces. Code references also suggest that ambient light may be supported in select vehicles, matching the overall theme.

Apple TV

The Apple TV app now includes extended profiles in iOS 27.2 beta, letting users create specific profiles for different users. All they require is a name, profile rating and whether the user is a child. Child accounts are limited to PG rated content by default, but in line with Apple's new parental controls, those settings can be adjusted based on your wishes.

Sign language interpretation is also available and can be turned on in the Apple TV app settings.

Siri

Siri AI is also now available in French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish, letting those speakers use AI without having to revert to English. Meanwhile ,the Siri app has renamed "App Access" to "Excluded Apps", and tapping it lets you exclude multiple apps from Siri features in one go — rather than one at a time.

Other iOS 27.2 beta upgrades

The Clock app now features A.M. and P.M. readouts that are slightly smaller than the actual time of your alarms. The Music app has also removed some of the red accents, with shuffle and play buttons in the library now appearing black. Podcasts has also swapped the "Up Next" feature for a "New Episodes" option, and has added a "Continue Playing" option.

Apple's release notes also include an expanded App Tracking Transparency prompt for EU users, specifically those in France, Germany, Poland, Italy and Romania. This will need to be re-accepted every year.

Hidden features for the future

Deep dives into iOS 27.2 beta's code have also revealed some details on possible future features, which Apple is working on but isn't ready to roll out just yet. The first is a new release countdown timer that may be coming to Apple Music, showing you how long you have to wait before the next big album is available to listen to.

It was also discovered that the Shortcuts app may be opened to third-party developers, letting you create your own Shortcuts for apps and services that weren't made by Apple. Plus, references to an "AutoLock" feature have been uncovered, suggesting that Apple really is working on a feature to automatically detect when an iPhone has been snatched, and lock the phone down in response.

More from Tom's Guide

• 36 million iPhone owners can soon get paid from $250 million Apple Siri lawsuit — how to claim your share
• iPhone 18 Pro teardown reveals the ins and outs of the latest iPhone models — including one annoying repair issue
• I extended my iPhone's telephoto range with this add-on camera lens — and my point-and-shoot camera is officially retired

The iPhone Duo is ticking all of the right boxes at the moment, wowing just about everyone that's been able to use it ahead of its official release Oct. 23. We still don't know how much of a success the phone will be, especially considering the $2,000 price tag, but you can be sure other phone makers are watching closely — especially Samsung.

Samsung has been the de-factor king of the foldable phone business for several years. Mainly because, outside of China, the best foldables have been limited to Google and Motorola — who haven't exactly put up much of a fight. Apple could finally bring the Galaxy Fold series some serious competition, and if I were Samsung I'd be looking for ways to make my foldables stand out. Even if it means blatantly copying Apple's ideas.

Here are five things the Galaxy Z Fold 9 should steal from iPhone Duo, and two things it should leave well alone.

What Z Fold 9 should steal from iPhone Duo

Under display camera

Samsung had under-display cameras on the Galaxy Z Fold lineup for four generations, from the Galaxy Z Fold 3 to Z Fold 6. The quality of those cameras was a little... weak, to say the least, so it's no surprise that Samsung pulled them for the last two generations. But maybe now is the time to bring them back.

Apple has added an under-display camera to the iPhone Duo's foldable display, though this one isn't designed for selfies. Apple has referred to it as a FaceTime camera, and talked about its use as an aid for video calling. That suggests the quality isn't all that either, but by limiting its use cases (at least in marketing) Apple can avoid the same criticisms as Samsung.

This means the Z Fold 9 could be the perfect time for Samsung to bring the under-display camera back — and give you more of your screen back. Plus, considering you can already take selfies with the rear cameras and the hole-punch on the cover display, I'd avoid using it as a way to take photos of yourself.

S Pen support

The loss of the stylus is one of the things Galaxy foldable fans have been complaining about since the release of Galaxy Z Fold 7. The stylus requires a special digitizer layer in the display, which was removed in an apparent attempt to reduce thickness. Which isn't a great reason to remove a long-standing feature, especially when it leaves Galaxy foldables feeling a little bit lacking.

Not only does the iPhone Duo have stylus support, it uses the Apple Pencil USB-C — which is compatible with almost every iPad on sale. There's no special iPhone-exclusive stylus; it's the one a lot of iPad users may already have. The same couldn't be said for past Z Fold models, which needed a special foldable-exclusive stylus designed for the more fragile folding display.

I felt that the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra was missing out on account of its lost stylus, and the launch of Z Fold 9 would be the perfect opportunity to reintroduce that support. Ideally, it would the form of a stylus that will work across Galaxy devices, including tablets and other phones.

IP68 durability

Google was the first foldable phone maker in the U.S. to add IP68 water and dust resistance to foldables with Pixel 10 Pro Fold, and Apple has followed its example with iPhone Duo. Galaxy Z Fold 8, on the other hand only has an IP48 rating, which means it's totally exposed to dust — even if it is sealed tight against water.

Obviously, that's not a good look for Samsung, especially when you consider all the moving parts associated with a foldable hinge. You should be able to take your $1,900 to $2,000 foldable to the beach. So Samsung definitely needs to do better with the Z Fold 9.

Magnetic wireless charging built in

One of the things I'll never understand is why Samsung is so seemingly against adding magnetic wireless charging to its phones — foldables included. The phones support Qi2 wireless charging technology, but they lack the integrated magnets that let chargers and accessories snap into place.

One reason I was given was that the magnets interfered with the S Pen, and Samsung couldn't offer both. But considering the iPhone Duo has Apple Pencil support and MagSafe, it's clear that there is a way to offer both features without asking users to compromise. Because a magnetic case system is just a poor show for a phone company that sells devices for close to two thousand dollars.

An actual Vapor Chamber

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chipset is powerful. But the phones that use it can get quite hot, and a lack of cooling can lead to worse sustained performance.That's why Samsung needs to add a vapor chamber, much like the Galaxy S26 Ultra and the iPhone Duo.

Vapor chambers help move heat across the phone, allowing it to dissipate more evenly, and keep key components from overheating. It also helps improve sustained performance, and les the phone work harder for longer.

Admittedly, the Z Fold 8 does have pretty good sustained performance compared to the S26 Ultra (72.4% versus 53.9%) but it's behind the iPhone 18 Pro Max (79.4%), But can you imagine how much better things could be if there was a vapor chamber to help keep everything cool?

Two things iPhone Duo can keep

Curved corners

Apple loves curved corners on its phones, a design that has made its way to foldables as well. Samsung may have opted for more curved corners on its non-folding phones, like Galaxy S26, but for the time being foldables have retained the sharper right-angles Samsung was once known for. The Galaxy Z Fold 9 should stay the same way.

My issue with the iPhone Duo is the lack of symmetry in the design. If you look at it from the cover display, the disparity between the left side and right side is painfully apparent. It looks wrong to have curved corners on one side and rounded edges on the other, even if you don't actually see that when the phone is unfolded.

The Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra are the total opposite, with a symmetrical design regardless of which screen you're actually looking at — and it makes Galaxy foldables all the better to look at. Plus, you're likely to get a little bit more screen space if you're using the phone in certain display configurations.

The eSIM only design

Apple has been aggressively pushing eSIMs the past few years, and that's led to a foldable with no support for physical SIM cards — regardless of which part of the world you buy it in. Samsung, on the other hand, has stuck to the physical nano SIM slot on all its flagship phones — and it should continue that trend for Z Fold 9.

I get the appeal of eSIMs in certain situations, but I also feel as though they come with a key disadvantage compared to physical SIM cards. A physical SIM pops out of your phone and into another device without issue, while eSIMs have to be digitally transferred. The process is not as awkward or laborious as it used to be, but it's still not as convenient.

If you prefer eSIMs, that's great, more power to you. But it's good to offer users a choice on how they connect to cell networks, rather than deciding for you and giving you no flexibility. Which is a very Apple way of doing things.

More from Tom’s Guide

• I've been testing the iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone 18 Pro — your 10 biggest questions answered
• iPhone 18 Pro teardown reveals the ins and outs of the latest iPhone models — including one annoying repair issue
• Apple's $250 million class action settlement website is now open — here's how eligible iPhone owners can file a claim and how much they'll get

Apple settled a $250 million class action lawsuit over claims of false advertising about Siri's AI capabilities in May of this year. The settlement allows up to 36 million iPhone users in the U.S. to receive up to $95.

That window is finally opening, but it runs for only three months, starting Monday, September 21. Here's what you need to know to claim your share of the settlement.

How we got here

The lawsuit was initially filed in California in 2024 by Peter Landsheft after Apple promoted its more "personalized Siri" and the introduction of Apple Intelligence. The National Advertising Division bolstered the lawsuit, concluding that Apple misled users by claiming the new Siri was "now available."

Apple filed the settlement, which includes no admissions of wrongdoing, on May 5. "We resolved this matter to stay focused on doing what we do ⁠best, delivering ​the most innovative products and ​services to our users," the company said in a statement.

“False advertising settlements aim to raise the floor of truth-telling, protect fair competition, and increase consumer choice. The $250 million settlement fund represents the largest false advertising settlement in history, and we are proud to have achieved this result for Apple customers," Ryan Clarkson, one of the lawyers on the case, said in a statement to Tom's Guide.

Eligibility and how to claim

The settlement covers roughly 36 million iPhones, including the iPhone 16, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. All of which must have been purchased in the U.S. between June 10, 2024, and March 29, 2025.

The window for entering a claim starts September 21 and closes on December 21, 2026.

You can enter a claim by going to SmartphoneAISettlement.com. You will need your device's serial number. You can find the number by opening Settings, going to General, tapping About, and scrolling to Serial Number.

As for payout, claimants will receive at least $25 per device and up to $95, depending on how many claims are submitted.

Final approval by a judge won't happen until February 24, 2027, and Apple will have a set number of days after that to issue payments. Typically, those windows are 180 days.

More from Tom's Guide

• Apple increased the price of iPhone 18 Pro battery repairs — here's how much you'll pay now
• Siri in iOS 27 actually lives up to the hype — here are 3 truly unique uses
• Apple Watch Ultra 4 review: I ran 22 miles to test Apple’s ultimate adventure watch

The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are out in the world, and that means we’re starting to hear about all the things Apple didn’t tell us about. The teardown specialists at iFixit have already revealed how large the batteries are inside the eSIM-only models that are on sale in the U.S. But what other secrets are hiding inside?

Here's what was uncovered when iFixit popped open the iPhone 18 Pro and the iPhone 18 Pro Max.

The ins and outs of variable aperture

One of the biggest upgrades in the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max is the variable aperture camera lens, which lets you adjust how much light actually makes it through the camera lens. It’s a feature that a lot of people have raved about, though iFixit simply calls it “a nice gimmick.”

Why a gimmick? Because the site questions the feature's validity altogether, given how iPhone cameras actually work. The camera sensors are a little over half an inch in size, which limits the potential to let more light inside the camera in the first place. The short focal length of the lens already ensures most of your photo is kept in focus, while depth of field effects, including bokeh, have been software-based for a long time.

Most crucially, though, is the fact that the variable aperture blades offer a brand new place for iPhone cameras to fail. More moving parts mean more things that can break, as users reported in the past on other variable aperture-capable phones like the Samsung Galaxy S9. This means that the ability to fix those blades is crucial, and apart from some issues with the screen reaching the camera, it isn’t that difficult.

However, any issues with the aperture blades will likely require a full replacement of the camera assembly — which isn’t going to be cheap. Apple’s official spare parts store sells iPhone 17 Pro cameras for $250, and the addition of variable aperture isn’t likely to make a replacement iPhone 18 Pro camera any less expensive.

Sadly, replacing the aperture alone isn’t going to be possible. Getting inside the main lens is a complicated process, and putting everything back together again afterward straight isn’t going to happen. Better hope Apple’s reputation for quality control doesn't fail when it comes to those blades.

That said, if the issue is with the blades being stuck, and you can live without them, iFixit did spot that the blades can be controlled with an external magnet. That hopefully means stuck aperture blades don’t necessarily mean a broken camera system.

What other changes are involved?

The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max don’t quite make Face ID a true under-display system, but it has moved the facial recognition hardware around in order to make the Dynamic Island slightly smaller. This includes moving the infrared camera from the center of the screen to the left-hand side, with a punch hole in the under-screen frame and allowing the IR camera to hide out of sight.

How does the IR light come through the screen? Inspection with a microscope shows that every other pixel over that holepunch is missing. This allows IR light to pass through without requiring a noticeable break in the display itself.

The A20 Pro chip has also been moved to the outside of the logic board, which should help it dissipate heat more easily by giving it a more direct route to the 18 Pro’s active cooling system. Speaking of which, the new vapor chamber looks at least twice as large as the one on the iPhone 17 Pro and spreads across almost the entirety of the phone.

Curiously, iFixit notices that the U.S. version of the iPhone 18 Pro Max does not use the Apple C2 modem. Instead, it still has a Qualcomm modem, which is likely to use a lot more power. That extra power consumption probably explains why it’s only in the U.S. eSIM variant of the 18 Pro Max, which has the larger 5,567 mAh battery.

How easy is it to repair the iPhone 18 Pro?

Sadly, the back panels in the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max don't give you access to much, and fixing anything beyond the wireless charger is going to require you pop off the front screen — a complicated and fiddly process that has a good chance of causing problems.

In fact, the site opened up four iPhone 18 Pro models and found that removing the front glass broke the white plastic frame on three of them. That frame is a crucial part of the display panel, and it isn’t a part that can be purchased on its own. The broken frame means no water resistance and a screen that won’t ever stay flush against the rest of the device. Ouch.

The state of that frame is apparently inconsistent across the repair community, with some reporting breakages and others reporting no issues. It’s also been in Pro-tier iPhones since the 15 Pro, without causing nearly as many problems. Unfortunately, it’s not clear what might have changed this year, or what sort of external factors may have contributed to the repeated problems it faced. This means more testing is needed.

As for a battery repair, Apple has refrained from using any glue. Instead, the power pack is held in place by 13 different screws, and as much of a pain as it is to unscrew 13 tiny screws, it’s better than the alternative. The battery is still stuck to its tray with Apple’s special ionic adhesive, which disconnects when subjected to a 12V charge, but the tray itself is only attached via screws. I’ll be curious to see what the price difference is for replacement batteries with the tray and those without.

The USB-C port isn’t so lucky. While technically a modular component, the sheer amount of glue and screws involved in removing the board means it’s going to be a pain in the butt to remove and replace. Which is weird, with iFixit notes that the iPhone 16 Pro actually solved this issue two years ago. But sadly, port replacement has long been an issue with iPhones.

iFixit has complimented Apple’s repair support, particularly the availability of Apple’s thorough repair manuals. iPhone 18 Pro parts aren’t available yet, but they should be arriving in the near future, with the repair assistant tool all but eliminating the parts-pairing woes of the past.

iFixit has given the 18 Pro and Pro Max a provisional repair score of seven out of ten, with the score taking a hit on account of all major repairs having to go down through the screen. iFixit notes that the damaged frames haven’t been taken into consideration yet, simply because there are too many unknowns about why the white plastic has broken so easily.

However, the score itself isn’t going to be finalized just yet, at least not until Apple releases spare parts and iFixit can do more parts-pairing tests of its own.

More from Tom's Guide

• I spent 30 minutes with the iPhone Duo — 3 things you just don’t get from the pictures
• I put the iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S26 Ultra through a 7-round face-off — here’s the winner
• I've been testing the iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone 18 Pro — your 10 biggest questions answered

Apple elected to settle a $250 million class action lawsuit back in May that means up to 36 million iPhone owners are eligible for a payout of up to $95 per device. The lawsuit alleged Apple misled customers with false advertising over the arrival of Siri AI and Apple Intelligence.

Apple denied any wrongdoing, but did decide to settle the lawsuit to resolve the claims swiftly. In a statement, it said this meant it could "stay focused" on "delivering the most innovative products and services to our users."

The settlement allowed each eligible person who filed a claim to receive a per-device payment of $25, which could increase up to $95 depending on the claim volume.

More from Tom's Guide

• I've been testing the iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone 18 Pro — your 10 biggest questions answered
• Apple added 5 new lock screen tools in iOS 27 — here's what to change first
• I spent 30 minutes with the iPhone Duo — 3 things you just don’t get from the pictures

For years, I’ve kept a compact point-and-shoot camera in my backpack when I commute to work or go on trips. Part of the reason is that it offers longer telephoto reach, as well as intuitive software with the manual controls I crave. But despite testing an assortment of the best iPhone lenses, none have really felt like a complete shooting solution compelling enough to pry me away from my dedicated camera.

That changed when I got my hands on the Telesin Master Grip Kit. Rather than treating the telephoto lens as an isolated add-on, it approaches mobile photography as an entire ecosystem — a MagSafe-enabled rig that pairs a lens with an ergonomic grip. It fundamentally changes how I handle the device, and after using it for nearly a month, I can tell you that the difference isn't subtle. Here’s why.

Way better telephoto performance

I don’t miss the Space Zoom on Samsung’s flagship models now that the Telesin 3.5x lens paired with my iPhone 17 Pro drastically sharpens its telephoto reach. Don’t believe me? Take a look at the side-by-side snapshots above comparing my standalone iPhone 17 Pro at 40x zoom against the Telesin 3.5x setup.

In the first set of images, the shot from my iPhone leaves the wood grain indistinct and almost smeary, with fine depth flattened by the phone's aggressive image processing. Distant textures simply lack clarity and definition. The results with the Telesin kit offer a stark contrast because every groove of the wood grain is sharp and clearly defined, while natural contrast and dynamic range are preserved.

This isn't just a minor bump in quality — it proves how dedicated optical glass can salvage distant subjects that's ruined by digital processing. The long-exposure shot above perfectly illustrates this reach, by transforming the distant 9/11 Tribute in Light as two distinctly separated pillars of light when zoomed all the way in with the Telesin lens. The kit delivers the kind of true optical performance that finally lets me leave my dedicated camera behind.

Versatile grip and case

The optical reach is only half the story because how the phone handles is what really cements that mirrorless camera feel for me. The Telesin kit centers around an ergonomic, MagSafe-enabled camera grip that snaps onto the back with a firm lock. With tactile buttons and dials that emulate a traditional camera layout, it gives my shooting hand the stability needed to keep my framing right while shooting with the telephoto lens.

Even better, the grip doubles as a power bank that actively charges my iPhone. Around the base, a standard 1/4-inch tripod mount lets me seamlessly attach the entire rig to essential accessories I typically carry — like my monopod or selfie stick — without taking anything apart.

The accompanying case ties everything together with thoughtful hardware touches. It features a slide-on protective lens cover with threaded mounts, allowing me to screw the add-on glass directly over either the main or telephoto camera. On top of that, built-in lanyard cutouts on the side let me thread standard camera straps and wrist lanyards directly to the phone.

Bottom line

At $229, the Telesin Master Grip Kit with the 3.5x telephoto lens isn’t an impulse buy — it’s undeniably an investment. But when I factor in the camera-style handling of the grip, integrated battery charging, and optical reach that actually rivals a dedicated compact shooter, it has convinced me to finally retire my old point-and-shoot.

If you don't need extreme 400mm-equivalent reach for concerts or wildlife, Telesin also offers a cheaper $179 kit that swaps out the 3.5x glass for a 2x telephoto lens, giving you the same ergonomic rig and street-friendly focal lengths for $50 less. For anyone tired of carrying a separate camera just to get reliable zoom and real manual feel, this setup is well worth the price.

More from Tom's Guide

• 11 best iOS 27 hidden features you can't afford to miss
• I tested iPhone 18 Pro Max variable aperture camera and I can (almost) ditch my mirrorless
• The iPhone Duo has a lot of hype, but this poll has a surprising reveal for Samsung's foldable

I’ve been testing the new iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max for our review and much more, and I know there's a lot of questions people want answered before they decide whether to upgrade. Is the A20 Pro performance leap big enough? How good is the battery life? Which model is better for you? And should you just wait for the iPhone Duo?

I've scoured all of the comments and questions we've been getting on the Tom's Guide YouTube channel, TikTok hot takes, Instagram videos and and my recent interview with Apple CEO John Ternus, and these are the top 10 questions you have about Apple's new flagships along with my answers.

'Glad I ordered the Pro, the Pro Max looks so massive. 249 grams is a whole iPad.'

The iPhone 18 Pro Max is not quite the weight of an iPad mini, but there's no denying that Apple's biggest flagship has been getting heavier each generation. The iPhone 17 Pro Max weighed 8.22 ounces while the iPhone 18 Pro Max is 8.78 ounces. That's a pretty significant increase for just one year.

The extra heft for the new iPhone is likely due to Apple adding a bigger internal vapor chamber cooling system, as well as physical mechanical blades for the variable aperture.

Plus, you get a bigger battery on the iPhone 18 Pro Max. The eSIM model of the iPhone 18 Pro Max reportedly has a 5,567 mAh battery, compared to 5,088 mAh on the iPhone 17 Pro max.

If you carry your iPhone 18 Pro Max in your front pocket all day, you will feel those 249 grams. The standard iPhone 18 Pro comes in at 211 grams, which is much more manageable.

'Will my iPhone 17 Pro case fit the iPhone 18 Pro?'

Yes, your iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro cases should fit your iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. Apple kept the physical height, width, and depth dimensions identical to last year's models, so you don't need to spend another $50 on a new case unless you just want a new style or color.

If you're looking to protect your investment, we've got a roundup of the 12 best iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max cases to get, including Apple, Otterbox and Casetify.

'Can we turn the Dynamic Island off? I hate when app icons block the top'

No, you can’t disable the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max. But Apple did make the cutout smaller this year by moving the infrared sensor for Face ID underneath the display glass.

More good news: You can now show up to three Live Activities at once instead of just two. So I could easily toggle between a timer, Spotify controls, and Apple Maps directions at the top of my screen.

'How does the 18 Pro battery compare to the 17 Pro Max?'

The new iPhone 18 Pro models do last longer on charge than the iPhone 17 Pro series, but it's not quite the leap we thought it would be. Let’s look at the actual Tom's Guide lab test numbers:

The iPhone 18 Pro lasted 16 hours and 17 minutes on the Tom's Guide battery test, which involves web surfing over 5G at 150 nits of screen brightness. That’s nearly an hour gain over the 17 Pro, but it does not beat last year's 17 Pro Max, which hit 17:54.

The iPhone 18 Pro Max is still the battery life king at 18 hours and 27 minutes. It's the longest-lasting iPhone we have ever benchmarked and makes it among the top performers on the Tom's Guide best phone battery life list. It also beats the Galaxy S26 Ultra by nearly 2 hours.

'Give me an iPhone Duo with the iPhone 18 Pro camera suite. That's literally all I want.'

I’m right there with you, but here’s why that camera setup is likely exclusive to the 18 Pro series. Apple likely couldn't find the room to add a telephoto lens to the Duo, so you get just a wide and ultrawide lens.

So if you want a longer 4x optical zoom, go with the iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max.

In addition, Apple added six mechanical blades that expand and contract to the main 48MP camera on the Pros in order to achieve variable aperture. It shifts anywhere from f/1.48 to f/4.0 automatically, or you can customize it using new Pro controls.

That six-blade mechanism requires physical depth. That's why the thinner foldable iPhone Duo likely can't fit this exact camera suite without adding a massive camera bump. See our in-depth iPhone 18 Pro Max variable aperture camera testing for some good examples of what you can do.

'Can you actually edit Cinematic Mode AFTER you record a video now, or did I misread that?'

You read that right. And this is probably my favorite software quality-of-life upgrade on the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.

Historically, if you forgot to select Cinematic Mode before hitting record, you were stuck with standard video. On the 18 Pro series, you can shoot standard 4K video, open up the editor, and toggle Cinematic Mode on or off after the fact right at the top of the display.

You can see the results above, as the background is more blurred out with Cinematic Mode enabled. It's essentially like Portrait mode for video.

Apple also added manual shutter speed controls for video and 4K Dolby Vision Timelapses. If you shoot video for social media or YouTube, this gives you way more flexibility in post-production without locking you into specific camera modes up front.

'Performance = Get the iPhone 18 Pro. Entertainment = Wait for the iPhone Duo.'

This is an interesting take on the iPhone 18 Pro vs. iPhone Duo comparison.

The 18 Pro is powered by the 2nm A20 Pro chip. In our benchmark tests, it scored over 4,700 on single-core CPU tests and turned in a massive 45% graphics jump over the 17 Pro Max, also comfortably beating Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra across the board.

The iPhone Duo uses this exact same processor. Our A20 Pro lab testing proves that this chip has the raw GPU horsepower and 80% thermal stability required to run dual-screen multitasking without overheating or tanking performance.

However, driving a larger display requires more resources, and it's not clear how much the iPhone Duo's thinner design will impact sustained performance. The bigger difference to me is likely to be battery life, though, as the iPhone 18 Pro Max is rated for 45 hours of video playback versus 31 for the Duo on its main 7.6-inch panel.

If you want a traditional, ultra-durable slab phone with max camera control and 18+ hours of battery, get the 18 Pro Max. But if you want a dual-screen workstation for media and multitasking, wait for the Duo, because the chip inside should be ready for it.

'Is Siri AI on iOS 27 actually useful now?'

I’m not going to say that Siri AI is smarter than Gemini or ChatGPT yet. But thanks to iOS 27 and the A20 Pro’s new dual 16-core Neural Engine, which logged a 40% to 48% speed boost in our Geekbench AI lab tests, it’s significantly more helpful.

The big difference this year is personal context and multi-step voice prompts. Instead of asking Siri to do one basic task at a time, you can do several things at once.

For example, I could ask for Siri to check my calendar for any openings for lunch with my brother, research restaurants around Bryant Park and include recommended dishes and send a text to him in a single prompt.

I just wish that you could talk to Siri in real time while looking at live video, as you can with Gemini and ChatGPT Voice.

'Is there actually $100 more worth of upgrades here?'

This question is referring to the $100 price hike for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, which is likely due to the component shortage. So, what does that extra $100 actually buy you under the hood?

• A blazing A20 Pro chip
• A physical, six-blade mechanical variable aperture main camera
• An internal vapor chamber that's three times larger for sustained cooling
• Upgraded 60W fast charging
• Solid battery life gains for both models

Whether these upgrades justify the extra cash depends on your current iPhone. If you're coming from an iPhone 17 Pro, paying $100 is a tough sell.

But if you're upgrading from a an iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro, that $100 gets you a massive 50% performance leap, real optical aperture control, and over three additional hours of screen time.

'Should I get the iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max?'

This is not an easy call. There’s four main differences between the iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone 18 Pro Max.

No. 1 is the display size. The 6.3-inch OLED panel on the iPhone 18 Pro is great, but the 6.9-inch screen on the Max gives you a more immersive viewing experience for playing games and watching movies. Plus, there’s more info on screen at once when reviewing documents or surfing the web.

Second, you get more battery life on the iPhone 18 Pro Max, hitting nearly 18.5 hours — which is a bit over 2 hours more than the iPhone 18 Pro.

On the other hand, the iPhone 18 Pro is more compact and lighter. It’s like having a stealth bomber in your pocket with all that A20 Pro power. And the iPhone 18 Pro starts at $100 less. That might not seem like much but you can put that savings towards additional storage.

For me I’d get the iPhone 18 Pro Max but it really comes down to screen size and price.

Bottom line

The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max might not look radically different at first glance, but underneath, the A20 Pro chip, camera hardware, and thermal redesign set a new baseline for Apple flagships.

Did we answer your key questions about the 18 Pro series? Are you picking one up, or holding out for our full iPhone Duo review? Let us know in the comments!

More from Tom's Guide

• I spent 30 minutes with the iPhone Duo — 3 things you just don’t get from the pictures
• I put the iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S26 Ultra through a 7-round face-off — here’s the winner
• I replaced ChatGPT with Siri AI for a day — here's what surprised me

I have a confession to make: When I first saw the iPhone Duo announced at September’s ‘Surprise and shine’ keynote, I was happy to see Apple enter the foldable market — but I wasn’t entirely sold on the device.

My limited experience with various Android foldables has been positive — but it’s always left me feeling like I’d rather pair a small regular phone with a mini tablet instead of having them sandwiched together. So I went into a brief hands-on demo with the iPhone Duo this week with a healthy amount of skepticism.

Of course, I’m going to reserve full judgment for when Tom’s Guide can test and review the device properly — but three things immediately stood out to me after spending a half hour with Apple's $1,999 handset.

These were things you just don’t appreciate when you look at pictures or watch videos of the device; you need to hold it in your hand to really appreciate them. And I’m not talking about the crease.

The weighting is perfect

In an effort to make folding phones as thin and light as possible when folded, I’ve noticed they sometimes feel too flimsy when unfolded. Case in point is last year's Oppo Find N5, which is the foldable I've spent the most time with and measures just 4.21mm when open (8.93mm thick when folded) and weighs 229 grams (8.07 ounces).

The iPhone Duo, by comparison, is 5.2mm when open and weighs 254 grams (8.96 ounces). If your first instinct is to shudder and recoil because thinner and lighter is always better, then I’m here to tell you it’s not the case when you hold the device in your hand.

Part of the reason I like using a tablet is that there’s some degree of heft and chunk that you can actually grip onto when you’re reading, sketching or watching something. Not enough to make your arm sore, of course, but enough to make it feel like you’re holding something that won’t snap in half. The iPhone Duo nails that balance perfectly, and it was super reassuring the second I picked it up off the display table.

The matte display rocks

I’m not going to talk about the crease (yes there is one, and yes, you can see it if you look closely) or the animation, but what was really cool about the Duo’s inner display was the Nano-texture finish. It gives it this epic level of matte quality that Apple says is scratch-resistant and 40 percent stiffer than the competition.

My use case for foldable phones is chiefly about productivity — for my sins I look at spreadsheets more than Netflix movies while commuting — and the Duo’s inner display is so easy on the eyes I couldn’t help but feel it’d be perfect for this. Reflective glare from aggressive overhead lighting is expertly muted by this matte texture for readability and functionality.

If you want to read ebooks, or when you come to use an Apple Pencil to sketch or take notes, I’m convinced the decision to go matte will make this a quality experience.

It’s a fingerprint magnet

Okay, this isn’t exactly a positive point, but I need to make it anyway. The iPhone Duo comes in two shades: Star White and Night Sky. And the latter seemed — to me, at least — a fingerprint magnet. In all the images, you’re likely to see the finely polished Ceramic Shield back looking flawless. And it does... until you start pawing at it with greasy fingers. For what it's worth, I didn’t notice this as much on the Star White colorway.

It seems petty to dunk on such a well-engineered device for something so trivial, especially since Apple has achieved an IP68 protection rating. That means it's safe against both water and dust and (as with the weight example above) this really does feel like a durable device in the hand. If you're one of the people who wraps their iPhone up in a case anyway, then you can completely ignore this entire point.

Bottom line

There is, of course, way more to unpack with the iPhone Duo when it hits the market in October. And I have more thoughts on things like the camera performance and iOS 27 that I’ll write up if and when I get more time with it. But the points above were just what sprung instantly to mind the minute I picked it up. If you want more, read my colleague Mark’s in-depth hands-on with the Duo following his experience with it at Apple Park.

But from my very brief time with it, my takeaway is that Apple’s long-awaited entry into the foldable phone category has arrived in style. Everything from the feeling of snapping it shut to the way the passport-style form factor nestles into your palm is sublime. There’s certainly a high price of entry, but after using the iPhone Duo myself, I think a lot of people will be willing to pay it once they actually get to experience it in their own hands.

Let me know what your thoughts are about the iPhone Duo in the comments below. Are you interested in trying one, or are you happy with a regular, non-folding phone? I’d love to hear from you.

More from Tom's Guide

• iPhone Duo hands-on
• iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max deals are live — here's the biggest discounts at T-Mobile, Verizon and more
• I tested the iPhone 18 Pro Max's variable aperture camera — here's the results

I’ve been dinging Apple for years for holding back on giving serious shooters like me what we’ve been asking for: true manual camera controls. But while testing the iPhone 18 Pro Max, I found myself initially distracted by another headline grabber: the variable aperture camera.

To be fair, it genuinely changes the mechanics of shooting with a phone — not just an iPhone. Instead of relying on simulated portrait blur, you get authentic optical depth of field and true light control. That's the exact tool I want when dialed into chasing a specific aesthetic.

But the longer I’ve spent working inside Apple’s revamped Camera app, the more I’ve realized my attention was pulled in the wrong direction. The real star of the show isn't the moving physical blades — it’s Pro Controls. Here’s why.

Not all iPhones get it

Pro Controls finally makes the native iOS Camera app feel less like a basic point-and-shoot and more like a serious mirrorless rig. Quite simply, it’s the dedicated manual shooting suite I’ve been demanding for years, with granular controls for exposure, shutter speed, white balance, focus, aperture, resolution, and more. Best of all, these tools are accessible right from the viewfinder — no more jumping into the system Settings just to tweak a shooting parameter. But there’s a catch.

Apple is keeping the feature strictly walled off, making it exclusive to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. I was crossing my fingers that it might trickle down to the iPhone 17 Pro series via the official iOS 27 update, but that’s not happening. Just as surprising, the upcoming iPhone Duo won’t get Pro Controls either.

A familiar layout with depth under the hood

Along the edge of the viewfinder are the essential toggles for white balance, aperture, exposure compensation, flash, and Live Photos. They remain there for quick, one-tap access, but reaching the rest of the Pro Controls requires digging a little deeper by tapping the camera settings icon.

Doing so opens a floating overlay where you can adjust shutter speed, manual focus, format options, and more. It’s also where you can toggle a live histogram, select a Photographic Style, or tweak Night mode.

Interestingly, Apple includes separate controls for aperture and depth. The former physically moves the blades on the main sensor to cycle through four hardware aperture stops, while the latter controls simulated bokeh — fake background blur, as I call it. Both have their place, but I far prefer the authentic falloff of the physical aperture.

If there’s one issue I have with this setup, it’s that there doesn't appear to be a way to customize which parameters stay pinned to the primary screen. Personally, I couldn't care less about Live Photos or the flash. I just hope Apple realizes this and gives shooters the freedom to organize the layout that best suits them with subsequent software updates.

Video also gets the Pro treatment

Stills aren’t the only beneficiary on the iPhone 18 Pro series — Pro Controls makes its way over to video recording as well. While the suite isn’t quite as extensive as the photo side, Apple included the two parameters that matter most for serious video work: physical aperture and manual shutter speed.

Unlocking shutter speed is a huge win for videographers like me who juggle multi-camera workflows. Previous iPhones locked shutter speed behind automated computational exposure, often resulting in unnatural or jittery motion blur that.

Being able to manually dial in your shutter speed makes it far easier to cut footage from the iPhone 18 Pro alongside dedicated cameras. For instance, you can lock in at 1/50 or 1/60 to maintain natural motion blur, or crank it to 1/240 to give fast-paced action sequences that dramatic edge.

Bottom line

At the end of the day, Pro Controls is the real camera upgrade I’ve been asking for because I no longer need to rely on third-party apps just to take full creative command of a shot. Everything I need is finally baked directly into the native Camera app, with zero subscription fees or clunky workarounds.

The only glaring omission left on the table is manual ISO control, which Apple stubbornly keeps locked down. Even with that limitation, Pro Controls is the definitive feature that transforms the iPhone 18 Pro series from a mere point-and-shoot smartphone into a genuine creative powerhouse.

More from Tom's Guide

• iOS 27 has a hidden Mac Easter egg — here's how to trigger it
• iPhone 18 Pro benchmarks: Apple just built the most powerful phones we've ever seen
• iPhone 18 Pro Max and 18 Pro battery life tested — the results are surprising

It’s official. Apple’s first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, will be taking up a surprisingly small space in early adopters’ pockets next month.

It’s undeniably expensive, however. The base 256GB model will set you back $1,999 which critics have noted is more than it would cost to buy the iPhone 18 Pro and the latest iPad mini 7.

So is that worth doing, or does the unique form factor of the iPhone Duo justify the extra cost? Here’s what you should consider before making your choice.

Why you should choose iPhone Duo

Unmatched portability

The main thing the iPhone Duo has going for it is its portability.

When folded, it measures 117.8mm x 84.1mm x 11.3mm. Though that’s not too far removed from the iPhone 18 Pro’s 71.9mm x 150mm x 8.75mm, add in a 134.8mm x 195.4mm x 6.3mm iPad mini 7, and pockets alone just wouldn’t cut it.

And while the iPhone Duo weighs a not-insubstantial 254g, that’s still lighter than the combined weight of the phone and tablet, which together tip the scales at 504g.

When Tom's Guide sat down to talk with CEO John Ternus and Greg Joswiak following the Apple keynote, Joz specifically highlighted the joy of being able to fold up an iPad and take it around with you as part of the device's appeal.

Unique features

As well as the cool factor of a folding phone, the iPhone Duo has a couple of features that are unique to the iPhone family. The internal FaceTime camera is an under-screen model, only visible when required. And that internal screen has a matte finish for less glare and fewer reflections.

In addition, the iPhone Duo's apps can morph based on the folding state of the device. For example, if you're watching Netflix and fold the device like a laptop, you'll see the video up top and controls down below.

Also, bear in mind that while the iPhone Duo uses the same A20 Pro chipset as the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, the iPad mini 7 is a bit longer in the tooth, still using the same A17 Pro silicone as the iPhone 15 Pro. The iPad mini 8 will no doubt close the gap, but its release date (and likely price increase) is still to be determined.

Better multitasking

One of the main reasons people use a tablet is for the enhanced multitasking abilities that a larger screen offers.

While both the iPhone Duo and iPad mini allow multiple apps for genuine multitasking, the former has the advantage here. Why? Because all your files, apps and notes are in one place. With an iPad mini, you’d need to make sure your files were synced between devices — something made that bit harder if you opt for the Wi-Fi-only model.

Only one device to keep charged

Keeping electronics charged is one of the more tedious things about modern living. As a two-in-one device, you only need to monitor the battery of one handheld, rather than two.

Why you should choose an iPhone 18 Pro and an iPad mini

Significant savings

The most obvious advantage of opting for a phone and a tablet over the iPhone Duo is the price difference. An iPhone Duo starts at $1,999, whereas buying both an entry-level iPad mini 7 and a base iPhone 18 Pro together comes to $1,698 — a $301 saving. Even if you opt for an iPhone 18 Pro Max with the iPad mini, you'll still pay a combined $1,798 that comes in cheaper than the Duo. Given the iPad mini 7 is coming up to its second birthday, you’d be able to save a packet by shopping around, too.

These savings can be even greater if you opt for a different combo, too. The iPhone 17 starts at $899 on the Apple site, immediately slashing a further $300 from the price, and again, if you shop around, you’ll be able to get it cheaper.

The battery power of two devices

Though I already covered the hassle of having to top up two batteries, the flip side to this is the added longevity.

The iPhone Duo is expected to have a battery that will last for 44 hours of video on the outer screen, or 31 on the internal one. The iPhone 18 Pro is quoted as going for 34 hours of video (our own battery test knocked it out after 16 hours and 17 minutes of real-world endurance), and the iPad mini lasted just over ten hours in our battery tests. That’s a slight edge to the pair of devices if the Duo is only used folded, and a resounding win if unfolded.

Better camera power

For a flagship device, the iPhone Duo is surprisingly under-specced in the camera department. There are two 48MP rear cameras: a f/1.6 main lens and a f/2.2 ultrawide.

While the iPad mini’s camera can be safely ignored for the most part, the iPhone 18 Pro is clearly far more flexible. Not only does the 48MP main camera include a variable aperture, letting photographers choose between f/1.48m, f/1.8m f/2.8 and f/4.0 values, but you also get an additional 48MP telephoto lens with 4x optical zoom.

A full Apple Pencil experience

Although the iPhone Duo supports the Apple Pencil on both of its screens, there is one big caveat: you have to use the paired-back USB-C version. That means there’s no pressure sensor, haptic feedback, Find My support or added features like squeeze or double-tap.

While that’s better than the iPhone 18 Pro, which doesn’t support any Apple Pencils, the iPad mini 7 lets you use the USB-C model or the far better Apple Pencil Pro. That makes it the superior option for serious doodlers.

iPhone Duo or iPhone 18 Pro + iPad mini?

Ultimately, there are benefits to both configurations. The iPhone Duo is undoubtedly more convenient and portable than lugging around two devices, and it has a few neat features that aren’t (yet) available on other Apple handhelds, like the under-screen selfie camera and a matte display.

But opting for both a less glamorous iPhone and iPad instead will save you at least $200, and likely more if you shop around or look beyond the brand new iPhone 18 Pro. On top of that, you get a superior camera setup and the full Apple Pencil experience.

In short, there’s no straightforward right or wrong answer here, and what you should choose will depend on your budget and specific circumstances.

More from Tom's Guide

• Your iPhone Duo deserves better than a cheap case — here are 9 life-savers
• Apple Watch Series 12 review: A new heart rate sensor and a readiness score make this the best smartwatch on the market
• iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max benchmarks: These are the fastest phones we've ever tested

I'll admit, I stopped using Siri around 2010. I didn't think it was very helpful for more than setting a timer and I often had to repeat myself, which seemed to make using it frustrating at times.

But Siri AI in iOS 27 is something very different and has made me a believer again. The difference is the "AI" in Siri AI. Apple has turned Siri into a conversational AI assistant, much like ChatGPT Voice, that can answer questions and understand what's on your screen and, perhaps most importantly, tap into information already sitting on your iPhone.

In the same way Personal Intelligence can navigate through Google Workspace, Siri AI does that right on your phone. And that's the thing about this update that caught my attention.

So I decided to try something I wouldn't have considered doing with the old Siri: I stopped using ChatGPT for a day and asked Siri AI to handle as many of my usual AI tasks as possible.

I expected ChatGPT to run circles around it. That wasn't always what happened. Here are five things that changed how I use it.

1. Finding something I barely remember

I save everything. I have about 70,657 photos on my iPhone as proof that I'm a digital hoarder. But one of the most frustrating things about having years of messages, emails and photos on my phone is knowing something is there but having absolutely no idea where to look for it. I can't tell you how many times I think "I know I took a screenshot of that phone number sometime in July..."

Normally, I'd start opening apps and searching individually. Siri's personal context makes a completely different approach possible.

Instead, I can ask something vague like, "What was the name of the restaurant Steve sent me?" or "When is that appointment I got an email about?"

That's a deceptively big change. Traditional Siri worked best when you knew exactly what you wanted and phrased the command correctly. The new Siri is much better suited to those moments when you don't know exactly what you're looking for. That's honestly one of the main reasons I need an assistant at all.

2. Doing something with what's already on my screen

If I'm looking at something on my iPhone, I don't necessarily have to explain what "this" is before asking Siri about it.

For example, if someone sends me information I need later, I can bring up Siri and say, "Remind me about this tomorrow."

Or I can ask Siri about something I'm looking at and then continue from there. With a traditional chatbot, there's often an extra step involved. I might need to upload a screenshot, copy some text or explain what I'm looking at before asking my question.

Siri is already there. It's one of those advantages that has less to do with having a smarter model and more to do with where the AI actually lives.

3. Handling a messy, normal-life request

AI benchmarks are great for comparing models, but my actual life leads to questions that are more like, "I need to make dinner before soccer at 6. I have chicken in the fridge, I don't want anything complicated and it needs to take less than 25 minutes."

That's the kind of request I've traditionally taken straight to ChatGPT. So I started giving similar requests to Siri. And, what I noticed about Siri AI is that it finally keeps the conversation going. It's a lot like ChatGPT voice

What's different from the Siri of a few years ago is that I can continue the conversation without starting over every time.

I can ask for dinner ideas, reject the first suggestion, add another constraint and keep going.

"Nothing spicy."

"What if I don't have rice?"

"Give me the easiest one."

That conversational back-and-forth is something we've taken for granted with ChatGPT and Gemini Live, but it fundamentally changes what Siri feels like to use.

4. Doing the things ChatGPT can't

My opinion started to really change about Siri AI when I tested it to do things that ChatGPT cannot do. If I ask ChatGPT and Siri the same difficult question, I'd still expect ChatGPT to have an advantage in plenty of situations.

But that's not necessarily the comparison here. Siri can interact with the device I'm holding. That means that Siri is doing so much more than answering questions — it actually takes action. I can ask about information on my phone and then do something with it. I can move between finding information and acting on that information without treating the AI as a separate destination.

Chatbots have become remarkably good at telling us how to do things. The next step is having an assistant that can actually help carry them out. And because Siri sits at the operating-system level, Apple has an enormous advantage here.

5. Knowing when I'd still choose ChatGPT

To be clear, Siri hasn't suddenly made ChatGPT irrelevant on my iPhone. I still prefer to brainstorm and fact-check with ChatGPT, or even work through a complicated idea. I just think ChatGPT-6 is a simply better AI, but after diving into Siri AI, I've found myself using the two differently.

ChatGPT is where I go when I want to think with AI. Siri is now where I go when I want AI to help me do something on my phone.

The line between those two things will probably get blurrier as both assistants evolve, but right now it's a surprisingly useful distinction. I'm just glad to know that Siri finally has a reason to exist.

Bottom line

Siri AI in iOS 27 has made me a believer in Siri again. It finally understands what I need and what I'm looking at without me needing to repeat myself. And, the information is actually useful and already on the device I'm using, which can turn a conversation into an action faster than using ChatGPT.

There are still plenty of situations where I'd choose ChatGPT first, particularly when I need deeper reasoning or I'm working on something complicated.

But when I'm holding my iPhone and simply trying to get something done, I'm starting to reach for Siri more often.

More from Tom's Guide

• AI is turning ordinary photos of kids into sexual abuse imagery — here's how to protect your family
• OpenAI paid contractors to read ChatGPT conversations — here's how to protect yourself
• I stopped reading the fine print myself after discovering this overlooked ChatGPT trick

Over the past few years I have spent an inordinate amount of my time sitting in virtual queues, waiting for my chance to buy something. Recently my phone was sitting in one for around four hours as I attempted to book a family trip to Disneyland Paris. Since it was the day bookings opened, it seems as though half of Europe was doing the same thing.

Waiting is bad enough, but it was made worse by the fact I got distracted partway through waiting and missed my window. That means starting the whole process again, and mentally kicking myself for letting myself get distracted attempting to troubleshoot my temperamental 3D printer. This is far from an isolated case for me, either.

So you can imagine my excitement when I found out about the new "Notify Me" feature in iOS 27, with the promise that it can monitor webpages and alert you to any changes. Unfortunately spending time with Notify Me shows that Apple hasn't really gone far enough.

What Notify Me is, and how it works

Notify Me is an artificial intelligence feature for Apple's Safari browser. The idea is that you can single out a webpage and have Apple's AI tell you when things change. That can be general changes, or it could be something specific that you describe with a written prompt.

The main thing to remember about Notify Me is that the AI doesn't monitor that page all the time. Instead you have to tell it when it should come back and see what's changed. Your options are to do this hourly, daily, weekly or monthly. You also get to set the exact time, day or date (depending on the frequency) that the AI goes back to check.

It's a very simple feature that can be accessed from the Safari menu bar which sits on the left-hand side of the URL bar — which is typically at the bottom of the screen on iPhone and iPad. It's easy to find and use, which is more than I can say for a lot of features in iOS 27.

From a practical stand point, Notify Me has everything going for it. Apart from the fact its usefulness is currently rather limited.

Hourly checks aren't enough to be truly useful

I'm not saying that Notify Me is useless in its current form, quite the opposite in fact. The tool is ideal for keeping tabs on certain pages in the long-term. Use cases include keeping tabs on restocks, or checking for discounts on specific products. The pages that you would only look at periodically, checking in very briefly before going back to whatever you would normally be doing.

Notify Me saves you the effort of remembering to do this yourself, especially if you want to check on some sort of schedule. You don't need to take time out of your day to look, when you have an AI that has been instructed to take care of that for you.

But in the short term? Notify Me's scope is still a little too limited for my liking.

Typically getting to the front of a virtual queue means you get some kind of grace period to complete whatever transaction you're doing. In the case of my trip it was 20 minutes, but I've seen them vary anywhere between 10 minutes and an hour. Obviously, having a tool that refreshes a page once an hour at most is not ideal for dealing with these kinds of situations. By the time the AI checks the page, it'll already be too late and you'll have missed your spot.

Really it would be better if Apple expanded Notify Me for much smaller periods of time. Five to ten minutes would expand its usefulness by a lot, since it would be as close to real-time monitoring as we can hope for with a free AI tool. But even increasing page refreshes to 30 or 15 minutes would make it a more useful and versatile tool.

Bottom line

Notify Me is definitely a useful tool, but its scope is too limited right now. The fact that you can instruct AI to check webpages for any kind of change you can describe is pretty incredible. But it's very much a long-term tool, that a lot of people probably won't get much use out of. It certainly has the potential to offer a lot more, though.

The question is whether Apple can actually do that. AI needs a lot of resources to run, and the more you utilize it the more pressure it's going to put on your hardware. In fact, we don't know where this processing is done or how it affects your phone, so there's no telling what sort of stress checking a page multiple times an hour might inflict. Even if Apple has just released the fastest phones we've ever tested.

But I hope that this is just the start of what Apple has planned, and that Notify Me will be getting an expansion in future versions of iOS and Apple Intelligence. After all, the less we all have to sit in virtual queues to try and get tickets to the next big concert or event, the better.

More from Tom's Guide

• I tested the iPhone 18 Pro Max's variable aperture camera — here's the results
• Apple increased the price of iPhone 18 Pro battery repairs — here's how much you'll pay now
• Siri in iOS 27 actually lives up to the hype — here are 3 truly unique uses

Battery capacity for the new iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max has officially been revealed thanks to iFixit, which shared the results with Tom's Guide.

Apple typically doesn't officially list the battery capacity for its iPhones. On the Apple website the only battery spec listed is "Up to 45 hours video playback."

What iFixit found

From their teardown, iFixit found that the North American iPhone 18 Pro has a battery capacity of 4,288mAh. Compared to the iPhone 17 Pro eSIM version, that's only a 1% increase over last year's 4,252 mAh battery.

In our iPhone 18 Pro battery tests, that 1% larger battery capacity added an hour of battery life, up to 16 hours and 17 minutes, compared to 15 hours and 17 minutes on the 17 Pro. Of course, those gains are also attributable to the iPhone 18 Pro's new A20 chip, which is more efficient than the A19 chip in last year's model.

iFixit also found the iPhone 18 Pro Max has a 5567 mAh battery, which is 9.41% larger than the iPhone 17 Pro Max, which has a 5088 mAh battery in the eSIM version.

Surprisingly, though, that didn't translate into a corresponding increase in battery life; on our tests, the iPhone 18 Pro Max lasted 18 hours and 27 minutes, which was barely half an hour longer than the iPhone 17 Pro Max (17:54).

Interestingly, the iFixit teardown appears to show a different capacity for the U.S. version of the iPhone 18 Pro compared to the EU versions. In Europe, all phones must have a publicly accessible Energy Label which list key details about the device including battery specs.

Per the listing we've seen, iPhone 18 Pro will have a 4,056 mAh battery, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max will offer 5,391 mAh capacity. The EU iPhones will likely come with physical SIM card slots and not eSIMs only. This does mean the EU models could differ somewhat.

Unfortunately, it'll also cost you a bit more to repair the iPhone 18 Pro battery compared to last year's iPhone.

Apple raised the prices of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max by $100 for the base 256GB model. And if you need to repair the battery, Apple will charge you $129 (plus tax), $10 more than for the iPhone 17 Pro.

Other repairs appear to have remained the same, though the prices are still high, making AppleCare+ more enticing.

Notably, the last time Apple charged more for battery repairs was when it launched the iPhone 16 Pro, which also saw an overall price increase.

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Today is the day the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are released. One of the things most buyers will have noticed is that both phones are $100 more expensive compared to last year. However, the list price isn't the only thing that's increased, since Apple has raised the price of out-of-warranty battery repairs as well.

If you need an official battery service for iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, Apple will charge you $119 (plus tax). However, with the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, that price has risen by $10 to $129 — a difference of around 8%.

Thankfully, other out-of-warranty repair costs have stayed the same for the time being. But with an official Apple repair of miscellaneous damage costing more than two-thirds the price of a new iPhone ($849 on an iPhone 18 Pro), AppleCare+ starts to look appealing.

These fees only apply to out-of-warranty repairs, and any legitimate warranty claim will be free of charge. That said, there aren't many circumstances where actual damage to your iPhone would be considered a fault with the phone itself. Certainly not when you remember that Apple has previously brushed away user complaints like scratchgate, bendgate and antennaegate.

Having AppleCare+ reduces those repair costs considerably. Battery servicing is free, while fixing damage to the display and back glass costs $29 each. Inner display damage comes with a $99 fee, as does any other accidental damage repair. AppleCare+ also features coverage for stolen and lost iPhones, with a $149 deductible.

AppleCare+ costs $10 a month for an iPhone, or $20 a month if you cover two other devices as part of the AppleCare One plan. Apple also recently launched the $50 a month AppleCare One plan, which covers all Apple devices for up to six people, so long as they're relatively recent or already have AppleCare coverage.

Those of you who already ordered an iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max without AppleCare+ can still add coverage for up to 60 days after purchase.

What's the deal with the price hike?

The last time we saw the cost of battery servicing go up was with the release of iPhone 16 Pro, when the price rose from $99 to $119. That was also the last time the iPhone 16 Pro got a price hike, as Apple ditched the 128GB storage option that year.

Whether that's a coincidence or not, the truth is that the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max batteries are a little different. According to EU listings, the iPhone 18 Pro Max battery is a whopping 11% larger than the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and that extra capacity doesn't come cheap.

The iPhone 18 Pro is less impressive, with a battery that's a mere 1.44% larger than its predecessor. However Apple has promised that the new batteries employ a different design, which would also explain the price increase. Better batteries are more expensive to make, which means they're going to be more expensive to replace.

Plus we have to remember that things are generally more expensive nowadays — especially when it comes to manufacturing electronics. Batteries don't have the same issues as RAM or storage, but that doesn't mean they're cheap. This means the cost of a replacement can be pretty high, even if other official repair work costs considerably more.

So if you're not going to buy AppleCare coverage, be sure to at least put a case and screen protector on your phone to minimize any damage that might happen.

More from Tom's Guide

• 11 best iOS 27 hidden features you can't afford to miss
• I tested iPhone 18 Pro Max variable aperture camera and I can (almost) ditch my mirrorless
• The iPhone Duo has a lot of hype, but this poll has a surprising reveal for Samsung's foldable

I’ll be the first to admit I stopped relying on Siri years ago for anything more than quick kitchen timers or checking the weather. Like many iPhone users, I had grown accustomed to its limitations.

But after spending time testing the new Siri experience in iOS 27, I'm actually shocked by how much it's improved. Instead of just answering basic questions, Siri finally feels full integrated into your phone.

If you've been ignoring the feature like I was, here are the three unique tools that actually changed my daily routine.

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With every iPhone release, Apple hypes up camera performance through a blend of new hardware and computational photography improvements. Even now, I still dream about a phone that could replace my dedicated mirrorless body — and the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max certainly put that dream to the test.

For years, carrying a heavy mirrorless kit was the only way to obtain genuine optical depth of field and true creative control. Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro Max comes dangerously close to changing that reality by introducing a physical variable-aperture system to its 48MP main camera. Because of this, the phone is no longer entirely reliant on software-simulated background blur because the optics finally deliver natural focus falloff.

Paired with a revamped interface packed with Apple’s new Pro Controls, it’s a massive leap forward that puts more creative power directly into shooters' hands. Here’s what I found.

Why aperture matters

Most people don’t have the urge to dig into camera specs, but breaking down the differences between the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro is important this time around. On top of introducing a mechanical variable aperture, Apple made another critical upgrade: swapping in a faster f/1.48 lens. That alone is a meaningful leap over the fixed f/1.78 aperture found on the 48MP main cameras of the previous generation.

With access to a wider f/1.48 lens, the iPhone 18 Pro draws significantly more light into the sensor than the 17 Pro’s fixed glass. This improvement delivers cleaner low-light exposures, faster shutter speeds, and authentic optical depth of field — without leaning on artificial Portrait mode blurring algorithms.

In low-light situations, a faster aperture shortens exposure times in Night mode. Because you need to stay as still as possible, any handshake can easily blur a shot. By having a faster lens, it helps prevent motion blur better while also keeping digital noise from creeping into the shadows.

Authentic background blur

The iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max offer four different aperture values to choose from: f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8, and f/4. Depending on the look you’re going for, each delivers a distinct result. I’d typically use f/1.48 for portraits and close-ups when I want to isolate my subject, giving backgrounds that creamy, blurred-out look. Meanwhile, I’d switch to f/4 when I want to keep the entire frame sharp.

You can see from the shots of my colleague above how these two extremes perform when shot from a slight distance. If you zoom in on the wall art in the far background, you’ll notice that at f/1.48, the words are soft and blurred — whereas at f/4, they’re crisp and legible.

What makes the f/1.48 shot stand out over Portrait Mode is that it doesn’t rely on software to guess edge boundaries, which often leads to messy cutouts. Instead, this wider physical aperture delivers the natural optical falloff I’d expect from a dedicated mirrorless camera.

Distance plays a roll with the bokeh intensity

If you really want the background to be blurred out, distance plays a crucial role. Take the other shots of my colleague above, which illustrate the effect at varying distances. The first set shows the disparity between shooting at f/1.48 and f/4 at roughly three feet away, with the former blurring the background dramatically — while at f/4, more of the frame remains in focus.

Stepping back to five feet, the effect is still quite noticeable because the food menus directly behind Mark remain soft and blurred at f/1.48. It’s a genuine optical blur — and I can tell because the planter off to the left, which sits much closer to Mark than the menus do, stays noticeably sharper.

Finally, at seven feet away, there's virtually no noticeable difference between the two aperture settings, proving that depth of field and bokeh intensity are heavily dictated by your distance to the subject.

You also get control when recording video

The variable aperture isn't just for stills — you get direct control over those blades when shooting video, too. This has been a long time coming; the historical lack of granular manual controls prevented me from using an iPhone as my dedicated B-camera, often pushing me toward Samsung’s flagships instead.

As you can see from the screenshots above, adjusting the lens aperture slider lets me toggle between settings on the fly, right alongside the other Pro Controls. At f/1.8, the lens opens wide to isolate the DualSense controller, softening the background cabinets and shelving with smooth, genuine optical blur.

Switching to f/4.0 stops the mechanical iris down, visibly deepening the field of focus. The wood grain along the table stays sharp much further back, and background details gain noticeably clearer definition. Having the ability to manually control the aperture gives me exact control over the cinematic aesthetic I want for any given scene.

Bottom line

Apple has come a long way to finally give enthusiasts like me the meaningful tools we’ve been demanding for years. The addition of a true variable aperture gives me the optical control to dial in a very specific look — delivering authentic background separation and natural focus falloff that almost makes me want to leave my mirrorless camera behind.

The only real catch is that this system is strictly limited to the 48MP main camera, leaving the telephoto lens stuck with a fixed aperture. Telephoto focal lengths naturally compress a scene and crave genuine depth-of-field control even more for tight framing. If Apple could bring this variable aperture system to the zoom lens next, it would add unprecedented depth and versatility that I wouldn’t have thought possible just a few years ago.

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We asked Tom's Guide readers if they would rather pick up Apple's new iPhone Duo or the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, and the winner was quite surprising.

With 2,761 votes, one device proved far more popular than the other by more than double the votes, but was it the Apple iPhone Duo or Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8? Check out the results below.

Which flagship foldable would you rather purchase?

• 1st place: 62%, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8
• 2nd place: 23%, iPhone Duo
• 3rd place: 15%, Neither

With a total of 1,705 votes, 62% of respondents said the Samsung foldable is their preferred foldable phone. Apple's Duo came in a distant second with 632 votes, or 23%.

Meanwhile, 424 people said they weren't interested in either phone. If you find yourself in that camp, what would you buy instead? Or is this category too pricey for you?

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is the winner, but why?