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. And 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 have spent an inordinate amount of money at Ikea since I moved into my house; you can easily find at least two Ikea products in every single room. But recently, the thing I've been liking the most about the Swedish retailer is its growing range of extremely affordable electronics. It seems too good to be true, but so far I haven't been let down by them.

Needless to say, I've been quite eager to try out Ikea's Västmärke Qi2 wireless charging stand which debuted last December. Clearly other people have had the same idea, because I've had to wait months for the charger to come back in stock here in the U.K. I'm not even exaggerating either: Not only have I been waiting for this to come back in stock since May, Ikea already seems to have run out.

Considering the Västmärke stand is just £9 here in the U.K. (roughly $12), it's no surprise that people would want to get their hands on it, even if they did have to spend a little extra for one of Ikea's 30W charging bricks. If there's a cheaper Qi2 charger out there, I haven't come across it.

Sadly Ikea U.S. isn't quite so generous in the price, and American buyers will need to pay $30 for a Västmärke stand of their own — $5 more than the original launch price. That's still a cheap price for a Qi2 stand, but it's on a par with other budget chargers on sale from big names like Belkin and Anker.

What is the Västmärke wireless charging stand?

Västmärke is cheap for a reason, and that reason is that it's primarily made out of cork and plastic. There are no premium materials here, like metal or rubber.

Personally, I think it looks like a cheap product, though I admit that I may be letting the fact I hate touching cork skew my opinion a little bit. I really can't stand the stuff, but I can't fault Ikea for using a material that is cheap, sustainable and biodegradable.

There's no charging brick in the box, but the Västmärke does come with its own 47-inch (120cm) USB-C cable. The cable is built into the stand, though, so if it breaks you can't just replace it with a new one.

Looks and materials only form part of the equation, though. What sets the Västmärke stand apart from most cheap wireless chargers is that it's fully Qi2 certified. For those who don't know, Qi2 wireless charging is faster than the original Qi1 standard, and offers more advanced charging protocols in the process. This includes adaptive charging speed that lets your phone dictate how much power comes in, rather than being forced to accept a fixed flow of electricity.

Crucially, though, this is a magnetic Qi2 charger. That means any Qi2 capable phones, including most iPhones and the Google Pixel 11 series, will connect to the charger using a built-in ring of magnets. Other phones, such as Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, can also take advantage of this with special Qi2-compatible cases. The use of magnets ensures that wireless charging coils are perfectly aligned, which means better overall efficiency — leading to faster charging and less heat.

The downside is that the Västmärke stand is limited to 15W charging speeds. That's fine for some phones, but there are phones like iPhone 18 Pro and Google Pixel 11 that support up to 25W Qi2 wireless charging. So bear in mind that such phones will not be wireless charging as fast as they physically can.

What's it like using Västmärke?

Cork aversion aside, I can't say I've seen a wireless charging stand that looks aesthetically pleasing on its own. So credit where it's due, Ikea's created something that doesn't look industrial and clunky. Even if the design does feel a little bit cheap.

From a performance perspective, I can't fault Västmärke in any way. The magnet snapped onto the back of my Pixel 11 Pro XL and iPhone 17 Pro Max as advertised, and immediately kicked off the wireless charging session right away. That includes both phones' special charging display modes, better known as "Standby" on iOS and the simple "Screen saver" on Android.

The magnetic connection is nice and strong, which makes it easy to pick up the phone without disconnecting the stand. That can be good and bad, depending on your point of view, and like most magnetic chargers a little bit of effort is needed to ensure your phone is disconnected when you need it to be. The rubber base on the bottom of the Västmärke ensures there is enough friction to do that pretty seamlessly, though.

There's not much more I can say about the charging process itself. The Västmärke recharged both of my phones without issue, and according to my USB-C power meter it was hitting the speeds you'd expect from a 15W wireless charger.

Surprisingly it did register power levels in excess of 15W at times. I'm not sure why, but when recharging my Pixel 11 Pro from zero percent, the power rose to just over 18W at certain points. That's no big deal for the phone, it can handle up to 25W wireless charging, but it was weird to see considering the Västmärke is a 15W charger.

I can only assume that the stand was charging at a full 15W, with the rest of the energy being wasted somewhere along the way. Wireless charging is notorious for producing heat, after all, and the Västmärke is no exception to that. So maybe avoid using it during heat waves, unless you have a very large fan nearby.

Bottom line

I'd be pretty impressed with the Västmärke wireless charging stand, even if I'd paid the full $30 for it. But for £9/$12? That's an absolute no-brainer, and none of my criticisms matter. I may not be a fan of the overall design, but I can't really be mad that a cheap stand looks cheap. Certainly not when its wireless charging capabilities rival those of other, pricier Qi2 chargers I've used.

The Västmärke charging stand feels like it's too good to be true. These are prices that you'd normally expect from no-brand wireless chargers that max out at 10W if you're lucky. Instead, this is an Ikea product, and after so many years of offering cheap chargers and other electronics, I feel as though it's more than earned my trust.

If you're in the market for a wireless charger, and your nearest Ikea has the Västmärke in stock, I definitely recommend picking one up. Especially if you're in the U.K., because it probably won't be there for long.

More from Tom's Guide

• Best wireless chargers
• Best Magsafe chargers
• I tried this new MagSafe Wallet that actually makes me look cool

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

When Samsung launched the Galaxy S26 Ultra earlier this year, it set the benchmark for every other contender gunning to be the best phone around. Now that the iPhone 18 Pro Max is finally here, Apple has a lot to prove to dethrone its rival.

That’s why I’m exploring one of the most heated matchups in tech right now: an iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S26 Ultra face-off. Samsung certainly didn’t disappoint, as the S26 Ultra introduced an innovative Privacy Display, more helpful agentic AI features, and major camera hardware overhauls.

Apple didn't just deliver incremental tweaks this time around, either. With the blazing A20 Pro chip under the hood, a mechanical variable aperture camera system, and deeper Apple Intelligence integration, the iPhone 18 Pro Max lands late in the release cycle with serious firepower aimed directly at Samsung’s crown.

After putting both phones through rigorous testing, only one emerges as the clear recommendation.

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs Galaxy S26 Ultra: Specifications

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S26 Ultra: Price and release

Samsung’s flagship is no longer more expensive than Apple’s. That’s because the iPhone 18 Pro Max received a $100 price hike that brings its starting price to $1,299, matching the Galaxy S26 Ultra dollar for dollar out of the gate.

Samsung kicked off the year by releasing the S26 Ultra on March 11, which by now can be had with significant discounts through carrier promos. Meanwhile, the iPhone 18 Pro Max launched later on September 18 with its own introductory offers and incentives.

Considering that both flagships demand the exact same initial investment for their entry-level storage, neither handset manages to undercut the other at checkout.

Winner: tie

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S26 Ultra: Design

Predictably, both flagships showcase exceptional build quality — but they take drastically different approaches to aesthetics and in-hand feel.

I still prefer the iPhone 18 Pro Max's noticeably more refined look, highlighted by how its gently contoured edges soften the aluminum unibody frame. However, picking up the two side-by-side reveals a stark physical contrast. Despite sharing a nearly identical footprint, the iPhone 18 Pro Max feels significantly denser, tipping the scales at 8.78 ounces. As much as I love how that extra heft gives it a rock-solid build, I don’t like that it’s the heaviest iPhone to date.

On the other side, Samsung plays it far safer with the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Its boxy industrial look borders on boring for my taste, as it simply doesn't turn heads the way a top-tier flagship should. That said, Samsung deserves immense credit for making it feel lighter in hand while still carving out dedicated housing for the embedded S Pen — delivering built-in utility Apple still can't match.

Ultimately, while the S Pen remains a killer productivity perk, the iPhone’s premium finish, contoured ergonomic touches, and superb craftsmanship make it the more stunning piece of hardware.

Winner: iPhone 18 Pro Max

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S26 Ultra: Display

In my years of reviewing phones, one general rule I go by is that a brighter display is typically superior — but I’m reluctant to adhere to that here. Impressively, the iPhone 18 Pro Max doesn’t disappoint, pushing out 2,396 nits of peak brightness from its 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR panel. Paired with a buttery smooth 120Hz refresh rate and an upgraded anti-reflective coating that deflects glare better than before, it handles virtually any viewing condition with ease.

That brightness matters outdoors in the harsh mid-afternoon sun. Most phones struggle under direct sunlight, but not this one. In fact, Apple’s panel punches through glare with noticeably more power than Samsung’s.

Yet, despite Apple’s brightness advantage, Samsung pulls off the far more meaningful breakthrough with its Privacy Display. Instead of forcing you to rely on third-party screen protectors, Samsung natively integrates the technology into the OLED panel — shielding the screen from prying eyes from all sides. When you ride the train or subway as much as I do, you quickly appreciate how big a difference this makes.

Apple gives you pure brightness, but Samsung delivers genuine hardware innovation that solves an everyday headache. I'll trade extra nits for real privacy any day.

Winner: Galaxy S26 Ultra

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S26 Ultra: Cameras

I’m always most interested in camera performance, seeing that it’s the biggest deciding factor whenever I buy a phone. The iPhone 18 Pro Max comes to the table with a 48MP main camera featuring a mechanical variable aperture (f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8, f/4.0), a 48MP ultrawide, and a 48MP telephoto with 4x optical zoom. Around the front, Apple equips it with an 18MP Center Stage camera.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy S26 Ultra packs a quad-camera system led by a massive 200MP main sensor, a 50MP ultrawide, a 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, and a 50MP periscope telephoto with 5x optical zoom — backed by a 12MP selfie camera.

For years, Samsung held an uncontested edge over Apple when it came to granular creative control, largely thanks to its Pro modes, Expert RAW app, and specialized shooting tools. However, Apple has finally closed that gap with Pro Controls. This new addition lets me manually dial in shutter speed, white balance, focus, and crucially, physical aperture.

That mechanical variable aperture is a game changer. Instead of simulating depth with computational portrait mode blur, the physical aperture blades can open wide to f/1.48 to flood the sensor with light, or stop down to f/4.0 to pull an entire landscape into tack-sharp focus.

Samsung counters with clever tricks of its own. Its camera app features Horizon Lock, which keeps video level on the horizontal axis no matter how much the phone tilts or shakes during capture. Furthermore, Samsung's dedicated 5x periscope lens simply pulls in more optical reach than Apple's 4x telephoto.

I’ll cut straight to the chase and focus on their low-light performance, as it’s the area that separates a good camera from an excellent one. The iPhone 18 Pro Max’s wider f/1.48 aperture proves its worth, producing a sharper image of the flag under dim conditions. By contrast, the Galaxy S26 Ultra struggles to retain edge clarity and yields a noticeably softer shot.

The results are a smidge closer indoors with ambient artificial lighting, as both do a decent job at exposing the scene including the shadows. I do like how the iPhone captures the tiny fairy-light points reflecting inside glass and shiny surfaces.

There are notable differences between their ultrawide lenses, with each phone delivering its own distinct look. What immediately grabs my attention is how the iPhone 18 Pro Max produces a more balanced dynamic range, pulling cleaner contrast and richer detail from the clouds without washing out the blue sky.

Again, the iPhone 18 Pro Max immediately jumps out with the way it handles portraits. It manages the intense direct sunlight far better, preserving skin tones and natural warmth across Mark's face. By contrast, the exposure runs darker with the Galaxy S26 Ultra, casting a dull shadow and tilting the color temperature toward a cooler tone.

The photographer in me knows the advantage of a longer optical zoom. Yet, these images captured at 10x tell an interesting story, because despite the Galaxy S26 Ultra's 5x optical reach, fine detail and definition remain remarkably similar across the face of the pumpkin decor.

Moving up to 40x zoom, the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s extra reach and image processing render the tiny words underneath the "Happy Hour" sign better, despite smoothing out surrounding textures. In fact, I can actually read the specific days and times on the sign far more easily.

Video recording performance remains remarkably close between the two, as is evident in the clips above captured at 4K 30fps. While the iPhone pulls sharper details from the rocks around the koi pond and offers a more fluid zooming motion, the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s 5x telephoto lens proves its worth by capturing distant subjects with greater clarity.

Because the iPhone delivers a cleaner low-light performance, more natural dynamic range and color science, true mechanical aperture control, and matched manual settings, it takes the victory over the S26 Ultra's extra zoom reach.

Winner: iPhone 18 Pro Max

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S26 Ultra: Performance

When it comes to pure muscle power, Apple proves that the A20 Pro inside the iPhone 18 Pro Max is an absolute powerhouse — showing up the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy in more ways than one.

For example, Geekbench 6 scores reveal how the A20 Pro widens the gap with single- and multi-core tallies of 4,741 and 12,789, respectively. Clearly, those beat out the 3,785 and 11,563 scores put up by the Galaxy S26 Ultra, but Apple's lead doesn't stop there.

Graphics and gaming benchmarks tell a similar story. In 3DMark’s Solar Bay Unlimited test, both handsets deliver blistering frame rates, but the iPhone 18 Pro Max's 67.9 fps average frame rate and 17,850 score easily blow past its rival's 49.37 fps and 12,984 mark.

While the A20 Pro excels in raw computation and graphics, dedicated on-device neural processing flips the script. The Galaxy S26 Ultra posts a massive score of 83,047 running TensorFlow Lite QNN in Geekbench AI 1.7. That comfortably outpaces the iPhone 18 Pro Max's score of 71,974, proving that Qualcomm’s silicon still has the upper hand when processing complex machine learning tasks.

Winner: iPhone 18 Pro Max

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S26 Ultra: Battery Life and Charging

Apple never shares official battery capacities with its iPhones, but it doesn’t have to based on the endurance it puts out with our battery drain test. The iPhone 18 Pro Max outlasts the Galaxy S26 Ultra by running nearly 18.5 hours before it’s zapped — versus the S26 Ultra’s average of 16 hours and 40 minutes. For heavy power users, streamers, and commuters who go long between charges, the iPhone 18 Pro Max gives you that extra cushion to cover the gap.

Both phones offer 60W wired charging, which is plenty fast to add a decent amount of charge with short bursts. Yet, the iPhone 18 Pro Max gets to 80% in 30 minutes, which is better than the 77% pulled in by the S26 Ultra.

Winner: iPhone 18 Pro Max

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S26 Ultra: Software and AI Features

Fundamentally, I think most people will appreciate the underlying software powering both phones: iOS 27 for the iPhone and One UI 9 on top of Android 17. There’s plenty of customization offered by both, but I really dig the aesthetic of Liquid Glass on the iPhone 18 Pro Max.

With the release of iOS 27, Apple is making up considerable ground with new AI tools that rival features long available on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Tools like Reframe and an improved Photo Clean Up highlight how Apple has refined its generative AI capabilities, while handy additions like generating passes directly in the Wallet app provide genuine daily utility.

However, it’s the introduction of Siri AI that catapults the iPhone 18 Pro Max forward in a big way — evolving far beyond a static voice assistant. Quite frankly, Siri AI’s grasp of on-screen context makes everyday interactions remarkably proactive. For example, when someone messages me an appointment time or address, the system immediately surfaces relevant in-app actions. I’ve also tested Siri AI with the new CarPlay, where it breezily handles multi-step voice tasks like jotting down detailed notes while I drive.

Yet, despite those advances, I still prefer Samsung’s approach on the Galaxy S26 Ultra with Gemini Live and Galaxy AI. As much as Siri AI has matured, Gemini remains the benchmark to beat on a smartphone. Not only does it seamlessly execute multi-step automations — like ordering Dunkin' for me through DoorDash — but tapping into its multimodal camera features unlocks an entirely new level of utility.

Beyond machine learning, Samsung’s software includes a powerhouse productivity tool Apple simply refuses to match: Samsung DeX. Plugging the S26 Ultra into an external monitor or a pair of smart glasses instantly transforms the handset into a full-blown desktop workspace with true multi-window multitasking.

Winner: Galaxy S26 Ultra

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S26 Ultra: Verdict

This iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. Galaxy S26 Ultra face-off has a clear winner, as Apple’s flagship takes more categories overall. While I’ve seen narrower finishes with previous generations, Apple’s $100 price increase levels the playing field, making both phones an identical $1,299 investment for their 256GB base configurations.

Samsung certainly deserves credit for packing more robust AI features and comprehensive software that makes it feel like I have a computer in my pocket. Gemini’s deep integration is a big part of that, especially with how seamlessly it handles complex, multi-step automations. The Galaxy S26 Ultra also earns high marks for unique perks like the built-in S Pen and Privacy Display.

However, Apple clinches the overall crown by delivering decisive victories across the area that matter most in daily use. The A20 Pro sets a blistering standard for computational and graphical power, while the two-hour battery life gap it holds over its rival means you won’t have to worry about running short between charges. Throw in its mechanical variable aperture, superior low-light camera performance, and an overhaul with Siri AI, and the iPhone 18 Pro Max stands as the most refined and dependable flagship phone you can buy.

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

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.

More from Tom's Guide

• I tested the AirPods 5 — they're $50 cheaper than the AirPods 4 but 100% better
• Siri in iOS 27 actually lives up to the hype — here are 3 truly unique uses
• iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max benchmarks: These are the fastest phones we've ever tested

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.

More from Tom's Guide

• iOS 27: 7 features you need to try first after updating
• I tried the new iOS 27 Safari features — here's 3 settings worth using
• iOS 27 Photos features that transform your pictures — here's how to use them

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.

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

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?

So why did the Galaxy Z Fold 8 dominate our poll over the iPhone Duo.

I think it comes down to a few of factors in the battle between the Z Fold 8 and iPhone Duo: design, price and expertise.

The Duo starts at $1,999 for the 256GB version and goes up to over $3k for the 2TB option. Samsung's foldable starts at $1,899, not a big difference but with how expensive the world has gotten in the last two years every dollar matters. No, Samsung doesn't offer a 2TB variant but the top-end 1TB model will cost you $2,499, again $100 than the equivalent Duo version.

Additionally, the Z Fold 8 offers a thinner and lighter design than the iPhone Duo. And Samsung lets you run more than two apps at once, which is better for multitasking. Plus, Samsung has been iterating foldables for eight generations, while this is Apple's first attempt.

There is concern over visibility and brightness with the matte finish on the Duo display, which is meant to hide the crease. Pictures of CEO John Ternus at the Emmys recently stirred up controversy online, but we thought it was plenty bright in our hands-on time.

As we've found, though, the iPhone Duo has multiple features that the Z Fold 8 doesn't, including iP68 durability, stylus support, faster charging, and a vapor chamber for better cooling.

What you have said

One reader said in a comment that they were staying away from all things Apple as they didn't want to get sucked into another ecosystem. "I have Samsungs 8 ultra, and I am impressed with it," they said.

As a counterpoint, another reader wrote that the "crucial factor" when comparing Samsung and Apple is Apple's "after-purchase service experience."

"Functionally, I have liked both platforms, but there is a fundamental difference in corporate philosophy. Apple actively invests in both technology and the customer service infrastructure required to support it. Samsung, on the other hand, focuses almost entirely on tech specs while leaving its customer support framework completely neglected," they said.

Bottom line

The iPhone Duo may be the belle of the ball after its recent announcement, but you won't be able to actually hold it in your hands until October 23.

Meanwhile, the Z Fold 8 is available right now and is a pretty impressive foldable, even if Apple's device beats it in some areas.

Let us know: why would you pick the Duo or the Z Fold 8? Don't like either? What's your replacement?

More from Tom's Guide

• Apple Watch Ultra 4 review: I ran 22 miles to test Apple’s ultimate adventure watch
• 11 best iOS 27 hidden features you can't afford to miss
• iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max benchmarks: These are the fastest phones we've ever tested

iOS 27 is finally here, and it's packed with a bunch of interesting new features you're going to want to try. The problem is that there are a lot of them, and some aren't that easy to find. In fact, Apple straight-up didn't tell us about a bunch of things iOS 27 can do.

Thankfully, the beta has been invaluable in this respect, with beta testers and early adopters figuring out a bunch of cool things hiding in the depths of iOS 27. So once you've installed iOS 27 on your iPhone, and checked out the seven features you should try right away, your next stop should be these 11 hidden features — and start making the most of what your phone can do.

Dual Cameras in FaceTime

iPhone 17 debuted with the helpful Dual Capture feature, which allowed you to simultaneously record video from the front and back cameras. iOS 27 has expanded that by adding it to FaceTime, allowing you to utilize both cameras during your Apple-to-Apple video calls.

This means you can show people what you're looking at without cutting off the feed of your face and expressions. It also means you can have calls that include larger groups, provided you're with people that are happy to be visible on camera without seeing the person on the other end of the call.

To get things going, simply start a Facetime call, tap the screen to bring up call controls and then tap the Flip button. Tapping this button again turns off dual camera mode and only shows the view from the front camera. Dual camera mode is the default option the first time you make a call, but the FaceTime app will remember if you switch it off for the remainder of your call.

Create custom passes in Apple Wallet

Apple Wallet is an incredibly useful tool but iOS 27 just made it even more useful to have. This is the year Wallet catches up with Android, and gives users the ability to create their own custom passes — regardless of whether the pass is officially compatible with Apple Wallet or not.

You can create digital versions of passes that you'd otherwise need to carry around with you. Be it gym membership cards, tickets, gift cards or something else entirely. Just open up Apple Wallet, then tap the (+) button in the top corner followed by Create a Pass.

iPhone 15 Pro and above will be able to scan the barcode or QR code with the camera, while older models will require you to enter the details manually. From there you can Choose a template to match the physical pass and customize the colors and details to your liking. Hit Save and you're done.

Updated AirPods software

You don't need to buy the brand new AirPods 5 to get the benefit of some new earbud features. iOS 27 features a bunch of new AirPods settings that could make your existing buds feel like new. Especially if you're into the idea of customizing the level of active noise cancelling, and blending it with transparency mode.

That's right, this is a thing you can do in the AirPods app on iOS 27. The new slider doesn't force you to pick full ANC or full Transparency, and you can go somewhere in the middle if you prefer. Apple's also added a brand new EQ mixer, which lets you adjust the levels of your sound — whether it's bass, midrange or treble. Sadly this is only available on more recent AirPods, including AirPods Pro 2 and Pro 3, AirPods 4 and the upcoming AirPods 5.

Save video frames as photos

Google just released an entire mode dedicated to capturing video and photos simultaneously, but Apple's taken a different approach to the problem of deciding whether to snap or record. iOS 27 is able to pull single frames out of video clips and convert them into photos, and without forcing you to take a screenshot in the process.

Simply tap the Three-dot menu in the top right corner of Apple Photos, then choose the Save Video Frame as Photo. The frame is then pulled from the video and saved to your Photos library in full resolution.

Give your alarm a custom volume

Tying your alarm to system volume can be a pain, because it means you have to choose between silent notifications and remembering to wake up on time. Thankfully iOS 27 has split everything up, and now alarms have their own independent volume toggle. You may need to flick a switch in the Settings app first, though.

Head to Settings > Sound & Haptics and find the Alarms and Timers section. You'll then want to make sure the Match Ringtone Volume toggle is gray and switched off, at which point a volume slider will appear — letting you customize how loud the alarm actually is. You can do the same for Alerts and System Sounds as well, though you will need to navigate back into the sound settings if you want to customize the volume of both.

The clock is also able to recognize holidays, based on your own personal calendar. This allows the Clock app to proactively ask you if you want to skip alarms for days you may not be working — such as public holidays.

Rate your own photos

We're all used to leaving reviews with a star rating of some kind, but did you know you can do the same thing to your photos in iOS 27? Apple added this new organizational trick as a way to help find specific photos more easily. Even if you don't think a certain photo is worth one star, this gives you five new ways to save specific kinds of photos and videos — rather than simply marking it as a favorite.

This does need switching on in the settings app, though. Head to Settings > Apps > Photos > View Options and switch on Show Rating Controls. From there head into the Photos app and you'll see a drop-down menu with a star in the top right corner. Tap is, and select the star rating of choice.

To find your starred photos, simply tap the Filter icon in the top right corner of the Photos gallery, followed by ☆ Rating and select the rating you want to see.

Full-screen home widgets

Home screen widgets have a brand new size variant in iOS 27, and it means they can now fill an entire page of your home screen if you wish. It's not available for every widget, but the likes of Calendar and Photos can now be expanded further than they could before.

This can be done when you first add a widget to the home screen, or by pressing and holding an existing widget to summon the pop-up menu. In both instances, all you need to do is pick the largest design available, and iOS will take care of the rest.

Avoid accidental voice messages

Nobody wants to accidentally start recording a voice note at awkward moments, and if that's a problem you deal with frequently, iOS 27 can help. The new update lets you remove the audio message button from the Messages app, or switch over to dictation. Either way, you won't be accidentally sending incomprehensible messages to your contacts anymore.

Head to Settings > Apps > Messages then select the Show in Text Field. From there select one of three options: Record Audio, Start Dictation or None. If you ever find you do want to send Audio Messages you can either switch the setting back, or tap the + menu on the left side of the screen and select the Audio option

Siri's "Notify me" watches websites for you

If you've ever had to sit and watch a website for an extended period, whether it's because you're in a virtual queue or waiting for a product restock, you know how tedious it can get. Fortunately iOS 27 can take all the stress out of the equation, by having Siri watch websites for any major changes.

Specifically, this feature is called Notify Me and it's only available in Apple's Safari browser. But it means that you can leave Siri watching a specific webpage, safe in the knowledge that it will tell you when things change.

All you need to do is open Safari on the relevant page, tap the three-line menu button on the left side of the URL bar, then tap Notify Me. Safari will ask you to describe what sort of change you want and how often it should check. Your options are hourly, weekly or monthly, which means it's not going to be useful for situations where speed is of the essence, like grabbing the latest hot product before scalpers do. But it does mean you have the ability to zone out and relax a little more.

Call Context

One of the big things AI is good for is contextual assistance, by which I mean it can proactively surface key information when it thinks you need it the most. That can be useful when you're making phone calls (assuming you still make phone calls) and don't want to waste time flicking through different apps or inboxes looking for stuff you might need.

Apple has added Call Context to iOS 27 and does exactly this. Recently it's been making headlines about how it's able to remind users about important dates, such as birthdays or anniversaries. On the off chance that you may have forgotten, and were calling for a very different reason. Though you do need to have added that information to the Contacts app first.

Just remember that this is an AI feature, and won't work on older devices that don't support Apple Intelligence.

Simpler slideshow generation

If you like creating slideshows of your photos, but hate the hassle involved, iOS 27 just made it a whole lot easier. In fact, all you need to do is select the photos you want to feature in the Apple Photos app, and it'll do all the hard work for you.

Simply head to Apple Photos, and choose a specific album or your main photo feed. Then tap Select to choose the photos you want, followed by the Three dot button at the top of the page — between the filter menu and the big X. A pop-up menu will appear, at which point you tap Start Slideshow.

Your slideshow then begins, scrolling through the selected photos automatically. Tapping the screen lets you pause everything, while swiping from the left and right lets you skip through photos. It doesn't loop by default, though, so be sure to tap the Customize button to set that up. This menu also lets you add music, and control the speed at which everything happens.

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

There’s no device as useful as your smartphone since you carry it with you at all times. Whether you want one with a massive display, one that takes amazing photos or even one you can fold up to take up even less space in your pocket, there are plenty of fantastic options and we’ve tested the best ones from the biggest names in the business.

From budget phones that won’t break the bank to flagships with top of the line specs, our team of experts has spent the past year testing and reviewing all of the best phones for the Tom’s Guide Awards 2026.

Below, we highlight all of our favorite phones from the last 12 months with the designs, features and pricing that impressed us the most. These smartphones have earned our highest recommendation and are the perfect upgrade pick.

Best phone

iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max

When you earn the title of best phone, it has to be backed by substantial upgrades and next-level performance that puts rival devices out of reach. The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max certainly live up to those standards, driven by the blisteringly fast A20 Pro chip, an innovative variable-aperture main camera for true optical depth, and smarter, context-aware Siri features. All of this comes together seamlessly on these flagship handsets.

Rather than offering just incremental battery gains, they decisively outperform their predecessors while easily outlasting competing Android flagships. Photographers and videographers in particular will appreciate Apple’s deeper Pro Controls alongside the variable-aperture lens, which together unlock creative possibilities well beyond standard point-and-shoot mechanics.

While they do carry steeper price tags than before, their premium build quality and refinements make them definitive smartphone champions.

— John Velasco, Senior Editor

Best Android phone

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

If you're looking for an Android phone that can do just about everything well, then there's no better option than the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. This phone is the ideal mix of good cameras, high performance hardware, strong battery life and a mix of excellent AI and software-related features.

But that's not all. Samsung has packed this phone with all kinds of cool features, including long-standing support for the S Pen stylus. On top of that we have the Privacy Display to deter prying eyes, and a more-advanced version of Circle to Search that (so far) hasn't made it to other devices. If you want the best possible Android experience, this is the phone to go for.

— Tom Pritchard, UK Phones Editor

Best camera phone

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

The best camera phone isn't determined solely by how well the results turn out. That's only one part of a broader picture that demands robust shooting modes, granular manual controls, and video recording features that go well beyond simple point-and-shoot mechanics to deliver a truly versatile imaging system.

No other phone exemplifies this better than the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. From a hardware perspective, its quad rear camera array is among the most adaptable on the market, built to cover virtually any scenario, whether shooting near or distant subjects. What cements its position as a top-tier camera phone is how its 200MP main sensor excels at resolving fine detail and texture. Meanwhile, the 50MP 5x optical telephoto lens doesn't just bring subjects closer — it leverages advanced AI processing to noticeably enhance the final output.

Finally, it's a mobile videographer's dream, offering extensive manual control over shutter speed, ISO, and white balance. Throw in native support for external wireless microphones, Log recording, horizon lock, and 8K capture, and it's easy to see why it checks every box for demanding creators.

— John Velasco, Senior Editor

Best AI phone

Google Pixel 11 Pro XL

Google's invested a lot into AI for its phones, and the Pixel 11 Pro XL comes with some of the most well-rounded AI features out there. Not only do Pixels come with all the benefits Google's Gemini AI affords to Android OS, there are a bunch of exclusive features that help make buying a Pixel a much more appealing prospect -- aided by the AI-focused Tensor G6 chipset.

The Pixel 11 Pro XL saw the introduction of a bunch of new AI features. They include the new "Rambler" dictation tool, that uses natural language speech and commands to dictate what you want written — without all the verbal bluster. There's also Magic Capture which simultaneously captures photos and video, as well as Live Translate lets you watch foreign language videos in real time.

Plus there's all the other AI features that debuted in previous years. Magic Cue's contextual image surfacing. 120x ProRes zoom, Camera Coach, Circle to Search, Gemini Live and so on. All of which bands together to make the Pixel 11 Pro XL the strongest AI phone you can buy.

— Tom Pritchard, UK Phones Editor

Best foldable phone

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8

Foldable phones generally split into two camps: compact flips and book-style hybrids. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 belongs to the latter, but Samsung shakes up the formula with a critical design shift: it ditches the squarish shape of older models for a passport-style cover screen that unfolds into a genuinely wide canvas.

That wider footprint immediately transforms daily use. Closed, it fits comfortably in your hand and lets you type one-handed without cramping. Open, it reveals a gorgeous 7.6-inch inner display tailored for serious multitasking, immersive video, and mobile gaming. In addition to packing a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip capable of powering three apps side-by-side simultaneously, Samsung still keeps the chassis razor-thin at 4.5mm and featherlight at just 7.09 ounces.

The Z Fold 8 doesn't just show off cutting-edge tech — it delivers the most polished, practical hybrid device Samsung has ever built.

— John Velasco, Senior Editor

Best phone battery life

OnePlus 15

Battery life has exploded over the past few years, but no company can compete with the gains made by the OnePlus 15. Our custom battery test, which involves continuous web surfing over a 5G connection, recorded the OnePlus 15's battery life at 25 hours and 13 minutes. The next closest OnePlus phone, the ROG Phone 9 Pro, only managed 20 hours 34 minutes.

A lot of this comes down to what OnePlus did with the battery. An early adopter of Silicon Carbon batteries, it allowed OnePlus to fit a crazy 7,300 mAh into the OnePlus 15 without any meaningful increase in thickness or weight. On top of that, this device also features 80W wired charging and 50W wireless charging speeds. That ensures you can regain 45% battery in 15 minutes and 81% in half an hour — in case you do ever find yourself needing a speedy recharge.

— Tom Pritchard, UK Phones Editor

Best budget phone

Nothing Phone 4a Pro

The Nothing Phone 4a Pro does all the things Nothing does best, offering a range of excellent features for a price point that can't really be beaten. While the overall performance power is lacking, and there's no wireless charging to speak of, it comes with everything else you'd expect from a premium smartphone experience.

For under $500 you get a set of flagship-rivalling cameras, a premium-feeling design, strong battery life, a bunch of interesting (and unique) AI features, and one of the brightest displays we've tested. If that wasn't enough you also get Nothing's Glyph Matrix, a customizable LED dot-matrix display that adds extra functionality to the back of your phone.

— Tom Pritchard, UK Phones Editor

Apple made a lot of bold claims about the A20 Pro chipset that's powering the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. Apple promised that these phones are faster and more efficient, while offering big improvements to graphics and AI processing. But how much of a difference do these new chips actually make?

The A20 Pro changes things up this year, having been built with a 2nm design that offers much better transistor density than the 3nm A19 Pro from last year. On top of that Apple promises that the 6-core CPU has a pair of "super cores" that are 20% faster, plus an additional four efficiency cores. The seven-core GPU is supposed to offer 40% improved graphics, while Apple had added a second neural engine to double the new chip's AI processing power.

We've been testing both new phones for our iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max review, and the benchmarking tests paint a very good picture for Apple's latest flagship. In fact, based on benchmark scores, there's been a huge performance leap that puts the likes of iPhone 17 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra to shame.

If you're looking for a phone with the best performance and graphics prowess, Apple should top your shopping list. Though, it would be nice if the AI processing power was a little higher. Here's what we learned after testing the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.

A20 Pro: Overall Performance

Every time we review a phone, we run Geekbench's benchmarking tests to gauge the overall CPU performance and how different devices compare to their contemporaries. In the case of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, we did the latest Geekbench 7 benchmark, and the older Geekbench 6 tests.

As you can see, both tests showed a massive improvement in both single- and multi-core testing. The iPhone 18 Pro came out of Geekbench 6 testing with a respective 4,735 and 12,800 in single and multi-core testing.

Meanwhile Geekbench 7 saw the phone record scores of 4,022 and 11,543. The iPhone 18 Pro Max scored similarly, with Geekbench 6 scores of 4,741 / 12,789 and Geekbench 7 scores of 4,025 / 11,525

That's a huge improvement compared to the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. Both phones came out with similar scores in both iterations of Geekbench benchmarking, with iPhone 17 Pro recording scores of 3,834/ 9,988 in Geekbench 6 and 3,138 / 8,692 with Geekbench 7. Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 Pro Max finished testing with 3,871 / 9,968 from Geekbench 6 and 3,285 / 8,999 from Geekbench 7.

As for Apple's biggest rival, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, that came out with a score of 3,785 / 11,563 for Geekbench 6 and 3,149 / 10,612 with Geekbench 7. That sits in the middle of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro, and while this means Apple has Samsung beat at the moment, things may change with the release of the Galaxy S27 Ultra and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 for Galaxy chipset

A20 Pro: Graphics Performance

Graphics performance is often where Apple chips lag behind the Snapdragon flagship, but this year the A20 Pro has pushed well beyond what Samsung's flagship phone has to offer. In fact, considering the S26 Ultra was almost neck and neck with the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, the fact that the A20 Pro has jumped so far ahead is pretty impressive.

Using 3DMark's Solar Bay Unlimited benchmarking test, the iPhone 18 Pro produced a score of 16,228 and an average frame rate of 61.93 fps. The iPhone 18 Pro Max did even better, with a 17,850 score and 67.9 fps average frame rate. The S26 Ultra, on the other hand, recorded a score of 12,984 and an average frame rate of 49.37 fps.

As for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, both phones came out with scores of 12,208 and 12,260, respectively. Alongside average frame rates of 46.4fps and 46.6fps.

A20 Pro: AI performance

Geekbench's AI test gives us an idea of how good a phone is at overall AI processing through its Neural Engine. Since Apple added a second engine to the A20 Pro, we should see major gains. Thankfully for Apple, the results do reflect this, though the scores are not twice as high as the A19 Pro.

The iPhone 18 Pro recorded an AI processing score of 69,245, which rose to 71,974 on the iPhone 18 Pro Max. That's a significant increase over the iPhone 17 Pro's 49,050 and the 17 Pro Max's 48,549. However, it seems Apple is still lagging behind Samsung, with the S26 Ultra recording a score of 83,047.

Clearly Apple still has work to do on AI, though considering it jumped onto the bandwagon a little later than its rivals, that's to be expected.

A20 Pro: Sustained Performance

Recording performance figures is one thing, but it doesn't matter much if the phone can't sustain it for extended periods of time. Last year saw the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max's sustained performance score rise, on account of the new design. A combination of the aluminum unibody design, raised plateau and brand new vapor chamber meant that heat could be transported away from key areas and dissipated more effectively — letting it work harder for longer.

This year the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max came with a redesigned vapor chamber that has three times the surface area of last year's design. Apple promises this will improve sustained performance by around 40% — but did it?

According to our testing, the iPhone 18 Pro Max's stability score, the measure at which we measure sustained performance during graphics testing, rose from 65.2% to 79.4%. Meanwhile iPhone 18 Pro rose from 61.1% to 62.8%.

That's a pretty major gain for the iPhone 18 Pro Max, with a 14.2% rise, but it's far less impressive that the iPhone 18 Pro only achieved a 1.7% gain. Still, both phones are leagues ahead of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, which only managed a stability score of 53.9%.

A20 Pro: Bottom line

It's fair to say that Apple has done a great job with the A20 Pro. While AI processing still lags behind one of its biggest rivals, the benchmarking tests show that Apple has made serious gains compared to the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. Work still needs to be done, but this is definitely a positive step forward.

As for raw computing and graphics performance, we can't fault the improvement Apple has made. Not only has it put A-series chips back on top, and ahead of Snapdragon, it's made enough of an improvement to graphics performance that Qualcomm and Samsung are going to have to put the effort in for the next generation "for Galaxy" chip.

That said, with the Snapdragon Summit happening next week (September 22 to 24), we don't have to wait long to see what the next generation of Android flagships is working with.

More from Tom's Guide

• iPhone 18 Pro's Reference Image mode helps verify if an image has been altered by AI — here's how it works
• I tried the new iOS 27 Safari features — here's 3 settings worth using
• iPhone Duo vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: Which foldable phone will win?

With every new release, Apple is confident about the endurance of its devices — and that hasn't changed with the iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone 18 Pro. Even with expectations set higher than ever, the stakes are undeniably steep for this year's Pro lineup.

Not only do they need to prove their endurance against their predecessors to truly earn the best iPhone crown, but they also need to outlast many of the best Android phones around. Apple leaves no doubt that these are positioned as the longest-lasting phones it's ever built, backing up those claims with the efficiency gains of the new A20 Pro silicon alongside upgraded battery capacities.

After putting both handsets through our custom battery drain test, the results are surprising. Here’s what we found.

iPhone 18 Pros vs iPhone 17 Pros battery life comparison

If you check Apple’s official comparison tool, the iPhone 18 Pro Max and 18 Pro are rated for up to 45 and 36 hours of video playback, respectively. In the Tom’s Guide battery test, however, we test real-world endurance by setting displays to 150 nits and running an automated script that simulates web browsing over a cellular connection until the device shuts off.

Our testing reveals an average battery life of 16 hours and 17 minutes for the iPhone 18 Pro, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max stretches that endurance to 18 hours and 27 minutes. While both represent clear year-over-year gains, the numbers are surprising given the heavy emphasis placed on the A20 Pro’s power efficiency.

Specifically, the iPhone 18 Pro Max lasted 33 minutes longer than the iPhone 17 Pro Max — a modest 3.1% increase. The iPhone 18 Pro gets a more meaningful jump, outlasting the iPhone 17 Pro by 56 minutes for a 6.1% bump. Even if these figures don't quite deliver the dramatic generational leap many anticipated from Apple's shift to 2nm silicon, progress is progress nonetheless.

How they compare to rival Android phones

Just as importantly, the iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone 18 Pro need to prove their worth against their primary Android rivals. The iPhone 18 Pro Max holds its ground convincingly against key competitors like the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and Pixel 11 Pro XL. It bests Samsung’s flagship by a solid margin of 1 hour and 47 minutes, a lead that stretches to nearly 4 hours over Google’s largest Pixel. Meanwhile, the smaller iPhone 18 Pro also holds its own against these supersized flagships, trailing the Galaxy S26 Ultra by just 23 minutes despite its noticeably more compact footprint.

Despite these promising gains, neither iPhone can touch the staggering endurance of the OnePlus 15 — the undisputed best phone battery life champion. Clocking in at an unbelievable 25 hours and 13 minutes, the OnePlus remains in a league of its own, beating the iPhone 18 Pro Max by more than 6.5 hours. That victory is largely thanks to the massive 7,300 mAh silicon-carbon battery packed beneath its hood.

iPhone 18 Pro Max and 18 Pro battery life: Bottom line

The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max deliver dependable, all-day endurance that easily handles demanding tasks. However, this year's modest gains highlight an area where Android manufacturers are pulling ahead. While the new A20 Pro chip is an efficiency powerhouse, Apple’s reliance on conventional lithium-ion batteries has clearly reached its limits.

To truly unlock multi-day battery life — like the staggering endurance we're seeing on the OnePlus 15 — Apple needs to explore silicon-carbon battery technology. Silicon-carbon anodes provide substantially higher energy density without adding bulk, preserving the slim profiles and comfortable ergonomics users expect. While Apple can claim a clear victory over Samsung and Google for now, embracing this battery tech is the essential next step if it wants to capture the overall endurance crown.

More from Tom's Guide

• Why your iPhone says 'Optimizing Search and Siri' in iOS 27 — and how to speed it up
• AppleCare One Family now live for $50 a month in time for iPhone 18 Pro launch — here's what it actually covers
• iPhone Duo vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: Which foldable phone will win?

If you have ever felt like the technology today has lost its sense of humor, Apple just snuck a nostalgic surprise into its latest software update that might change your mind.

Tucked deep inside the iOS 27 Settings menu is a direct callback to one of the most beloved mascots from the early Macintosh era: Clarus the Dogcow. The hidden surprise is tied to iOS 27’s new Liquid Glass customization features, but finding it requires a bit of digging.

Here is what the Easter egg is, why it matters to long-time Apple fans, and how to trigger it on your iPhone.

How to unlock the iOS 27 Dogcow Easter egg

To reveal the hidden mascot, open your iPhone's Settings app, tap Appearance, and select Liquid Glass.

This menu features a new slider that lets you adjust the transparency level of the UI, ranging from fully clear to deeply tinted. To show you how the glass effect looks in real-time, Apple built a mock website preview directly inside the settings.

If you scroll all the way to the bottom and keep pulling upward on the screen, a high-resolution photo of a Clarus the Dogcow figurine sitting near the Apple Park pond will pop up with text reading "Moof!" — the iconic noise it makes.

Mac users can also spot the exact same easter egg inside the Appearance menu on macOS Golden Gate.

Who is Clarus the Dogcow?

For anyone who didn't grow up using 1980s or 90s Apple hardware, the hybrid animal has a surprisingly rich place in tech lore.

Clarus the Dogcow was originally created by legendary Apple designer Susan Kare as a simple glyph for the Cairo font on the original 1984 Macintosh. It eventually became the official test image in the Classic Mac OS Page Setup dialog.

More from Tom's Guide

• iOS 27: 7 features you need to try first after updating
• I tried the new iOS 27 Safari features — here's 3 settings worth using
• iOS 27 Photos features that transform your pictures — here's how to use them

The quality of AI-generated and altered imagery has gotten a lot better over the past few years. We're currently at the point where it is terrifying how realistic they are, and it always leaves doubt as to whether images are genuine or not. That's why we're starting to see tools and systems designed to identify AI-generated imagery, including Apple's new "Reference Image" camera mode.

Apple did explain the basics of how the system works during the iPhone 18 Pro launch event. But if you want a full explanation of how Reference Image works, and why Apple has decided to release it now, the company has released a full blog post explaining everything.

Why Apple has done this

The reasoning behind Apple's decision should be obvious, but the blog does confirm that it all comes down to the ease with which people can create AI-generated images. Apple also notes that since a lot of cameras now rely on post-shot image processing, a lot of which involves AI and machine learning, claiming a photo is AI-free is not that simple.

Apple does admit that the C2PA industry standard can help, since it adds the relevant metadata after the image is captured and certifies the image edits that happen thereafter. However, the always-security-conscious Apple claims that this system is "vulnerable to compromise at any point in the editing chain," and there's no way to tell if the edit history has been tampered with or not.

Apple also claims that it may create a privacy risk, since images could be tied to specific devices or individuals.

Since iPhones are so popular, Apple says that it is "uniquely positioned" to try and solve the problem. This is why it's developed a system that ties the camera to "a platform that sets the industry’s highest standards of security from the silicon up."

The system behind Reference Image's authentication

According to Apple, the Reference Image "offers a trustworthy, scalable guarantee that a reference is what it claims to be." In other words, it's a way to prove that an image has been taken by an iPhone camera at a specific time. On top of that, "dedicated secure hardware" helps protect the integrity of the image itself, while Apple's Private Cloud Compute promises to protect user privacy during the processing stage.

During the Apple event, Apple said that Reference Image was an iPhone 18 Pro feature. However, the blog post isn't so limiting, and confirms three core requirements for a camera to be compatible with Reference Image.

Semantic authenticity relates to the reference image "faithfully" showing what the camera sensor saw. Any alterations made before the image was ready to view must be publicly verifiable. Also required is resilience to compromise, ensuring that image authenticity can't be affected by tampering with the camera. Listed examples include software-level jailbreaks or "common cryptographic attacks."

Finally, there's privacy preservation, which is meant to ensure "outside observers" can't figure out whether reference images were taken by the same device. It also means Image contents can't be revealed to Apple or another third party.

While the language suggests this isn't necessarily an Apple-only system, Apple does say that it believes the custom image sensors in the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are designed to ensure reliable image data. Apple believes that "no other commercially-available photographic provenance system meets these strict requirements."

In other words, don't expect this system to appear on other phones, even older iPhones. I don't see Android phone makers jumping to partake in Apple's standard, assuming Apple would even let them. These requirements are no doubt in place to reassure people that Apple is doing its due diligence, not just slapping an extra sticker onto any old iPhone camera.

What capturing a Reference Image actually does

The beginnings of snapping a Reference Image happen as soon as the camera sensor initializes while the phone is being manufactured. The system generates a signing key pair and only releases half of it to the factory recording station. The station then signs it with a factory certificate authority (CA) and then records both to your hardware manifest.

The other half is kept private and is used to sign every image your phone takes in reference Image mode. That links the pixel data and sensor metadata to a single camera sensor — all before any other processing takes place.

Apple also uses a cryptographic timestamp to mark a window in which a photo was taken, rather than relying on the time in your device's operating system — which Apple says can be compromised. To narrow that window down, iPhones will occasionally reveal secure timestamp tokens, which serve as a lower bound. A second secure timestamp token is requested after each photo capture, which establishes the upper bound, allowing Apple to verify that a photo was taken between the two timestamps.

Apple's Secure Enclave then plays a part by signing metadata that comes from outside the camera sensor. This is verified by Private Cloud Compute, which confirms that both the sensor and Secure Enclave belong to the same phone. Timestamps are then checked, and a secure digital negative is developed.

This negative is then processed by Private Cloud Compute and turned into a JPEG Reference Image that's signed by a mix of traditional and post-quantum cryptography. This, Apple says, future-proofs the image to ensure it's verifiable against future quantum computing-based attacks.

The whole process is a lot more complicated than this, and you can read it all in depth over on Apple's Reference Image blog post. It's safe to say that Apple has gone to a lot of effort to ensure that new iPhones are able to take photos that can be verified as legitimate, and not doctored in any way. However, the fact that this is currently limited to two devices, and probably won't be applicable to non-iPhone photos in the future, means that its scope is limited — even if iPhones' popularity means it'll be incredibly widespread in the future.

At least in this instance, Apple is still supporting other anti-AI standards, including C2PA and SynthID. This wasn't always the case in past instances of Apple developing its own alternatives to industry standards. Just look at how long it took to add RCS messaging to iPhones.

More from Tom's Guide

• Why your iPhone says 'Optimizing Search and Siri' in iOS 27 — and how to speed it up
• AppleCare One Family now live for $50 a month in time for iPhone 18 Pro launch — here's what it actually covers
• iPhone Duo vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: Which foldable phone will win?

The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max don’t have a ‘wow’ feature to flex to your friends like the iPhone Duo. Yet beneath the familiar design is a pretty big leap forward for two areas people really care about: cameras and performance.

With a new variable aperture main camera, the iPhone 18 Pro lets in more light and gives you more creative freedom than ever before with new Pro controls. And the A20 Pro chip — the first 2nm chip in a phone — delivers record-breaking speed that surpasses all Android flagships. Based on our testing, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max battery life is stellar, too. And with the new Siri AI on board these Pro phones are much more capable personal assistants.

The bad news? The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are noticeably heavier than their predecessors, and the prices are $100 higher for both models. But if you’ve been putting off that upgrade for a while, you'll find that both of these Pros are the best phones you can buy.

Here's all the pros and cons based on my in-depth testing in our full iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max review.

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: Specs

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: Price and release date

The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 for 256GB in the US, £1,199 in the UK, and AU$2,099 in Australia. That's $100 more than last year.

Meanwhile, the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at $1,299 / £1,299 / AU$2,299 for 256GB. You can upgrade to 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB of storage for both models.

Be sure to check out our iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max deals page so you don't pay full price.

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max Performance: Fastest phones ever

The A20 Pro chip isn’t just the world’s first 2nm chip inside a smartphone; it’s the fastest one we’ve ever tested, blowing away the Android competition.

You get a new CPU with two super cores that are up to 20% faster and four efficiency cores, a 7-core GPU that’s up to 40 percent faster (up from 6 cores) and a new dual 16-core Neural Engine for better AI performance. Plus, there’s a wider memory interface that provides up to 50% more internal bandwidth.

It’s all wrapped up in a new package design that seats the memory next to the SoC instead of on top, which results in better heat dissipation. In fact, the vapor chamber itself has 3x the surface area to deliver better sustained performance (aka, less overheating). So how about the results? They’re pretty staggering.

On Geekbench 6, which measures overall performance, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max scored in the 4,700 range in the single core portion. That’s about 25% higher than the iPhone 17 Pro series and also 25% faster than the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chip.

In terms of multi-core performance, the A20 Pro once again excelled, offering a 28% boost versus the iPhone 17 Pros. And we’re talking about a 10% advantage over the Galaxy S26 Ultra here.

We also ran the newer Geekbench 7, which has a multi-core benchmark that’s designed to be more real-world and uses more challenging data sets. The iPhone 18 Pro delivered similar performance gains.

The graphics leap is even more impressive from the A20 Pro. On the 3DMark Solar Bay Unlimited test, the iPhone 18 Pro turned in a frame rate of 62 fps, which is 33% faster than the 17 Pro. And the iPhone 18 Pro Max scored an even higher 67.9 fps, which is 45% faster than the 17 Pro Max.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra just couldn’t keep up, as the regular iPhone 18 Pro was 25% faster and the iPhone 18 Pro Max was 37% higher.

When playing the game Ungodly, the gameplay remained fluid even while I was slicing through three enemies at once with my sword. And the animations looked just as crisp as console gameplay when I switched characters and rained down fire attacks on my enemies.

So how about Apple’s sustained performance claims? Thanks to the larger vapor chamber and design of the A20 Pro chip, Apple promises up to a 40% improvement. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max did indeed impress when we ran the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress Test, which loops through a graphics test 20 times in a row.

The iPhone 18 Pro Max turned in a stability score of 79.4%, which is 25% better than the iPhone 17 Pro Max. That’s also over 47% better than the Galaxy S26 Ultra. However, we saw only a minor 1.7% gain between the iPhone 17 Pro and 18 Pro.

Last but not least we tested AI performance using the Geekbench AI test. The iPhone 18 Pro turned in a Neural Engine score of 69,245 and the iPhone 18 Pro Max a much higher 71,974. That’s a boost of 41 to 48%, which means on-device AI tasks should run faster.

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: Battery life and charging

Thanks to the efficiency of the A20 Pro chip and bigger batteries, the iPhone 18 Pro Max is rated to have the longest battery life ever of any iPhone. And the iPhone 18 Pro is rated for the endurance of last year’s iPhone 17 Pro Max, which made our best phone battery life list last year.

The good news is that both the iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone 18 Pro last longer than their 17 Pro counterparts. But we didn’t see a huge leap in endurance.

On the Tom’s Guide battery test, which involves continuous web surfing over 5G on 150 nits of screen brightness, the iPhone 18 Pro Max lasted 18 hours and 41 minutes on its longest run and averaged 18:27. The iPhone 17 Pro Max lasted 17:54.

The iPhone 18 Pro lasted an average of 16:17 on our test, which is nearly an hour longer than the iPhone 17 Pro (15:21).

By comparison, the Galaxy S26 Ultra averaged 16:40 with the display mode set to standard and 16:10 in adaptive mode. So the iPhone 18 Pro Max lasts about 2 hours longer on a charge.

The OnePlus 15 is still the champ with its silicon carbon battery at 25 hours and 13 minutes. It will be interesting to see what happens when (or if) Apple embraces this technology for itself.

The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max both support 60W charging for the first time, and Apple promises a 30% charge in just 15 minutes. The iPhone 18 Pro hit 53% in 15 minutes and 80% in 30 minutes, but the iPhone 18 Pro Max was a bit behind with 44% and 77%, respectively.

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max Cameras: What variable aperture can do

The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max have a first for iPhones, even though the Samsung Galaxy S9 tried it years ago. I’m talking about a variable aperture main camera. There’s six tiny blades inside the wide lens that can expand or contract depending on the conditions.

For example, if you’re taking a portrait, the aperture might open up to f/1.48 to let in more light. And if you want more detail throughout the shot, the iPhone 18 Pro Max might stop down to f/4.0. This gives you more depth of field.

The iPhone 18 Pro’s camera can do this all automatically, but there’s new Pro controls on board that lets you set the exact aperture with four options.

In the above portrait, you can see that the menu in the background is blurred out at f/1.48, but it's clear when I set it to f/4.

When I captured a photo of begonias in Bryant Park, I selected f/1.48 to blur the background and f/4.0 to bring detail to the stage across the park and buildings.

The wider aperture of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max also enables the phones to let in significantly more light overall, which means better low-light images.

Take this American flag photo captured in near darkness. You can make out more detail in the flag pole and the brick in the iPhone 18 Pro image. The Galaxy S26 Ultra shot is downright blurry.

Indoors I’d give a slight edge to the iPhone 18 Pro with this shot of Halloween decorations. The dots of light reflecting off the transparent orb look sharper through the iPhone. But the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s photo has more saturated colors inside the ball and in the fabric.

As you can see in the gallery above, the iPhone 18 Pro takes a better looking shot of produce (the red peppers don’t look right through the Samsung).

When it comes to zoom power, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max hold their own with a 4x telephoto lens and 8x optical quality zoom. The iPhone is neck and neck with Samsung with this 10x zoom shot of a pumpkin.

However, at 40x the iPhone really struggles versus the S26 Ultra. Check out the sign above. I'm sure the Galaxy is doing some AI processing, but the test is definitely sharper in its photo.

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: Video

My favorite video feature when testing the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max is the ability to add Cinematic mode to your clips after the fact. You no longer have to select the mode before you start shooting.

I had someone capture a video of me walking down a park trail. Afterwards, I toggled the Cinematic mode feature in editing right at the top of the screen. Sure enough, the iPhone 18 Pro added an artful blur to the footage.

Other new features include 4K Timelapse in Dolby Vision HDR, higher-quality low-light video in 1080p resolution and Pro controls for video, such as shutter speed.

To test out the iPhone 18 Pro’s video capabilities I shot this koi pond with a fountain using the new iPhone and Galaxy S26 Ultra at 4K at 30 fps with HDR turned on. I prefer the way the iPhone 18 Pro renders the details in the rocks and its smoother zooming motion; the S26 Ultra takes a second to regain focus. However, the S26 Ultra’s superior zoom shines when I get really close on the fountain wall.

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: Siri AI and Apple Intelligence

I’m not going to say that Siri AI is smarter than Gemini or ChatGPT yet, but it’s come a long way with iOS 27, and is now a lot more helpful. That’s because Siri now better understands your personal context, and it can let you do multiple things with a single voice prompt.

For example, I asked Siri to look up reviews for a hotel I was thinking of staying at with my brother for a road trip and send them via text in the same prompt. The results seemed okay but didn’t have as much detail as I’d like. So I tried again, asking for best dishes.

I can also control three different apps with the same prompt, such as setting a reminder, starting a timer and looking up photos and adding them to a Note. The new Siri AI is smarter and more powerful, but sometimes it started doing the first thing I asked before I got to the second request, interrupting the flow.

Visual Intelligence also gets an upgrade with iOS 27 and the iPhone 18 Pros. For example, I pointed the iPhone 18 Pro Max at a flyer with a bunch of dates on it, and it automatically recognized the dates and asked if I wanted to add them to my calendar. I especially like that there’s a dedicated Siri mode in the camera app so you don’t have to go to a separate app.

However, Siri AI is not quite as robust as Gemini or ChatGPT Voice. You can’t have a live back-and-forth conversation about what’s live in your camera view. This comes in quite handy for troubleshooting.

Other helpful Apple Intelligence features include contextually relevant cards that pop up when you’re texting. For example, you might get a prompt to add something to your calendar or reminders with a little icon.

Some of the coolest Apple Intelligence upgrades live in the camera app. For example, with Reframe you can change the angle of your photo after the fact. I did this with a photo of my daughter and the iPhone 18 Pro Max basically guessed what the background was of the pier and filled it in.

In addition, you can extend the background of your photos via Apple Intelligence. I tried this with a group shot of me, TechRadar’s Lance Ulanoff and Apple’s CEO John Ternus and Joz. It added a plant that wasn’t there and extended Lance’s arm. It’s a bit cool but also kinda creepy. Clean Up also gets a performance boost, making it faster to remove unwanted objects or people from your photos.

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: Design and colors

Most people would find it challenging to tell the difference between the iPhone 18 Pro series and iPhone 17 Pro phones. But there’s a couple of telltale signs.

First, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max have new colors, and Apple has done a better job of color matching the plateau and back glass of these phones. It’s no longer a two-tone look. I tested the Glacier (blue) version of the iPhone 18 Pro Max and the Burgundy iPhone 18 Pro. I prefer the Glacier, but Burgundy has a sophistication to it. You can also take your pick from Black or Silver.

The other key visual change is a smaller Dynamic Island. Apple moved the infrared sensor for Face ID under the display, allowing for a tinier cutout at the top of the display. Plus, you can now have up to three Live activities running at once inside the Dynamic Island area, such as a timer, Spotify and Uber status.

Perhaps owing to the bigger batteries, variable aperture lens camera and larger vapor chambers, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are heftier than their predecessors despite having the same dimensions as before. At least they fit in the same cases as the 17 Pro series if you're upgrading.

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: Displays

The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max once again offer 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays with 120Hz refresh rates and rated 3,000 nits of maximum brightness. These panels are identical versus the iPhone 17 Pro series, but if you’re coming from an iPhone 16 Pro or Pro Max you’ll appreciate the anti-reflective coating.

In our lab tests, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max delivered strong results. Using our Klein K10-A probe combined with the Patterns Mobile iOS app, we measured a maximum brightness of 2,326 nits in a 25% window and 1,762 nits in a 10% window. The iPhone 18 Pro hit a similar 2,314 and 1,627.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max scored 2,324 in a 25% window and 1,882 at 10%, so comparable performance. We have not yet tested the iPhone 17 Pro for comparison.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra doesn’t support the Patterns Mobile app, but we measured HDR brightness in a 10% window with the same equipment. It reached 1,478 nits.

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone Duo

If you’re on the fence between the $1,299 iPhone 18 Pro Max and $1,999 iPhone Duo, here’s a quick cheat sheet. The iPhone 18 Pro Max is the phone to get if you want a telephoto camera for better zooming and the longest possible battery life. Plus, only the iPhone 18 Pro Max offers Face ID; the Duo uses Touch ID.

The iPhone Duo is the phone for you if you want the ability to have a small phone and tablet in the same device. You get a larger 7.6-inch main display, versus 6.9 inches on the iPhone 18 Pro Max, plus the ability to run two apps side by side. It’s the better choice for watching videos and multitasking.

Verdict

My take on the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max is that they are obscenely powerful phones inside a quiet redesign. You get the fastest chip ever in a phone with the A20 Pro, a variable aperture camera I find easy to use and overdue Pro controls that give you more creative freedom when shooting photos and videos.

I personally really like the ability to transform your pics and clips after the fact, whether it’s reframing your shots or adding a Cinematic effect to your footage. And while Siri AI is no Gemini killer, Apple has made great strides with its assistant to the point where it’s a lot more helpful in the moment. I can guarantee you’ll wind up using other chatbots less.

Between the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, I’d opt for the Pro Max because of the bigger screen and longer battery life, but the regular 18 Pro is no slouch and an hour better than the 17 Pro based on our testing.

I think the Galaxy S26 Ultra is still the phone to beat when it comes to zooming power and AI features, but it’s not nearly as fast as the iPhone 18 Pros and lasts two hours less on a charge versus the Max.

Sure, Apple is expected to completely reinvent the iPhone with the iPhone XX/iPhone 20 next year with a rumored all-screen design. But if you want the most powerful iPhone ever in a familiar body, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are easily the best non-folding phones money can buy.

The world of foldable phones is about to change in a big way, and it's all thanks to the release of the iPhone Duo. Apple's first foldable phone has generated a lot of buzz, and it certainly has the brand recognition going for it, but does it have what it takes to take the crown from Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8?

Samsung has almost a decade of experience making the best foldables, and the newly-released Galaxy Z Fold 8 is easily one of its best yet. It may lack some of the features of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, but it makes up for it with a wider, passport-shaped design that is much more comfortable to hold and use — especially for streaming movies and TV shows.

The question is, which of these wide foldables is the right one for you? We compare the iPhone Duo vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 to help you decide.

iPhone Duo vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: Specs

iPhone Duo vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: Price & availability

The iPhone Duo pre-orders open on October 16, with a release date scheduled for October 23. Prices start at $1,999 / £1,999 / AU$3,499 for a model with 256GB of storage. Higher storage options are available including 512GB ($2,199 / £2,199 / AU$3,899), 1TB ($2,599 / £2,599 / AU$4,699) and 2TB ($3,199 / £3,199 / AU$5,899).

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is on sale now from all major retailers and carriers. Prices start at $1,899/£1,699/AU$2,699 for a model with 256GB of Storage and 12GB RAM. The 512GB model is $2,099 / £1,869 / AU$2,999, and a 1TB model with 16GB of RAM will cost you $2,499 / £2,209 / AU$3,599.

While Samsung doesn't offer a 2TB option, it does have the price advantage, with comparable storage costing $100 less in the U.S., with significantly higher gaps in the U.K. and Australia.

iPhone Duo vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: Design & Display

Both phones have the wider passport-shaped design that's currently in fashion in the foldable phone market. Both unfold to produce a larger 7.6-inch display, and have an aspect ratio close to 4:3 — which is the same as a lot of popular tablets. However, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 has the slightly larger cover display, measuring 5.5-inches to Apple's 5.4-inches.

The Z Fold 8's screen offers an anti-glare coating to improve visibility in bright conditions. The iPhone Duo answers with a nano-texture matte display. Both phones do a good job of minimizing the the crease, though additional time with the Z Fold 8 has proven that the creasing does get more prominent — regardless of how uniform the display is out of the box. However, we will see how the iPhone Duo's screen performs when it is released.

The most notable design differences come with size and weight. While the iPhone Duo is thinner than the likes of the iPhone Air, it's not quite as slim as the Z Fold 8, which sits at 4.5mm to the Duo's 5.2 mm when both phones are unfolded.

The Z Fold 8 is also noticeably lighter, with a weight of 7.09 ounces, versus the iPhone Duo's 8.96 ounces. That mass actually makes the Duo the heaviest iPhone Apple has released, likely on account of it being a double-sided phone.

The iPhone Duo has a major durability advantage, though. Only it offers IP68 durability for water and dust resistance. Samsung's foldable only has water resistance.

Both phones feature fingerprint scanners in the power buttons, and hole-punch cameras in the cover display. However, the Z Fold 8 also has a second hole-punch camera in the foldable screen, while Apple has opted for an under-display lens.

The Z Fold 8 is available to buy in Graphite, Cream, Lavender and Pistachio coloring, while iPhone Duo is only available in Night Sky (Blue) and Star White.

iPhone Duo vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: Cameras

Both foldable phones come with a dual rear camera setup, consisting of main and ultrawide angle lenses. Sadly, unlike their non-folding counterparts, there is no telephoto lens here. That means all zooming capabilities are done digitally.

The iPhone Duo offers a pair of 48MP cameras, while the Z Fold 8 has 50MP. This seemingly gives the Z Fold 8 an advantage, but we won't know how these two cameras compare until we get an iPhone Duo for testing.

The Z Fold 8 managed to produce excellent photos in our testing other than its 10x digital zoom shots. We expect that the iPhone Duo will offer similar quality snaps, though Apple's computational photography could push things a little further.

The front cameras are a little different, since Apple hasn't just added identical lenses on both screens like Samsung did. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 features two 10MP hole-punch cameras, one in each of its screens. The iPhone Duo has a 12MP hole punch camera on the cover display and an unnamed "FaceTime Camera" that sits under the display.

This camera appears when in use, and has been advertised as useful for FaceTime and other video calls — rather than selfies and photography. That suggests that the quality isn't fantastic, but we will evaluate that in our iPhone Duo review.

iPhone Duo vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: Performance

Apple used to dominate at performance, but in recent years Qualcomm's Snapdragon chips have caught up pretty fast — particularly thanks to Samsung's custom "for Galaxy" chipsets. The Z Fold 8 has one of those chips, the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy, which offers better performance than you'd find on the standard Gen 5 chip.

The iPhone Duo is set to come with the A20 Pro chipset, Apple's latest and best SoC that promises to be 20% faster than the A19 Pro, with a 40% improvement to graphics performance — which is something Apple chips have often struggled with. The chip also contains a second neural engine, which is said to double the AI processing power.

We haven't benchmarked the iPhone Duo yet, but we anticipate that the A20 Pro will outperform Samsung's foldable in terms of sheer speed but also sustained performance. That's because only the Duo has a vapor chamber for cooling.

iPhone Duo vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: Software & AI

Apple has been far behind in the AI arms race, but the new Siri AI that comes with the iOS 27 update is a lot more capable than before. Siri can perform multiple tasks with a single voice prompt; it offers smarter personal context; and you get more expressive voice options. There's also new AI-powered photo editing features like Reframe and Clean up.

The iPhone Duo also comes with a new Smart Tracking camera feature, similar to the Z Fold 8's MyFanCam, which tracks users in frame when recording video.

The Z Fold 8 comes with all the best Galaxy AI features, including Now Nudge's contextual resurfacing tool, Now Brief to prepare you for different parts of the day, and the advanced version of Circle to Search that can identify multiple things at once.

Multitasking might be the clincher between these two devices, though. The Z Fold 8 supports up to four windows at once, as well as floating app windows that can sit wherever you like on screen. However, the iPhone Duo only supports two Split View windows at a time.. Sadly, the iPhone Duo only supports two Split View apps at a time, which puts it at a productivity disadvantage.

Then again, the iPhone Duo also supports the Apple Pencil (USB-C) stylus, which is something the Z Fold 8 can not do. Apple's foldable has a feature that detects the angle of the screen, similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's Flex View mode. This alters the interface of the app in question to account for the angle of your screen. Sadly, while the Ultra model offers this feature, the regular Z Fold 8 itself misses out.

iPhone Duo vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: Battery

The iPhone Duo is expected to come with a 4,883 mAh battery pack, which is incrementally larger than the Z Fold 8's 4,800 mAh battery. But that doesn't necessarily mean it will last longer based on capacity alone.

Apple has worked hard to improve energy efficiency over the years, and that hasn't changed. The A20 Pro reportedly offers a 30% improvement in energy efficiency, while the Apple C2 modem is reportedly 15% more efficient than the older C1X.

Combined with the battery, we could see the iPhone Duo jump ahead from the Z Fold 8's 12 hours and 19 minute battery life based on that optimization alone. Though we'll obviously need to do some in-depth battery life testing before we can say for sure.

As for charging, expect the iPhone Duo to recharge faster. The 60W wired charging restores 50% charge in just 15 minutes and you get 25W wireless charging. The Z Fold 8 only has 45W wired charging and 20W wireless charging, which allows it to regain 43% in 15 minutes.

That's not a huge difference, but Apple has the edge. Plus, only the iiPhone Duo offers MagSafe charging.

iPhone Duo vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: Outlook

We sill need to test the iPhone Duo to see how well the software works and how long the battery life is . But based on our hands-on impressions and everything we know so far, Apple should give Samsung some real competition.

The iPhone Duo has some notable advantages, including its IP68 durability, powerful A20 chip and, an even less visible crease, MagSafe and Apple Pencil support and faster charging.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is $100 less than the iPhone Duo; it comes in a thinner and lighter design, and it has better for multitasking. We also can't ignore the fact that this is Apple's first attempt at a foldable phone, while Samsung is currently on its eighth generation.

Stay tuned for our in-depth face-of to declare a winner.

More from Tom's Guide

• iPhone 18 Pro Exclusive: Apple CEO John Ternus on why the new variable aperture camera is the ‘best of both worlds’
• iOS 27: 7 features you need to try first after updating
• iPhone 18 Pro Max vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: All the differences and should you upgrade?

Welcome to the 2026 Tom's Guide Awards! Our annual awards celebrate the best tech, tools, gear, and services we've used over the past year, culminating with our Hero awards, which celebrate the very best innovation, company, and product design, among others.

Without further ado, here are all the winners of this year's Tom's Guide Awards.

Whether you're picking up an iPhone, iPad or some other Apple device, you'll know that official repairs can get very expensive. Heck, a simple screen repair on the iPhone 18 Pro Max is going to cost $379, which is almost a third of the cost of the phone itself. AppleCare+ makes those fees a little more palatable, so long as you're willing to subscribe and pay a monthly fee.

The problem is that paying for AppleCare on multiple devices can get pretty expensive, especially if you're part of a whole family of Apple users. AppleCare One already offers the chance to cover up to three devices on a single plan, and now AppleCare One Family offers that same coverage for up to six people — for $50 a month.

What devices you can add

There are surprisingly few limits on the number of devices you can add to this plan. All devices that are covered by AppleCare will be automatically added to the Family plan when you sign up, as will any devices purchased within the previous 60 days.

However, devices that are over four years old, or AirPods and Beats that are over a year old, will need to undergo a device check to ensure they're in good condition. This can be done remotely, or by visiting your nearest Apple Store. Apple has also made it clear that you can't add more than six Vision Pro headsets to the plan — not that anyone would.

The usual AppleCare+ service fees still apply. Battery servicing is totally free under the plan, while repairs to the screen and back glass are $29. Other accidental damage is $99, while theft or loss claims come with a $149 deductible. You're also limited to six loss and theft claims over the course of a year.

Devices will remain covered so long as you keep your AppleCare One Family Plan active, and provided they connect to an Apple server at least once every 12 months. However, Apple does note that devices can be removed from the plan if it runs out of the necessary parts to service and make repairs.

Coverage is also dependent on the devices being signed into a family member's Apple Account. If they sign out, and a non-family member later signs in, coverage will end.

How to set up AppleCare One Family

AppleCare One Family is currently only available in the United States, and the setup process can be initiated by any adult member of a Family Sharing Group. Payments are automatically made by the family organizer, regardless of which adult actually signs up. However, the person who initiated the subscription can choose their own payment method if they prefer. Other family members will be restricted from signing up for a different AppleCare plan unless they leave the family group.

If you're part of a family or friendship group that's big on using Apple products, signing up for an AppleCare One Family plan feels like a no-brainer. A simple AppleCare One plan costs $20 a month, and coverage for up to three devices is included in the cost plus $6 a month for each additional product.

The Family plan with a full six people means that you're paying $8.33 per person, and without any major device limitations. All you have to do is make sure the participants actually pay you their dues, which should be a lot easier considering sharing money is now as easy as bumping phones together.

More from Tom's Guide

• Your phone may run iOS 27, but only these devices support the new Siri AI
• Why your iPhone says 'Optimizing Search and Siri' in iOS 27 — and how to speed it up
• I’ve used macOS Golden Gate for 3 months — and here’s what I think

After installing iOS 27, you might see a notice near the top of your main Settings screen that reads “Optimizing Search and Siri.”

This message is completely normal, but because Apple rebuilt its core Search interface for iOS 27 to deliver faster and more accurate results, your iPhone has to re-catalog every file, photo, message, and app stored on your device.

Here is what the process actually does, how long it takes, and what you can do to get your device back to full speed.

What does 'Optimizing Search and Siri' actually mean?

Data indexing is the background process of organizing your phone’s information into a searchable map. Think of it like a book index: it doesn't hold the content itself, but it knows exactly where every word and file lives.

Apple’s Spotlight search reindexes your device whenever you set up a new iPhone, alter large blocks of data, or install a major operating system update.

Because a major iOS update often implements a brand-new search infrastructure, the system cannot simply update your existing index. It must crawl through your entire storage drive from scratch.

All indexing occurs entirely on your device — none of this data is uploaded to Apple or shared with other hardware.

How long does indexing take?

Indexing typically takes anywhere from two hours to several days, depending on two key factors:

Storage volume: An iPhone with 500GB of photos, messages, and files will take significantly longer to index than a lightly used 128GB model.

Device usage: If you actively stream video or play high-demand games while the system works, background indexing slows down to preserve device performance.

You can continue using your phone as normal during this period. However, until the banner in Settings disappears, your Spotlight search results might be temporarily incomplete or slow to populate.

3 steps to speed up the process

If you want indexing to finish as quickly as possible, follow Apple’s recommended setup:

• Plug your iPhone into a charger. The operating system allocates maximum processing power to background tasks when connected to external power.
• Connect to Wi-Fi. A stable Wi-Fi network allows cloud-synced app data to re-index without throttling.
• Leave the device locked. Lock your screen and set the phone aside. Indexing processes fastest when the display is off and no foreground apps are competing for chip performance.

What to do if Spotlight Search is still broken

If the "Optimizing Search and Siri" banner disappears from Settings but your Spotlight search results remain inaccurate or blank, you may need to reset your app permissions.

To verify app access: open Settings, tap Search, scroll to the bottom of the menu to review app access. Then tap any problematic app and toggle its search permissions off, then back on.

More from Tom's Guide

• iOS 27: 7 features you need to try first after updating
• Apple just added new photo editing tools in iOS 27 — and they're absolute game-changers
• iOS 27 finally fixes the most annoying iPhone workaround we all use

People are holding onto their phones much longer than ever before, which isn't surprising given how prices keep rising. That’s at the heart of this iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max comparison, as it raises the question of whether you should upgrade to the latest flagship.

I’ve said countless times that three years should be the bare minimum to wait before upgrading your phone. If you’re still rocking the iPhone 14 Pro Max, there’s more than enough incentive to make the jump to the iPhone 18 Pro Max — especially with a four-year gap between them.

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max: Specifications

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max: Price and release

When the iPhone 14 Pro Max launched on September 16, 2022, it started at $1,099 — whereas the iPhone 18 Pro Max sets you back $1,199. While this is much higher, you get 256GB of baseline storage with the newer model instead of the 128GB on the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

This comes out to about a 9.1% increase in starting price, which isn’t bad considering the four-year gap between the two. Preorders are open now for the iPhone 18 Pro Max, with official retail availability set for September 18.

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max: Design

Put them side by side, and it’s obvious they share the same fundamental design language Apple has leaned on since the iPhone 12 Pro. Look closer, though, and key differences quickly surface.

For starters, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is notably thinner and lighter — a clear contrast to the denser, heftier feel of the new flagship. When you flip them over, the distinction is even more pronounced: the iPhone 18 Pro Max swaps the traditional corner module for an elongated camera island that stretches nearly the full width of the upper rear glass.

While it’s an evolutionary visual shift, several hardware refinements complete the package. Beyond a narrower Dynamic Island and trimmed-down display bezels, the newer phone adds the dedicated Camera Control key and the customizable Action Button. Together, these tweaks make the iPhone 18 Pro Max feel far more packed and purposeful.

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max: Display

The screen is another area where you clearly get more for your money. While the iPhone 14 Pro Max features a 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display, the iPhone 18 Pro Max steps up to a larger 6.9-inch panel — giving you more visual real estate for gaming and streaming video on the go.

Both panels support 120Hz ProMotion refresh rates for fluid UI animations, but visibility gets a massive boost on the newer flagship. The iPhone 14 Pro Max’s 2,000-nit peak brightness was no slouch, yet the 18 Pro Max pushes outdoor brightness to an even higher 3,000 nits.

Combined with an upgraded anti-reflective coating to combat direct glare and a more compact Dynamic Island that eats up less screen space, the newer display makes direct-sunlight viewing vastly superior.

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max: Cameras

Out of everything, the camera system alone warrants making the leap from the 14 Pro Max to the 18 Pro Max. While the iPhone 14 Pro Max was the first in Apple’s stable to introduce a 48MP main sensor, the iPhone 18 Pro Max delivers substantial generational gains across its entire triple-lens array.

Leading the charge is the new variable physical aperture on the 48MP main camera. It lets shooters choose between four distinct aperture settings to dial in specific optical effects — from creamy, natural background bokeh to deep depth-of-field that keeps the entire frame in sharp focus.

Telephoto reach is another huge incentive. The iPhone 18 Pro Max upgrades to a sharper 48MP telephoto sensor with 4x optical zoom (up from the 14 Pro Max’s 12MP 3x shooter). Thanks to this folded-periscope setup, the new flagship stretches reach dramatically further to pull in vastly crisp detail on distant subjects.

Finally, serious shooters will appreciate the newly integrated Pro Controls, which put direct manual adjustments for shutter speed, white balance, ISO, and manual focus right at your fingertips. Throw in creator-grade video upgrades like 4K recording at 120 fps, ProRes capture, and Log profile support for color grading, and the iPhone 18 Pro Max easily establishes itself as a legitimate production camera I wouldn't mind keeping in my pocket.

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max: Performance

If you’re still rocking the iPhone 14 Pro Max, you’re running Apple’s A16 Bionic chipset. When we put it to the test back in 2022, it set the pace with a Geekbench multicore score of 5,333 and a 3DMark Wild Life Unlimited frame rate of 74 fps. While it was a clear class-leader at launch, the iPhone 18 Pro Max widens the gap dramatically with its next-generation, 2nm A20 Pro chip.

Although we still need to run the new phone through our rigorous lab testing, our expectations are set sky-high based on where Apple left off. Last year’s iPhone 17 Pro Max and its A19 Pro silicon delivered a Geekbench multicore score of 9,968 — a staggering 86.9% improvement over the 14 Pro Max.

That should widen even further with the iPhone 18 Pro Max, especially since the new processor is built on TSMC's cutting-edge 2-nanometer fabrication process.

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max: Battery and charging

Endurance is another area where we'll likely see substantial gains with the iPhone 18 Pro Max. Four years is a massive gap in smartphone tech, and during that time, we’ve seen Apple make each successive iteration noticeably more power-efficient than the last.

When we put the iPhone 14 Pro Max through our custom battery test, it posted an impressive time of 13 hours and 39 minutes. Back in 2022, that runtime made it an easy contender for our best phone battery life list. However, the iPhone 18 Pro Max could set a new benchmark for longevity.

Last year’s iPhone 17 Pro Max lasted an astounding 17 hours and 54 minutes on the exact same test. That’s more than four hours longer. When you factor in the ultra-efficient, 2nm A20 Pro chip powering the iPhone 18 Pro Max, I wouldn't be surprised to see it comfortably cross the 18-hour threshold.

Charging gets a long-overdue overhaul, too. The iPhone 14 Pro Max was held back by Apple’s aging Lightning connector and sluggish 20W wired speeds, which only filled the cell to 42% after 30 minutes. The iPhone 18 Pro Max not only brings the universal versatility of USB-C, but it also ramps wired charging speeds up to 60W — which Apple claims can replenish 50% of the battery in just 15 minutes.

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max: Software and AI

Both devices run Apple’s new iOS 27 update, giving iPhone 14 Pro Max owners access to core interface refinements, refreshed home screen customizations, and system-level performance optimizations. But beneath that shared experience, the iPhone 18 Pro Max benefits from the platform's most transformative additions: Apple Intelligence and Siri AI.

Because Apple Intelligence requires substantial on-device processing muscle, the iPhone 14 Pro Max doesn’t make the cut — a massive trade-off given the sheer utility of this new suite. Adding to the divide is the revamped Siri AI, which proved far more conversational in my own testing with its multi-step task automation and onscreen awareness. Those capabilities make the assistant feel less like a rigid voice utility and more like an intuitive assistant I can actually rely on.

iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max: Outlook

We still need to put the iPhone 18 Pro Max through our complete battery of tests to see if it’s indeed a top best phone contender, but everything we’ve seen so far points to an easy upgrade recommendation. Between the larger 6.9-inch display, game-changing variable-aperture camera, 60W USB-C charging, and exclusive access to Siri AI and Apple Intelligence, there’s a substantial collection of improvements that make jumping to the new flagship worthwhile.

Financially, that four-year upgrade cycle also makes plenty of practical sense. Exactly 48 months have passed since the iPhone 14 Pro Max hit shelves, meaning if you’ve managed to tuck away about $27.06 per month, you already have enough saved to cover the iPhone 18 Pro Max outright.

More from Tom's Guide

• I've been testing Siri AI in iOS 27 for 3 weeks: 7 things to try first (and the feature that won me over)
• iOS 27 finally fixes the most annoying iPhone workaround we all use
• iOS 27’s safety filter was ruining my FaceTime calls — here’s how I turned it off

Apple’s latest iPhone software is available now, delivering updated Apple Intelligence features and a significantly more capable assistant in Siri AI. You can install iOS 27 today, provided you have a supported iPhone.

Keep in mind that only select models support the full suite of Siri AI capabilities, as newer devices have the processing power required to run these intensive tools. Even without the complete AI feature set, upgrading to iOS 27 still brings welcome improvements, including smoother animations, generative AI photo editing with Reframe, the option to create custom passes in Wallet, and more.

Once that's complete, you can try out some of the most exciting new iOS 27 features — including the redesigned CarPlay experience I tested, which lets you access Siri AI while driving. Additionally, there are options to adjust transparency levels with Liquid Glass, as well as a dedicated Siri AI app where you can view all your previous inquiries.

More from Tom's Guide

• I've been testing Siri AI in iOS 27 for 3 weeks: 7 things to try first (and the feature that won me over)
• iOS 27 finally fixes the most annoying iPhone workaround we all use
• iOS 27’s safety filter was ruining my FaceTime calls — here’s how I turned it off

iOS 27 is now rolling out to compatible iPhones, and a quick glance at the official list tells you that there are a lot of them this year. The thing is, getting the most out of iOS 27 is a lot more than just being able to run the software, and the things you get from iOS 27 will all depend on what kind of hardware your iPhone has on offer.

iOS 27 itself works on devices as old as the iPhone 11, which was first released in 2019. The software has the same requirements as iOS 26, so if your phone runs that you should be able to install the latest iOS update without issue. Unfortunately, some of those older devices have to go without Apple Intelligence, while AI-friendly iPhones still won't gain access to everything the new Siri AI has to offer.

Here's a rundown on the requirements you need to run iOS 27 and all the different tiers of AI Apple now has to offer.

iOS 27

iOS 27 is available on a crazy 33 different iPhone models, dating as far back as the iPhone 11 and coming all the way up to the newly announced iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.

Better still, Apple is delivering the update to 30 of those devices today (September 14), letting you upgrade immediately. There are none of the delays of slow-burning rollouts that you'd normally get with Android phones. The only three exceptions are the newest iPhone models, which come running iOS 27 right out of the box.

The list of iOS 27 compatible phones is as follows:

• iPhone 18 Pro
• iPhone 18 Pro Max
• iPhone Duo
• iPhone 17
• iPhone Air
• iPhone 17 Pro
• iPhone 17 Pro Max
• iPhone 16
• iPhone 16 Plus
• iPhone 16 Pro
• iPhone 16 Pro Max
• iPhone 16e
• iPhone 15
• iPhone 15 Plus
• iPhone 15 Pro
• iPhone 15 Pro Max
• iPhone 14
• iPhone 14 Plus
• iPhone 14 Pro
• iPhone 14 Pro Max
• iPhone 13
• iPhone 13 mini
• iPhone 13 Pro
• iPhone 13 Pro Max
• iPhone 12
• iPhone 12 mini
• iPhone 12 Pro
• iPhone 12 Pro Max
• iPhone 11
• iPhone 11 Pro
• iPhone 11 Pro Max
• iPhone SE (both 2020 and 2022 models)

Apple Intelligence

Those older iPhones may be able to support iOS 27, but that doesn't mean they are able to use Apple's AI suite — also known as Apple Intelligence. Apple likes to push all AI processing on devices where possible, and that means strict memory requirements. This means any phone that doesn't have at least 8GB of RAM can not run Apple's AI.

So far 15 phones can run Apple Intelligence, starting with iPhone 15 Pro:

• iPhone 15 Pro
• iPhone 15 Pro Max
• iPhone 16
• iPhone 16 Plus
• iPhone 16 Pro
• iPhone 16 Pro Max
• iPhone 16e
• iPhone 17
• iPhone 17 Pro
• iPhone 17 Pro Max
• iPhone Air
• iPhone 17e
• iPhone 18 Pro
• iPhone 18 Pro Max
• iPhone Duo

All of those phones are capable of running Siri AI, as are iPads and MacBooks with an Apple M-series chip. However they aren't all able to access everything Siri AI has to offer.

Siri AI

The bulk of Siri AI's features are standard Apple Intelligence features. That means they're available to all iPhones with at least 8GB of RAM. However two of the promised Siri AI features run on Apple's "most powerful on-device model", known as AFM Core Advanced. This model needs at least 12GB of RAM to operate.

The specific features are Siri's Expressive Voices and the advanced dictation system. Currently only six iPhones have the hardware necessary to power them:

• iPhone 17 Pro
• iPhone 17 Pro Max
• iPhone 17 Air
• iPhone 18 Pro
• iPhone 18 Pro Max
• iPhone Duo

Other Apple devices that run the AFM Core Advanced include iPad Pro (2024 or later), iPad Air (2026 or later), MacBook Pro (2023 or later) and MacBook Air (2024 or later).

Siri AI isn't available on iPhones and iPads in the EU and China, over regulatory hurdles. While Apple hasn't spoken about the delay in a Chinese launch, it has made it repeatedly claimed that the European Union's Digital Markets Act is holding upSiri AI's launch in the region — evidently due to regulators not accepting "any of Apple’s proposed solutions to bring Siri AI to the EU while safely supporting other virtual assistants."

Like many Apple spats with the EU, it all comes down to the topic of safety and privacy. Apple believes having its rules in place promotes a safer environment, while the European Commission has reportedly disputed those claims.

More from Tom's Guide

• iPhone Duo vs Galaxy Z Fold 8 — 7 ways Apple beats Samsung's foldable
• iPhone Duo could be followed by iPhone Duo Max and iPhone Duo SE — here's what we know
• iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max variable aperture camera explained — here's what it actually does

Every major iOS release comes with dozens of new settings and menu adjustments, but you do not need to spend hours searching submenus to make the most of iOS 27.

From instant on-screen Siri actions to automated tab grouping and custom AirPods EQ, taking two minutes to enable a few key settings makes an immediate difference. If you just finished updating, here are the seven iOS 27 features you should try first.

More from Tom's Guide

• I've been testing Siri AI in iOS 27 for 3 weeks: 7 things to try first (and the feature that won me over)
• iOS 27 finally fixes the most annoying iPhone workaround we all use
• iOS 27’s safety filter was ruining my FaceTime calls — here’s how I turned it off

The release of the foldable iPhone Duo is a big deal because it's Apple's first foldable phone. And it sounds as though Apple isn't going to stop at just one foldable. Or, at least, that's what Mark Gurman at Bloomberg is reporting.

In the latest installment of his Power On newsletter, Gurman claims Apple will have an entire family of foldable phones — similar to what Samsung has done with the Galaxy Z series. This could see Apple release a large foldable phone (the Duo Max), a smaller model with weaker hardware, or a Galaxy Z Flip 8-style clamshell design. It's speculated that these designs could either be a iPhone Duo SE or Duo mini.

Gurman also talks about why Apple chose the "Duo" name, rather than the often-rumored iPhone Ultra. Apparently, the company wanted a name with three letters to match Air and Pro, while also describing the dual-screen nature of the phone. Duo is a name that fits so well that Microsoft beat Apple to the punch by almost seven years.

The Duo name is also easier to add a suffix to. Gurman says that Ultra wouldn't have been as versatile, and the ideal of an Ultra Max or Ultra SE wouldn't have made sense. He may have a point, because how can a phone be "Ultra" if it's also an SE model?

We've already heard about a bigger foldable

It's still too early to say how Apple might expand the Duo lineup, and the future is going to rely on strong sales. After all, Apple reportedly had a whole bunch of plans for future mixed reality headsets, only for them to be cancelled after the Apple Vision Pro flopped. If the Duo sells as badly as the Vision Pro, Apple's foldable ambitions could be dead in the water.

At this stage it's impossible to predict what the future holds, though it's worth mentioning that the Duo does seem to be generating a lot of positive buzz. Apple is no doubt hoping that will translate into sales.

Assuming Apple does continue to produce more foldables beyond standard iPhone Duo sequels, the larger model is the one that should arrive the soonest. Because we've already heard rumors about a larger foldable device, though it has long been referred to as a foldable iPad, rather than a larger foldable iPhone.

If the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are anything to go by, a hypothetical iPhone Duo Max would probably add an inch or two to the larger screen size. In the same way that the iPhone Duo is essentially an iPad mini hiding inside a phone, I can foresee the Max model being similar to the 11-inch iPad 11 — albeit with a slightly smaller screen and a better display. Or, in other words, something half the size of the rumored foldable iPad.

There have been whispers of a foldable MacBook as well, though recent reports claim that this device may have been canceled. Which is probably for the best, considering you'd have to account for the fact laptops already fold and need the physical keyboard to stay functional.

Going smaller or cheaper?

While the idea of a cheaper foldable is certainly very appealing, we're unlikely to see an iPhone Duo SE arrive in the near future. For starters, cheaper foldables from other phone makers are practically non-existent.

The closest we've got have had so many cutbacks that they're not actually worth buying, like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE. While this doesn't discount the idea of Apple offering a cheaper version, especially if the Duo lineup takes off in earnest and production costs can be reduced, it's not going to happen soon.

That said, a clamshell design could still be in the cards. Reports from earlier in the year claimed that Apple could follow the Duo with a clamshell-style phone. This would be Apple's take on the Galaxy Z Flip 8 or the Motorola Razr, and would be a more compact take on an ordinary phone rather than an iPad-equivalent.

While Samsung is rumored to have canceled the Galaxy Z Flip 9, it's unlikely that this would factor into Apple's decision making all that much. Apple is known for doing its own thing, and if it sees value in a flip phone then Samsung's plans aren't of much consequence,

The launch of an iPhone Flip would also likely force Samsung's hand and push it to do something useful with its flip phones, rather than just ignoring them and letting things stagnate for several years.

But for now Apple has to contend with the fact that the iPhone Duo needs to do well. Mark Gurman has a mostly-positive spin on things, predicting extreme supply shortages and scalping overseas.

More from Tom's Guide

• iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max battery capacity confirmed in Europe — here's how they compare to iPhone 17 Pro
• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs iPhone Duo — 7 ways Samsung's wider foldable beats Apple
• People are freaking out about the new 'always-listening' Apple Watches — here's what Apple CEO John Ternus told us

Every major iPhone camera upgrade over the past decade has followed a familiar playbook: larger sensors, higher megapixel counts, and heavier doses of computational photography. With the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, Apple is introducing something entirely mechanical that aims to give photographers more creative control than ever before: a variable aperture camera.

To be fair, Apple isn't the first to embrace this technology. Samsung introduced a dual-aperture system on the Galaxy S9 and S10 as far back as 2018, while more recent flagships like the Huawei Mate 50 Pro and Xiaomi 14 Ultra have considerably refined how multi-stop mechanisms function. But for the very first time on an iPhone, the primary camera features a true, physical variable aperture system.

Enthusiasts and pros already understand how an adjustable aperture elevates their shooting, but everyday users will find Apple’s automated implementation and simplified controls far more approachable. I’ll break down what the iPhone 18 Pro's variable aperture actually does, the physics behind it, and why it represents one of the most substantial leaps for iPhone photography in years.

iPhone 18 Pro Max variable aperture camera: How it works

Think of a camera’s aperture much like the pupil of your eye — dilating (opening up) to draw in light when it's dark and contracting (closing down) when the scene is bright. While the iPhone 18 Pro Max's 48MP ultrawide and telephoto lenses keep traditional fixed apertures, the 48MP main Fusion camera introduces a motorized, multi-blade mechanical iris built directly into the lens barrel.

This mechanism physically shifts those ultra-thin aperture blades to control precisely how much light hits the sensor. Shooters have a total of four distinct aperture values to choose from: f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8, and f/4.0.

Ultimately, choosing the right aperture boils down to your shooting conditions and the specific aesthetic you’re after.

iPhone 18 Pro Max variable aperture camera: What it can do

While f-stop values can feel intimidating to the uninitiated, Apple does a great job illustrating the tangible benefits of a variable aperture through everyday shooting scenarios. Having physical control over the lens fundamentally shifts the iPhone’s image capture across several key areas.

Natural background blur

Opening the blades wide to f/1.48 yields authentic optical bokeh. Because the physical lens optics and large sensor are doing the heavy lifting, background separation increases naturally the closer you get to your subject — making it ideal for portraits and close-up detail shots.

While the iPhone has long offered Portrait Mode, that feature relies heavily on computational algorithms to simulate depth. With the 18 Pro Max, you get genuine optical falloff and creamy defocus without the botched edge-detection or digital processing.

Sharp focus throughout the frame

Stopping down to f/4.0 expands your depth of field considerably, ensuring corner-to-corner sharpness across the entire frame. This is a setting you'll want to lean on for sweeping landscapes, architecture, and group shots.

If you shoot a staggered group at a fast aperture like f/1.48, someone standing in the front row might be sharp while family members two rows back appear softly blurred. Stopping down to f/4.0 deepens the focus plane so every face in the frame remains crisp and clear.

Creating intentional motion blur

In bright daylight, traditional fixed-aperture phones are forced to use ultra-fast shutter speeds, which freezes all motion. If you want a more dynamic feel, stopping down to f/4.0 restricts incoming light. That drop in exposure allows the camera to lengthen the shutter speed without blowing out the highlights.

The result is intentional motion blur. Apple demonstrated this with a stationary model standing sharp in the center of the frame with pedestrians blurred smoothly around them. That same principle lets you capture light trails from passing car headlights or render rushing waterfalls as silky, continuous streams.

Improving low-light performance

The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max hold a clear hardware advantage in dark environments thanks to that wide f/1.48 opening. Retracting the aperture blades floods the 48MP sensor with maximum light, which suppresses image noise, preserves fine shadow detail, and allows the shutter to fire significantly faster.

In practice, this leads to shorter Night mode exposure times, drastically cutting down the risk of handheld micro-jitters blurring your low-light shots.

Freeze framing fast-moving subjects

By pulling in vastly more light at f/1.48, the camera system can afford to push shutter speeds to tiny fractions of a second without producing a dark, underexposed image. This rapid exposure freezes jumpy pets, sprinting kids, and fast-paced sports action super sharp before motion blur can creep into the frame.

More from Tom's Guide

• I interviewed Apple CEO John Ternus on the making of the iPhone Duo — here's what made him say 'yes, that's it'
• People are freaking out about the new 'always-listening' Apple Watches — here's what Apple CEO John Ternus told us
• Apple Watch Ultra 4 vs Garmin Fenix 9 Pro: price, specs and features compared

Sure, the foldable iPhone Duo is getting all of the buzz, but you shouldn’t overlook the new iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max — especially if you want the highest quality cameras.

Not only does the iPhone Duo lack the telephoto zoom lens on the iPhone 18 Pros; it also doesn’t get the brand new variable aperture main camera. There are laser-cut blades in the lens of the 48MP main cameras on the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max that move to let in more or less light depending on the conditions.

The goal? Better-looking photos without lifting a finger, as well as unprecedented creative control for those who want it through new Pro camera controls.

“Variable aperture is an amazing technology,” Apple CEO John Ternus told me in an interview with Tom’s Guide and TechRadar. “We have these tiny little blades. There's six of them in there, and they can open and contract. And when you open the aperture, you let in more light, so you end up with better low-light photography.”

There are four aperture settings that the camera chooses from: f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8 and f/4.0. For example, if you take a portrait, the iPhone 18 Pro might select f/1.48, which lets in the most amount of light and creates a background blur.

And if you’re taking a photo where you want the same amount of sharpness throughout the shot — say a family group shot — the iPhone 18 Pro might pick f/4.0. At this setting, the blades close down to the smallest setting, delivering maximum depth of field.

“When you're taking a group shot, the ability to make sure that the person in front is in focus and the person in back is in focus is really powerful,” Ternus said.

For photo enthusiasts and creative pros, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max offer Pro controls for the first time. This allows you to manually select one of the four aperture settings on the fly.

For example, say you were in a swanky club. You could focus on the drink glass in front of me with a blur effect with f/1.48 or the person sitting across the table and the glass with f/4.0.

“We have these pro controls now where someone who really understands photography and really loves photography, they can get in there and manually adjust the aperture and the shutter speed, even the the focus — all of these things that that our real pro photographers love,” Ternus said.

You can also get creative with the various settings depending on the subject, such as accentuating point light sources with a smaller f/2.8 or f/4.0 setting. This can create a compelling stardust effect in your final shot.

Other Pro controls include shutter speed and white balance, the kinds of settings that used to be reserved for third-party apps like Halide.

“It's kind of the best of both worlds. You can choose not to think about it, or you can go really deep into it,” Ternus said.

Stay tuned for our full review on the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, which will include plenty of test shots with the variable aperture camera.