PageSourceSearch

https://daringfireball.net/

html daringfireball.net collected 2026-09-24 06:05:27 UTC 198,145 bytes, 2,231 lines download raw bytes

1<!DOCTYPE html>
2<html lang="en"  class="daringfireball-net">
3<head>
4	<meta charset="UTF-8" />
5	<title>Daring Fireball</title>
6
7	<link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" href="/graphics/apple-touch-icon.png" />
8	<link rel="shortcut icon" href="/graphics/favicon.ico?v=005" />
9	<link rel="mask-icon" href="/graphics/dfstar.svg" color="#4a525a">
10	<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen"  href="/css/fireball_screen.css?v1.2026-08-25" />
11	<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen"  href="/css/ie_sucks.php" />
12	<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="print"   href="/css/fireball_print.css?v01" />
13	<link rel="alternate"  type="application/atom+xml"     href="/feeds/main" />
14	<link rel="alternate"  type="application/json"         href="/feeds/json" />
15	<link rel="me"                                         href="https://mastodon.social/@gruber" />
16	<link rel="me"                                         href="https://mastodon.social/@daringfireball" />
17	
17<script src="/js/js-global/FancyZoom.js"></script>
17
18	
18<script src="/js/js-global/FancyZoomHTML.js"></script>
18
19
20	<!-- Open Graph bullshit, for home page: -->
21	<meta property="og:title"       content="Daring Fireball, by John Gruber" />
22	<meta property="og:type"        content="website" />
23	<meta property="og:url"         content="https://daringfireball.net/" />
24	<meta property="og:image"       content="https://daringfireball.net/graphics/df-wide-card.png" />
25	<meta property="og:site_name"   content="Daring Fireball" />
26	<meta property="og:description" content="Commentary on Apple, technology, design, politics, and more." />
27</head>
28<body  class="daringfireball-net"  onload="setupZoom()">
29<div id="Box">
30
31<div id="Banner">
32<a href="/" title="Daring Fireball: Home"><img src="/graphics/logos/" alt="Daring Fireball" height="56" /></a>
33</div>
34<div id="Sidebar">
35<p>By <strong>John&nbsp;Gruber</strong></p>
36
37<ul><!--&#9733;-->
38<li><a href="/archive/" title="Previous articles.">Archive</a></li><li>
38<script>
39// <![CDATA[
40function ReadCookie(name) {
41	var nameEQ = name + "=";
42	var ca = document.cookie.split(';');
43	for(var i=0; i < ca.length; i++) {
44		var c = ca[i];
45		while (c.charAt(0)==' ') c = c.substring(1, c.length);
46		if (c.indexOf(nameEQ) == 0) return c.substring(nameEQ.length, c.length);
47	}
48	return null;
49}
50var display_linked_list = ReadCookie('displayLinkedList');
51var li_linked = '<a href="/linked/" title="The Linked List.">Linked List<\/a>';
52if (display_linked_list == "hide") {
53	// Linked List is off on home page, so show it in menu:
54	document.write(li_linked + "<\/li>\n<li>");
55}
56else {
57	// Default to not putting separate LL item in sidebar:
58}
59// ]]>
60</script>
60</li>
61<li><a href="/thetalkshow/" title="America’s favorite 3-star podcast.">The Talk Show</a></li>
62<li><a href="https://dithering.fm/" title="Two episodes per week, 15 minutes per episode. Not a minute less, not a minute more.">Dithering</a></li>
63<li><a href="/projects/" title="Software projects, including SmartyPants and Markdown.">Projects</a></li>
64<li><a href="/contact/" title="How to send email or feedback regarding Daring Fireball.">Contact</a></li>
65<li><a href="/colophon/" title="About this site and the tools used to produce it.">Colophon</a></li>
66<li><a href="/feeds/">Feeds / Social</a></li>
67<!-- 
68<li><a href="https://twitter.com/daringfireball">Twitter</a></li>
69 -->
70<li><a href="/feeds/sponsors/">Sponsorship</a></li>
71</ul>
72
73<div id="SidebarMartini">
74<a href="https://www.mux.com/?utm_campaign=fireball&utm_source=DF">
75	<img alt="Mux" src="/martini/images/mux-06-2026-pink.png" height="90">
76</a>
77<p><a href="https://www.mux.com/?utm_campaign=fireball&utm_source=DF">Mux</a>: Turn your video<br>into context</p>
78</div>
79
80</div> <!-- Sidebar -->
81
82<div id="Main">
83
84<dl class="linkedlist">
85<dt>
86<a href="https://developer.apple.com/app-store/user-privacy-and-data-use/">Changes to App Tracking Transparency in the E.U.</a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘Changes to App Tracking Transparency in the E.U.’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/23/changes-to-app-tracking-transparency-in-the-eu">&#9733;</a>
87</dt>
88<dd>
89<p>Apple Developer:</p>
90
91<blockquote>
92  <p>As part of agreements with select European competition
93authorities, Apple is introducing changes to its App Tracking
94Transparency framework in the European Union. Beginning with iOS
9527.2 and iPadOS 27.2, developers will have the option to use an
96alternative version of the App Tracking Transparency system prompt
97in the EU. The requirements for when you must seek permission to
98track users will remain the same. Due to legal requirements, only
99the alternative version of the system prompt is available for apps
100distributed in Germany, France, Italy, Poland, and Romania.</p>
101
102<p>In addition, for users in the European Union, you can reprompt
103[<em>sic</em>] a user via the App Tracking Transparency system prompt one
104year after the user’s previous choice in your app’s App Tracking
105Transparency system prompt, regardless of whether that choice was
106to accept or reject. A user cannot be re-prompted if they have
107disabled “Allow Apps to Request to Track” (renamed to “Allow Apps
108to Request to Link Your Activity Across Companies” in the EU) in
109their device’s Settings.</p>
110</blockquote>
111
112<p><a href="https://www.threads.com/share/DYPQJUOaO/">As Benjamin Mayo notes</a>, “Allow Apps to Request to Link Your Activity Across Companies” is catchy.</p>
113
114<p>The gist of this is that there are three constituent groups: Apple, users, and third-party developers. I’ve long argued that Apple prioritizes those groups in that order. What DMA/EU proponents have fooled themselves into believing is that the European Commission works to move users into, or at least closer to, the top spot. The truth is that they (and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/german-antitrust-authority-tests-apples-revised-app-tracking-rules-competition-2025-12-02/">national regulatory authorities in Europe</a>) work to move third-party developers and publishers into a more privileged position, at the expense of users’ privacy and experience. Users don’t want to be tracked without permission. Apple doesn’t want users to be tracked without their permission. But an awful lot of third-party developers and publishers want to track users without their permission or knowledge.</p>
115
116<p>Just getting the term changed from “tracking” (one word, easily understood) to “linking your activity across companies” (five words, obfuscated) tells you all you need to know.</p>
117
118</dd>
119
120
121</dl>
122
123<hr class="ookiaks" />
124
125
126<div class="article">
127<h1><a href="https://daringfireball.net/2026/09/iphone_4_antennagate_q_and_a" title="Permanent link to ‘The iPhone 4 ‘Antennagate’ Press Conference Q&amp;A — Finally’">The iPhone 4 ‘Antennagate’ Press Conference Q&amp;A — Finally</a></h1>
128<h6 class="dateline">Wednesday, 23 September 2026</h6>
129
130<p>The most extraordinary Apple event in the company’s modern history was the emergency press conference on Friday, 16 July 2010 to address “antennagate” — the out-of-control media narrative <a href="https://daringfireball.net/2010/07/">that the iPhone 4 had a defective antenna design</a>. The event was only scheduled one day in advance — I got invited around noon ET on July 15 and was on my way to the airport about an hour later. It remains one of the most interesting press events I’ve ever attended.</p>
131
132<p>The event was held in Apple’s Town Hall auditorium at the old Infinite Loop headquarters. Town Hall is a tiny venue but it wasn’t full. It opened with Jonathan Mann’s “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKIcaejkpD4">The iPhone 4 Antenna Song</a>” (refrain: “If you don’t want an iPhone 4, don’t buy it; if you bought one and you don’t like it, bring it back”), then Steve Jobs took the stage for what he said would be a 15-minute presentation but which took 30 minutes. Then Jobs had COO Tim Cook and hardware chief Bob Mansfield join him on stage to answer questions from the assembled members of the media.</p>
133
134<p>
134Apple itself hosted video of the presentation — minus the Q&amp;A — for some time after the event. But after a few years they took their copy down. There have been copies on YouTube, but the only one that seems to be left is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8tXyfjfnB0">this 14-year-old copy from the YouTube account Tech Knowology</a>. It’s got Mann’s opening song and Jobs’s half-hour prepared presentation, but it cuts off right as Jobs invites Cook and Mansfield to join him on stage. To my recollection this is where Apple’s own official video cut off too — I think this version on YouTube is just a copy of Apple’s.</p>
135
136<p>The Q&amp;A was on the record (which is the entire point of a Q&amp;A), and was <a href="https://allthingsd.com/20100716/apple-iphone-4-press-conference/">reported</a> <a href="https://www.engadget.com/2010-07-16-live-from-apples-iphone-4-press-conference.html">widely</a>, but I don’t think there’s ever been video of it. <a href="https://tidbits.com/2010/07/16/apple-responds-to-iphone-4-antenna-issue/">Here’s a report by Jeff Carlson at TidBITS</a>, published the day the event was held, which states, “The video omits a long and interesting Q&amp;A at the end.”</p>
137
138<p>Then, yesterday, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiN5ERktXz0">video of the Q&amp;A hit YouTube</a>. I don’t know what truck it fell off the back of, why it took 16 years, or how it came into the hands of “Sir Mix-A-Lot Rare Music”,<sup id="fnr1-2026-09-23-a"><a href="#fn1-2026-09-23-a">1</a></sup> but I’m sure glad it did. There are parts of this Q&amp;A that I remembered, and parts I didn’t. Carlson was exactly right: it was long and it was interesting. </p>
139
140<p>One part I remembered was my own question, <a href="https://youtu.be/BiN5ERktXz0?t=1125">asked at the 18:45 mark</a>, which was answered — by all three executives — visually, not verbally. It really was an answer best <em>shown</em> not <em>told</em>, but heretofore I’m not sure anyone who wasn’t in the room has seen this. There were photographs (e.g. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20111020162310/https://allthingsd.com/20100716/apple-iphone-4-press-conference/">AllThingsD</a> and <a href="https://www.macrumors.com/2010/07/16/coverage-of-apples-iphone-4-press-conference/">MacRumors</a>), but not video. Now you can watch.</p>
141
142<p>My main takeaway, though, watching the whole thing for the first time since I was in the room, is how goddamn <em>thoughtful</em> Steve Jobs was. He takes a long time to think before answering many of the questions. A few minutes after my question, <a href="https://youtu.be/BiN5ERktXz0?t=1190">Jobs was asked</a> what he’s learned from this experience. Jobs takes several seconds to think and then his answer lasts five minutes. It’s a good answer.</p>
143
144<p>I seldom suggest you spend 47 minutes watching a video, but this one is worth your time. 
144(And, given that it clearly fell off the back of a truck, you might want to <a href="https://software.charliemonroe.net/downie/">put a copy</a> on your own truck sooner rather than later.) A lot of times with a long Q&amp;A the whole thing gets repetitive, with the same questions asked in rephrased ways, and the same answers (or, worse, non-answers) regurgitated from the same set of prepared talking points. Not this one. In fact, one of Jobs’s most interesting answers comes over 40 minutes into the Q&amp;A segment, when he re-articulates what Horace Dediu coined “<a href="https://asymco.com/2011/01/17/the-cook-doctrine/">The Cook Doctrine</a>”. (Which Cook deserves credit for, having expressed it a year prior while Jobs was on a medical leave of absence.) Here’s part of that answer:</p>
145
146<blockquote>
147  <p>To understand Apple, it helps to realize that one of our biggest
148insights came about eight years ago. We didn’t want to get into
149any business where we didn’t own or control the primary
150technology. Because if somebody else owns the primary technology,
151they’re going to beat you in the end. Because you’re going to
152have to buy that from them and add your stuff on top. But if
153their technology is the most important one, they’re going to beat
154you in the end. So we wanted to own or control the primary
155technology for those businesses that we’re in. And in the
156computer business, even though we didn’t make our own
157microprocessors, we thought software was the most important
158technology. And we made our own operating system.</p>
159
160<p>Our big insight about eight years ago was that for most areas of
161consumer electronics going forward, it was going to shift from big
162displays being the most important component, or electro-optical
163laser pickup heads for DVD drives being the most important
164component, or radios and cell phones being the most important
165component, to software being the most important component. And we
166realized that we were pretty good at software.</p>
167</blockquote>
168
169<p>Watch the whole thing, I implore you. I mean if you’re only going to watch a minute, sure, skip to my question. But you should watch the whole thing — if only to hear Jobs pronounce “component”.</p>
170
171<p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/BiN5ERktXz0?si=0ud6sCK7xUjpXK1C" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘The iPhone 4 ‘Antennagate’ Press Conference Q&amp;A — Finally’" href="https://daringfireball.net/2026/09/iphone_4_antennagate_q_and_a">&#9733;</a></p>
172
173<div class="footnotes">
174<hr />
175<ol>
176<li id="fn1-2026-09-23-a">
177<p>Channel description: “A somewhat poorly named channel which used to constantly upload Sir Mix-A-Lot’s rare videos, music. Now it’s a lot of everything else except that.” He’s got <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOkazx1P1BMsxPy_a_oho2VpxOk45TlM5">a few other</a> Steve Jobs-era bootlegs, including <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a5KSoOUT_U">a 1998 interview about the just-released iMac</a>, in which Jobs is wearing a blue checked button-down flannel shirt, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSUTHa7ssoc">a 2008 interview about the iPhone 3G</a> and its new features geared toward the business market.&nbsp;<a href="#fnr1-2026-09-23-a"  class="footnoteBackLink"  title="Jump back to footnote 1 in the text.">&#x21A9;&#xFE0E;</a></p>
178</li>
179</ol>
180</div>
181
182</div> <!-- article -->
183
184<hr class="ookiaks" />
185
186
187<h2 class="dateline">Wednesday, 23 September 2026</h2>
188<dl class="linkedlist">
189<dt>
190<a href="https://support.apple.com/en-us/127848">‘Prepare to Ship’ Is a Clever Software Solution That Allows iPhone 18 Pro Max to Ship With a Battery That Would Otherwise Exceed International Shipping Regulations</a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘‘Prepare to Ship’ Is a Clever Software Solution That Allows iPhone 18 Pro Max to Ship With a Battery That Would Otherwise Exceed International Shipping Regulations’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/23/prepare-to-ship">&#9733;</a>
191</dt>
192<dd>
193<p>Apple Support:</p>
194
195<blockquote>
196  <p>iPhone 18 Pro Max offers a huge increase in battery life, in part
197due to increasing the battery capacity to over 20 watt-hours (Wh).
198Devices with a single-cell battery over 20 Wh have additional
199shipping requirements in most countries and regions. To address
200these requirements, iPhone 18 Pro Max uses an innovative
201battery-firmware solution that limits battery capacity to below 20
202Wh from the time it’s manufactured through its transport from the
203factory. When you activate your iPhone, the limit is removed and
204the battery’s full charging capacity is available.</p>
205
206<p>After activation, if you need to ship your iPhone 18 Pro Max for a
207repair, trade-in, return, or as a gift for example, use the
208Prepare to Ship feature in Settings. This feature discharges your
209battery to below 20 Wh and sets a charge limit so your iPhone
210stays below this limit while shipping. This can be reversed and
211you can reset your charge limit after shipping.</p>
212
213<p>The battery in iPhone 18 Pro Max is safe, including for shipping
214and air travel. This process is needed only to meet shipping
215requirements and isn’t required while traveling or for any other
216iPhone model.</p>
217</blockquote>
218
219<p>(<a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/998144/apple-iphone-18-pro-max-battery-firmware-limit">Via The Verge</a>.)</p>
220
221</dd>
222
223
224<dt>
225<a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/update-my-phone-apps-guide/id6753936837">App Store Scam of the Week: ‘Update My Phone &amp; Apps: Guide’ by Tair Olzhasev</a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘App Store Scam of the Week: ‘Update My Phone &amp; Apps: Guide’ by Tair Olzhasev’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/23/app-store-scam-update-my-phone">&#9733;</a>
226</dt>
227<dd>
228<p>“Update My Phone &amp; Apps: Guide” is an iOS app from developer Tair Olzhasev. By default, the only thing it does for free is give you a “Check for Updates” button that launches the system Settings app. It doesn’t even take you to the General → Software Update screen. It just takes you to the root level of Settings.</p>
229
230<p>Everything else it purports to do requires a $15/week subscription. That’s $780 per year. (It does offer a three-day free trial before weekly billing starts.) These other features, gated behind the “pro” subscription:</p>
231
232<blockquote>
233  <ul>
234<li>Clear device status: iOS version and storage usage at a glance</li>
235<li>One-tap shortcut to system update settings</li>
236<li>Tip of the Day with practical hacks and best practices</li>
237<li>Lightweight, private, and fast — no accounts or tracking</li>
238<li>Optional Premium for extra guidance and tools</li>
239</ul>
240</blockquote>
241
242<p>In other words, the app does nothing that iOS doesn’t automatically do for all users. Absolutely nothing. I came across it <a href="https://aus.social/@shlee/117318918816027001">from a user on Mastodon</a> who discovered their father was paying $8/week ($416 per year) for it. It seems like the esteemed Mr. Olzhasev, savvy businessman that he is, changes the subscription price frequently.</p>
243
244<p>Olzhasev’s other two apps are <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/thermal-camera-filter-effects/id6753982355">Thermal Camera Filter Effects</a> (a neat trick, given that iPhones do not have thermal cameras or heat sensors) and <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/settings-app-simulator/id6753862143">Settings App: Simulator</a>, a $15 app that admittedly gives you just what it says on the tin. It’s an inaccurate mirror of the Settings app “so you can practice without changing the real system.”</p>
245
246</dd>
247
248
249</dl>
250
251<hr class="ookiaks" />
252
253
254<div class="article">
255<h1><a href="https://daringfireball.net/2026/09/appzapper_3000" title="Permanent link to ‘AppZapper 3000’">AppZapper 3000</a></h1>
256<h6 class="dateline">Wednesday, 23 September 2026</h6>
257
258<p>Back in the mid-2000s there was a golden era of exuberantly designed Mac apps. Paul Kafasis coined it “<a href="https://weblog.rogueamoeba.com/2006/11/06/the-delicious-generation/">The Delicious Generation</a>”, a perfect name. The <em>delicious</em> was both a reference to Wil Shipley and Mike Matas’s <a href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2024/11/26/delicious-library-eol">Delicious Library</a> — a personal media library management app that made something that <em>sounds</em> really boring <em>look</em> super fun — and a perfect description of the aesthetic. It clearly harks back to <a href="https://daringfireball.net/2025/06/some_brief_thoughts_and_observations_on_wwdc_2025#:~:text=you%20wanted%20to%20lick%20it">Steve Jobs’s description of the Aqua user interface</a> in 2000: “One of the design goals was when you saw it, you wanted to lick it.”</p>
259
260<p>One of the delicious generation apps was Disco, a CD/DVD disc-burning utility. When it burned a disc, it rendered smoke coming out of the app’s main window. It wasn’t a simple “poof” animation. It was fully interactive. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20071023091210/http://www.discoapp.com/">From their own description</a>:</p>
261
262<blockquote>
263  <p>With Disco we tried pushing the boundaries of interface,
264usability, and utter functional simplicity. Well, once you realize
265that <em>Disco is emitting real time interactive smoke</em> as you burn, we
266start redefining the boundaries. Want to push it out of the way?
267Blow into your microphone and the smoke will react accordingly.
268Or, go ahead and flick at it with your mouse. Remember, you’ll
269need a recent Mac to play with the full interactive smoke.</p>
270</blockquote>
271
272<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/zklSrGUELjA">Here’s a video of Disco in action</a>.</p>
273
274<p>Another delicious generation peer <a href="https://www.macworld.com/article/180361/appzapper-5.html">was AppZapper</a>, from Austin Sarner and Brian Ball. AppZapper was a utility to uninstall apps along with all of the apps’ associated files and folders, and its gimmick was that, well, you zapped the apps with a Zap button and a supposedly fun sound. Totally boring premise with a fun implementation and presentation.</p>
275
276<p>Two things brought that trend to an end. The first was the launch of the iPhone App Store in 2008. Indie developer attention that had previously been single-mindedly focused on the Mac was now split between the Mac and iPhone, and given the iPhone’s novelty and larger market, it soon was more like the attention went single-mindedly to the iPhone. The delicious aesthetic was a niche novelty on the Mac. On the iPhone, in those early years, it was <em>the</em> aesthetic of the platform. Apple’s own iBooks app had page-turning animation that tracked your finger; the built-in Calendar app had a UI <a href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2011/10/26/against-skeuomorphism">rendered in rich Corinthian leather</a>; the Notes app <a href="https://daringfireball.net/2007/09/hacking_the_iphone_notes_app">used a silly handwriting font</a>. But then iOS 7 arrived in 2013, wiping the slate clean. Deliciousness was out. Blandness was in. And the whole industry has never really recovered.<sup id="fnr1-2026-09-23"><a href="#fn1-2026-09-23">1</a></sup></p>
277
278<p>I bring very good, very fun news. After a decade-plus hiatus, AppZapper is back, <a href="https://appzapper.com/">perfectly renamed for a long future as AppZapper 3000</a>. It’s completely over-the-top and I love it. <a href="https://appzapper.com/">Just look at it</a>.</p>
279
280<p>There’s long been a whole cottage industry of Mac “app uninstallers”, a sort of subset within the larger category of system “cleaners”. Some of these apps are scams, and some are borderline scams that prey on the false notion that users <em>should</em> be worried about the detritus that deleted apps leave behind. A lot of people who come to the Mac from Windows are uncomfortable with the idea that you don’t typically run installers for apps — you just copy the .app bundle from your Downloads folder or from a disk image to your Applications folder, and that’s it. It’s installed. It’s a beautiful system, to me, because it teaches you how the system works. There ought not be any hidden magic behind “installing” an app on the Mac.</p>
281
282<p>And to uninstall an app, you just drag it to the Trash. Some users are more uncomfortable with that than they are with just-drag-to-Applications-to-install, because deleting the application’s .app bundle doesn’t delete anything else it might have left behind. Like its preferences, or any associated files it might have left behind in subfolders within your <em>~/Library/</em> folder. The simple truth is that you don’t really need to worry about that stuff. I sometimes <em>prefer</em> leaving a deleted app’s preferences behind, just in case I ever re-install the app. The Mac’s NeXT-derived <a href="https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/Cocoa/Conceptual/UserDefaults/AboutPreferenceDomains/AboutPreferenceDomains.html"><code>defaults</code></a> system for software preferences is designed such that it doesn’t get bogged down by unused preferences from long-ago deleted applications. (The Windows Registry leaves people forever scarred.)</p>
283
284<p>But sometimes apps download <em>
284large</em> associated files and stash them in <em>~/Library/</em>. Those files aren’t bogging your system down but they are taking up space. Storage space has never been free of charge, and, on one side of the AI coin, <a href="https://daringfireball.net/2026/06/spensive_thoughts">it’s become a lot more expensive</a>. On the other side of the AI coin, there are <a href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/06/04/the-ai-driven-resurgence-of-mac-app-development">a lot more new Mac apps coming out these days</a>. I’m trying more new apps every week than I have since the earliest days of the App Store. Sometimes I really just want to nuke all traces of them after taking a test drive.</p>
285
286<p>AppZapper 3000 does that job well, and it makes it fun as hell. You drag an app you want to uninstall to its main window, and AppZapper lists all of the app’s associated files (including, of course, the app itself). Then you shoot the ones you want to delete. Zapped files are safely moved to your Trash, and AppZapper itself supports Undo if you get trigger happy. It’s terrific fun. There’s even a “Zap All” button for the lazy. It re-launched last Monday but I’ve been testing AppZapper 3000 since a few weeks before that. My Applications and Library folders haven’t been this trim in years.</p>
287
288<p>Way, way back in the day with <a href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2019/12/09/the-grouch">The Grouch system extension for System 6 and 7</a>, there were stories claiming that people who had the Grouch installed would let their young kids play with their Macs, and come to find that the kids had deleted gobs of important files and folders, just to make Oscar pop out of the Trash and sing his songs. (Oscar only sang when you <em>emptied</em> the Trash.) The Grouch seemed old even when the original AppZapper was new. But AppZapper 3000 brings back that sort of fun — while being genuinely useful. And the Mac has never in its history been more in need of new UI fun. Is it absolutely ridiculous and unnecessary to make an uninstall utility with an exquisitely detailed 3D laser gun as its UI? Fuckin’-A right it is.</p>
289
290<p>If you’ve got a fun bone in your body you should <a href="https://appzapper.com/">check AppZapper 3000 out</a>. It’s a free download with a free trial. Licenses cost $18 for a single user, $29 for a 5-user family pack, and $99 for a 25-Mac enterprise license. One-time purchases, not subscriptions. Sarner was kind enough to create a 20 percent discount code for DF readers, good through next Monday: <strong>DARING</strong>. This is not a sponsorship. I’m sharing this code (and writing this article) simply because I’m so happy to see such a much-needed injection of pure fun on the Mac.&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘AppZapper 3000’" href="https://daringfireball.net/2026/09/appzapper_3000">&#9733;</a></p>
291
292<div class="footnotes">
293<hr />
294<ol>
295
296<li id="fn1-2026-09-23">
297<p>Delicious — dare I say lickable — <em>hardware</em> never fell out of fashion at Apple. But I think that was, in a very small nut, the core problem with Jony Ive taking control of all design at the company. With a hardware designer in charge of software design, of course the aesthetic changed to one where the software look-and-feel deferred to the hardware. In the 2000s, if you asked me what was more exciting, just to look at, Apple’s hardware or software, I’d have to say “I don’t know.” They both were full of exuberance. They both continued to surprise and delight. Starting with iOS 7, and ever since, the answer is clearly “Oh, the hardware.”</p>
298
299<p>At a first approximation, the problem with Liquid Glass last year is that it just plain sucked. In the way that Donald Trump is a poor idiot’s idea of a rich genius, Liquid Glass exemplifies bad graphic designers’ idea of a good user interface. But looking deeper, the real problem with Liquid Glass is the lack of ambition. Even a good implemention of the ideas behind Liquid Glass — which we’re starting to see Apple incrementally edge toward in this year’s version 27 OS releases — is still fundamentally bland. It aspires only to see-through blandness. The whole point is for the application chrome to defer to “content”, which necessarily results in applications that look shy. They all look alike. <a href="https://daringfireball.net/2026/01/thoughts_and_observations_regarding_apple_creator_studio">Even their icons suck</a>. A good user interface is obvious, consistent, efficient, functional etc. But an insanely great user interface is one that makes you want to use the softw
299are not because of what it does but just because it looks so goddamn cool. That’s not <em>instead of</em> actually getting fundamental functionality right. It’s <em>on top</em> of it. But Apple stopped striving for insanely great UIs like that. And, alas, everyone followed.&nbsp;<a href="#fnr1-2026-09-23"  class="footnoteBackLink"  title="Jump back to footnote 1 in the text.">&#x21A9;&#xFE0E;</a></p>
300</li>
301
302</ol>
303</div>
304
305</div> <!-- article -->
306
307<hr class="ookiaks" />
308
309
310<h2 class="dateline">Wednesday, 23 September 2026</h2>
311<dl class="linkedlist">
312<dt>
313<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3mw4it5l5fd23">Super Intelligence, Indeed</a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘Super Intelligence, Indeed’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/23/super-intelligence-indeed">&#9733;</a>
314</dt>
315<dd>
316<p>President Donald Trump, in a prepared speech before the United Nations General Assembly yesterday (one-minute video clip from Aaron Rupar, posted on Bluesky):</p>
317
318<blockquote>
319  <p>The United States also totally rejects any attempt to construct a
320globalist scheme to control for the artificial intelligence — being spoken of so much, now — here and after officially called
321“super intelligence”, changing the name. The use of the word
322“artificial” makes intelligence fake, it makes it sound fake, and
323it is not fake. It’s actually amazing. But we have to be careful.
324In fact it is exactly the opposite of what it purports. From
325this point forward, all of United States’ documents and hopefully
326the world’s will be changed to use the much more accurate term
327“super” as opposed to “artificial”. So it’s “super intelligence”.
328In other words, welcome to the world of super intelligence dash
329SI. SI. Let’s see if that goes. It sounds much better. It is much
330better. And it’s much more accurate. Let’s see if I have any
331power. Maybe I do, and maybe I don’t, we’re going to find out
332pretty soon. Super intelligence.</p>
333</blockquote>
334
335<p>Pretty sure he wasn’t supposed to say the “dash” aloud, but other than that, no signs of dementia or madness. Sharp as a tack, directly addressing the nation’s top concerns regarding AI.</p>
336
337<p><a href="https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/its-underwear-on-the-outside-time">Paul Krugman</a>:</p>
338
339<blockquote>
340  <p>In the 1971 comedy film <em>Bananas</em> a third-world nation’s strongman
341announces his new policies:</p>
342
343<blockquote>
344  <p>From this day on, the official language of San Marcos will be
345Swedish. Silence! In addition to that, all citizens will be
346required to change their underwear every half-hour. Underwear will
347be worn on the outside so we can check.</p>
348</blockquote>
349</blockquote>
350
351</dd>
352
353
354</dl>
355
356<h2 class="dateline">Tuesday, 22 September 2026</h2>
357<dl class="linkedlist">
358<dt>
359<a href="https://thedieline.com/jessica-hische-metas-muse-and-the-ethical-landmines-of-design/">Meta’s Muse Logomark, Designed by Jessica Hische </a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘Meta’s Muse Logomark, Designed by Jessica Hische ’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/22/meta-muse-hische">&#9733;</a>
360</dt>
361<dd>
362<p>Bill McCool, writing at Dieline:</p>
363
364<blockquote>
365  <p>This past Wednesday, lettering artist, designer, and author
366Jessica Hische took to <a href="https://www.threads.com/@jessicahische/post/DdE3LZbj_b8">Threads</a> to announce that she had
367worked alongside Meta’s team to create the icon and logotype for
368their agentic AI, Muse. Acknowledging that people would be “mad
369because it’s AI and Meta,” Hische sought to explain at least why
370she had taken the gig in the first place. Obviously, she took some
371flak for working with Meta. While plenty of comments voiced
372support, just as many chastised her for even considering the
373project, which I can mostly sum up as a general narrative thread
374of “How could you?”</p>
375
376<p>FWIW, it’s pretty rich to criticize someone for working with Meta
377while you’re very much using a Meta product to issue said
378criticism. But I digress.</p>
379</blockquote>
380
381<p>I like <a href="https://daringfireball.net/misc/2026/09/muse.png">the Muse mark/icon</a>. It’s both an obvious “M” and yet at the same time, <em>not</em>
381 an “M”. It’s friendly but not un-serious.</p>
382
383<p>And, as Meta chief AI officer Alexandr Wang noted today on X (not Threads), <a href="https://x.com/alexandr_wang/status/2102411467186401411">it doesn’t look like a butthole</a>. (Yet <a href="https://daringfireball.net/misc/2026/09/meta-ai-logo.png">Meta AI’s logo/icon</a> <em>is</em> a little butthole-y.)</p>
384
385</dd>
386
387
388<dt>
389<a href="https://www.inc.com/jason-aten/metas-new-muse-ai-agent-read-my-private-messages-i-never-asked-it-to/91408202">Meta’s New Muse AI Agent Read Jason Aten’s Messages Database</a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘Meta’s New Muse AI Agent Read Jason Aten’s Messages Database’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/22/aten-muse">&#9733;</a>
390</dt>
391<dd>
392<p>Jason Aten, writing for Inc:</p>
393
394<blockquote>
395  <p>Then, yesterday, I was having a conversation with my Primary
396Technology podcast co-host, Stephen Robles, about the new
397iPhones. Moments later, I got a push notification from Muse
398suggesting that the conversation we were having would make for a
399good column and offered to put together research for me to write
400about. It even flagged a message from my editor about having a
401column ready for Monday.</p>
402
403<p>Not only had I not asked it to do that sort of thing, I never gave
404it permission to read my messages. In fact, I remember explicitly
405choosing not to let it have access to my messages, calendar, and
406other personal information.</p>
407
408<p>Stranger still was what happened when I asked Muse how it knew.</p>
409</blockquote>
410
411<p>Like I <a href="https://www.threads.com/share/JLXMWFkcA/">told Aten on Threads</a>, Muse was right about one thing: it did give him a good idea for a column. Later on, Aten writes:</p>
412
413<blockquote>
414  <p>I also want to be clear about something else: If your response
415to this is that, of course, Meta would do this — it’s Meta — you are just letting them off the hook. You’re normalizing
416behavior that should not be normal, and you should not let them
417off the hook.</p>
418</blockquote>
419
420<p>My response to this is a little more complex than that. At the top level, this is why I don’t run any AI agents, from any source, on my production/work Macs where all my personal information and communication apps are. And if I eventually do, I’ll pay surgical attention to the permissions I grant them.</p>
421
422<p>But at a second level, I do think “Of course Meta would do this”. If I were going to run an AI agent on my personal Mac today, Meta’s would be among the last I’d choose. They’re the proverbial scorpion and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scorpion_and_the_Frog">we’re the frogs</a>. I’m genuinely curious about Muse, and might soon try it — but I’ll try it on a machine without most of my data on it. This isn’t “letting them off the hook” — this is keeping Meta on the hook, where they belong.</p>
423
424</dd>
425
426
427<dt>
428<a href="https://spyglass.org/why-didnt-google-build-muse/">Why Didn’t Google Build Muse?</a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘Why Didn’t Google Build Muse?’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/22/why-didnt-google-build-muse">&#9733;</a>
429</dt>
430<dd>
431<p>MG Siegler, writing at Spyglass:</p>
432
433<blockquote>
434  <p>The number one response I’ve gotten to <a href="https://spyglass.org/metas-amusing-muse/">my thoughts on Meta’s Muse
435personal assistant agent</a> is some variation of “I will never
436trust Meta with my data.” But the number two response is arguably
437more interesting (and related): “Why didn’t Google build this?”</p>
438
439<p>The short answer to this is undoubtedly: they’re working on it.
440But the longer answer is probably more interesting here too.</p>
441</blockquote>
442
443<p>Siegler’s take is basically that Google lacks focus. They’ve got multiple AI agent products, none of which are hitting — which as he points out <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2021/6/21/22538240/google-chat-allo-hangouts-talk-messaging-mess-timeline">has been their decades-long problem with messaging apps</a>. Say what you want about Meta as a company and Mark Zuckerberg as a leader, but they (and he) have focus. <a href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2025/04/28/om-malik-facebook-rename">
443I make fun of them</a> (and him) for going all-in on “the metaverse” only to lose all interest in it just a few years later, but to play devil’s advocate, that’s how focus works.</p>
444
445</dd>
446
447
448<dt>
449<a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2026/amazon-blocks-metas-muse-ai-assistant-in-new-standoff-over-agentic-shopping/">Amazon Blocks Meta’s Muse AI Assistant</a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘Amazon Blocks Meta’s Muse AI Assistant’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/22/amazon-blocks-muse">&#9733;</a>
450</dt>
451<dd>
452<p>Todd Bishop, reporting at GeekWire:</p>
453
454<blockquote>
455  <p>Amazon says it has cut off Meta’s new Muse personal AI agent from
456shopping on Amazon.com on behalf of customers, after attempting
457unsuccessfully to get the Facebook parent company to voluntarily
458exclude the e-commerce site from the experience.</p>
459
460<p>The problem, Amazon says, is that it never agreed to any of it.
461Meta didn’t tell Amazon that Muse would access its store, the
462agent doesn’t identify itself when it browses, and it appears to
463capture and store customer credentials, which the company says
464could create privacy and security risks.</p>
465
466<p>As of Sunday night, people trying to use Muse to shop on Amazon
467were seeing the popup, “Continued access by an unauthorized AI
468agent violates Amazon’s Conditions of Use, to which our customers
469have agreed.”</p>
470</blockquote>
471
472<p>On the one hand, Muse is software, and Amazon cutting off an unauthorized software client from accessing its store seems like a normal thing for Amazon to do. I suspect Meta has protections in place to prevent other agents from acting as clients for Instagram or Facebook.</p>
473
474<p>But on the other hand, an agent is an agent. If I hired a human personal assistant and told them to buy some stuff at Amazon for me, they’d just do it, and Amazon wouldn’t — and seemingly couldn’t — stop it. How is Muse different than that other than the fact it’s an AI assistant, not a human one? I’m sure Amazon’s answer is that they don’t care about the philosophical debate; they’re not going to sit back and let Meta software spider their store and aggregate purchasing data.</p>
475
476</dd>
477
478
479<dt>
480<a href="https://9to5mac.com/2026/09/18/metas-new-muse-ai-agent-app-overtakes-chatgpt-as-top-iphone-app/">Meta’s New Muse AI Agent App Overtakes ChatGPT as Top iPhone&#160;App</a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘Meta’s New Muse AI Agent App Overtakes ChatGPT as Top iPhone App’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/22/meta-muse-app-store">&#9733;</a>
481</dt>
482<dd>
483<p>Zac Hall, writing for 9to5 Mac on Friday:</p>
484
485<blockquote>
486  <p>Meta’s new Muse AI agent app has taken the top spot on the free
487iPhone charts for the U.S. App Store, displacing OpenAI’s ChatGPT
488from the first place.</p>
489
490<p>Muse by Meta only <a href="https://9to5mac.com/2026/09/17/meta-ai-launches-muse-personal-agent-including-a-new-mobile-app-for-iphone/">launched this month</a>, although the app
491has been around for a couple of weeks. This means new installs are
492picking up and boosting the app on the App Store’s top charts
493beyond the day-one launch.</p>
494
495<p>Just yesterday, Meta expanded Muse app availability to include the
496Mac. The desktop version of the app doesn’t contribute to the App
497Store ranking, however, as it’s downloadable from the web.</p>
498</blockquote>
499
500<p>Four days later and Muse <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/iphone/charts/36?chart=top-free">still holds</a> the #1 spot in the U.S. iOS App Store. Here’s the top 15 today (with the full, sometimes insipid, name of each app, and my own commentary in brackets):</p>
501
502<ol>
503<li>Muse from Meta</li>
504<li>ChatGPT</li>
505<li>Vinted: Pre-loved marketplace [if this crap was loved why did they sell it?]</li>
506<li>StoryReel: Drama Shorts &amp; TV</li>
507<li>Google Gemini</li>
508<li>Polymarket: Trade Live Sports [trading, not gambling!]</li>
509<li>PineDrama — Short Dramas</li>
510<li>TikTok Pro — Events</li>
511<li>Depop — Buy &amp; Sell Clothes</li>
512<li>CapCut: Photo &amp; Video Editor</li>
513<li>Kalshi: Trade Football &amp; more [but the “more” is definitely not gambling!]</li>
514<li>Claude by Anthropic</li>
515<li>Google</li>
516<li>The White House</li>
517<li>Threads</li>
518</ol>
519
520<p>Hit apps come and go. Temu had been at or near the top for a long while, but now sits at #20. But ChatGPT has been at or very near the top for years now. Anthropic is on the cusp of a record-breaking IPO based on the strength of its enterprise success. #12 is nothing to sneeze at — clearly, Claude is a consumer hit. But it’s behind Gemini, and all of these apps are typically behind ChatGPT.</p>
521
522<p>The odds are that Muse won’t stay at the top for long. And eventually, ChatGPT will decline in popularity. But Muse is off to a big start. And ChatGPT’s persistence atop the App Store is quite remarkable.</p>
523
524</dd>
525
526
527<dt>
528<a href="https://developer.apple.com/documentation/xcode-release-notes/xcode-27_2-release-notes">Xcode 27.2 Now Supports a New JSON Project File Format</a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘Xcode 27.2 Now Supports a New JSON Project File Format’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/22/xcode-json-project-files">&#9733;</a>
529</dt>
530<dd>
531<p>Apple Developer:</p>
532
533<blockquote>
534  <p>Xcode now supports a JSON-based project format (.xcproj) that’s
535more readable, merge-friendly, and easier for coding agents to
536edit. Enable it in the file inspector. Projects using .xcproj also
537open in earlier versions of Xcode 27.</p>
538</blockquote>
539
540<p>Apple released, on GitHub, <a href="https://github.com/apple/xcode-project-format">a Swift library (and CLI tool)</a> for reading, writing, and manipulating this new project format. <a href="https://mjtsai.com/blog/2026/09/17/xcodes-new-xcproj-files-are-json/">Michael Tsai has a list of developer reactions</a>, which are universally positive. A sampling:</p>
541
542<p><a href="https://mastodon.social/@simonbs/117282260955657402">Simon B. Støvring</a>:</p>
543
544<blockquote>
545  <p>Developers have been screaming for a friendlier Xcode project format for years. I’m one of them.</p>
546</blockquote>
547
548<p><a href="https://mastodon.social/@tonyarnold/117283237592284302">Tony Arnold</a>:</p>
549
550<blockquote>
551  <p>I’ve been waiting for something like this for most of my career! 🎉</p>
552</blockquote>
553
554<p><a href="https://mastodon.social/@cocoaphony/117284198012341992">Rob Napier</a>:</p>
555
556<blockquote>
557  <p>It does feel like another case of “we’ve quickly done a thing to help AI that we’ve been unwilling to do for years to help humans.” I’m seeing that happen across the industry.</p>
558
559<p>It is very welcome and appreciated, and lots of thanks to the teams involved. It’s also frustrating that it took “it can help AI” to make it happen.</p>
560</blockquote>
561
562<p>The old .pbxproj project format was <em>not</em> XML; it was an old <a href="https://daringfireball.net/misc/2026/09/PropertyLists.pdf">NeXT-style “ASCII” property list</a> — a file format that is surprisingly JSON-like considering that it predates not only JSON, but JavaScript (JSON = <a href="https://www.json.org/json-en.html">JavaScript Object Notation</a>). The problem developers have long had with the old .pbxproj project file isn’t about the old plist format, but instead the way the object graph was represented in it. Everything was represented by opaque ID values; one small change in Xcode often resulted in multiple changes on different lines in the .pbxproj file. While technically that format is a human-readable (and thus LLM-readable) text file, it effectively needed to be treated as a binary file.</p>
563
564</dd>
565
566
567<dt>
568<a href="https://www.macrumors.com/2026/09/20/siri-ai-settlement-website-now-live/">Siri AI Class-Action Lawsuit Settlement Website Is Now Live</a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘Siri AI Class-Action Lawsuit Settlement Website Is Now Live’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/22/siri-ai-settlements">&#9733;</a>
569</dt>
570<dd>
571<p>Joe Rossignol, MacRumors:</p>
572
573<blockquote>
574  <p>In May, Apple <a href="https://www.macrumors.com/2026/05/05/apple-class-action-siri-lawsuit-settlement/">agreed to pay $250 million</a> to settle a <a href="https://www.macrumors.com/2025/03/20/apple-intelligence-siri-lawsuit/">U.S.
575class action lawsuit</a> over Siri AI’s delayed launch, and the
576<a href="https://www.smartphoneaisettlement.com/">settlement website</a> is now live.</p>
577
578<p>Apple will pay an estimated $25 per eligible iPhone to eligible
579customers, who can submit a claim via the settlement website
580between September 21 and December 21 of this year. The exact
581payment may be higher or lower than $25 depending on the total
582number of valid claims submitted and other factors, with the
583maximum amount set at $95.</p>
584
585<p>Apple denies all of the allegations made in the lawsuit. Apple
586agreed to the settlement to avoid the costs and risks of a trial.</p>
587</blockquote>
588
589<p>I went ahead and <a href="https://www.smartphoneaisettlement.com/">filled it out</a> for the iPhone 16 Pro I purchased in September 2024. I’d call it borderline whether it was worth my time for $25. It was a pain in the ass every step of the way.</p>
590
591<p>For the eventual payment, your choices to receive the dough are PayPal, Venmo, ACH (bank transfer), or check. I tried to get it via PayPal and it just wouldn’t complete the connection to my PayPal account. After wasting time on a few tries, I tried ACH next, and the web form had pasting disabled on the fields for the routing and account numbers. Ridiculous. I was able to get around that to paste the numbers in, because I use <a href="https://underpassapp.com/StopTheMadness/">StopTheMadness</a>. But most people don’t. The only reason I can think of that they try to block pasting on those fields is to make it difficult.</p>
592
593</dd>
594
595
596</dl>
597
598<h2 class="dateline">Monday, 21 September 2026</h2>
599<dl class="linkedlist">
600<dt>
601<a href="https://lexontech.org/strategery-is-back-and-im-the-developer">Lex Friedman Brings Back Strategery</a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘Lex Friedman Brings Back Strategery’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/21/strategery-friedman">&#9733;</a>
602</dt>
603<dd>
604<p>I first recommended Strategery <a href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2009/05/04/strategery">back in May 2009</a>, including a link to <a href="https://www.macworld.com/article/196162/strategery.html">Friedman’s review at Macworld</a>. I described it thus:</p>
605
606<blockquote>
607  <p>Strategery is a beautiful $2 Risk-like strategy game for the
608iPhone. Lots of fun and the gameplay has a great feel.</p>
609</blockquote>
610
611<p>Still lots of fun and still has a great feel. <a href="https://strategerygame.com/app">It now costs $5</a>, but, if you’re an existing user — even if you only paid $2 back when I told you to 17 years ago — it’s a free update. And it’s a great story: the original Strategery game <a href="https://mastodon.social/@jimray/117138792023999673">finally gave up the compatibility ghost with iOS 27</a>. Friedman made his own version of the game, including multiplayer support, but before releasing it on his own under a new name, he reached out to the original developers and it turns out everyone was happy to make a deal. Sometimes all you need to do is ask.</p>
612
613<p>(First thing you should do after installing the new version is go into settings and turn on “Classic Hex Edges”. The default style — Lex edges? — doesn’t look right.)</p>
614
615</dd>
616
617
618<dt>
619<a href="https://x.com/JoannaStern/status/2102105565195288859">GM Confirms They’re Still Smoking Crack</a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘GM Confirms They’re Still Smoking Crack’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/21/gm-crack-smoking">&#9733;</a>
620</dt>
621<dd>
622<p>
622Joanna Stern, on X:</p>
623
624<blockquote>
625  <p>GM has confirmed it is NOT rolling phone projection to GM EVs.
626Instead this announcement is specific to JUST their new gas
627powered light-duty pickups, which have always supported Apple
628CarPlay and Android Auto.</p>
629</blockquote>
630
631</dd>
632
633
634<dt>
635<a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/tigers-ballpark-name-changed-to-fifth-third-park">America’s Decline Can Be Measured by the Names of Ballparks and Arenas</a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘America’s Decline Can Be Measured by the Names of Ballparks and Arenas’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/21/filth-turd">&#9733;</a>
636</dt>
637<dd>
638<p>MLB:</p>
639
640<blockquote>
641  <p>Comerica Park has had several alternate identities since it became
642the Tigers’ home in 2000. Some have called it Comerica National
643Park for its spacious dimensions. Some fans simply came to call it
644Comerica, or abbreviated it to CoPa, as they grew comfortable with
645it over the years.</p>
646
647<p>Starting next year, the Tigers’ ballpark will have a new formal
648name: Fifth Third Park.</p>
649</blockquote>
650
651<p>Filth Turd Park. Rolls right off the tongue.</p>
652
653</dd>
654
655
656<dt>
657<a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/mariners/ichiro-at-52-throws-127-pitch-shutout-against-all-star-girls-team-in-japan/">Ichiro, at 52, Throws 127-Pitch Shutout Against All-Star Girls Team in Japan</a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘Ichiro, at 52, Throws 127-Pitch Shutout Against All-Star Girls Team in Japan’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/21/ichiro-girls-shutout">&#9733;</a>
658</dt>
659<dd>
660<p>Sofia Schwarzwalder, reporting for The Seattle Times:</p>
661
662<blockquote>
663  <p>Since turning 50, the Mariners legend has been inducted into the
664Hall of Fame, launched eight homers at the Mariners Alumni Home
665Run Derby this summer and, most recently, tossed a 127-pitch
666shutout with 17 strikeouts during an annual All-Star Game against
667the best high-school girls in Japan. [...]</p>
668
669<p>The All-Star Game took place Sunday at the Tokyo Dome in front of
670a reported 25,000 fans. The game also featured former New York
671Yankees All-Star outfielder Hideki Matsui. In addition to his
672dazzling performance on the mound, Ichiro led off the game and had
673a pair of hits.</p>
674
675<p>Speaking to reporters in Japanese, Ichiro said, “I wanted to see
676what my current limits were, and this gave me confidence in
677myself.”</p>
678</blockquote>
679
680<p>Trung Phan, on X, <a href="https://x.com/TrungTPhan/status/2101329253392626032">posted a short video of clips</a>. Ichiro was tossing some nasty stuff.</p>
681
682</dd>
683
684
685<dt>
686<a href="https://glog.glennf.com/blog/2026/09/17/u-s-small-biz-cant-ship-to-the-eu-anymore/">Glenn Fleishman on the Increasing Impracticality of Shipping From the U.S. to the E.U.</a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘Glenn Fleishman on the Increasing Impracticality of Shipping From the U.S. to the E.U.’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/21/fleisnman-eu-shipping">&#9733;</a>
687</dt>
688<dd>
689<p>Glenn Fleishman:</p>
690
691<blockquote>
692  <p>Recent protectionist changes by the European Union further
693effectively exclude U.S. small businesses like mine from selling
694to EU customers. It’s a little complicated, but it has to do with
695how tax and customs fees are collected and extracted from
696low-value packages. This is not a tariff issue, unbelievably, but
697one about reducing competition.</p>
698
699<p>The summary:</p>
700
701<p>Delivering items under €150 per shipment into the EU now costs at
702least €3 per package, and may require hiring a specialty firm to
703manage time-of-purchase tax collection and payment because of the
704many differences in filing by EU nation. Shipping prices have
705swelled. No shipper currently offers rates close to affordable for
706modestly priced items, like books, while properly collecting the
707€3+ customs fee.</p>
708</blockquote>
709
710<p>If these new rules were prompted by Chinese companies like Temu taking advantage of <em>de minimis</em> shipping exceptions (basically by shipping zillions of cheap items one at a time, rather than in bulk), the new rules ought to apply only for items arriving from China.</p>
711
712</dd>
713
714
715<dt>
716<a href="https://pogueman.substack.com/p/125-tests-of-the-new-ai-siri">David Pogue: ‘125 Tests of the New AI Siri’</a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘David Pogue: ‘125 Tests of the New AI Siri’’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/21/pogue-siri-ai-125">&#9733;</a>
717</dt>
718<dd>
719<p>David Pogue:</p>
720
721<blockquote>
722  <p>The hardest part will be <em>getting out of the habit</em> of opening
723apps, and remembering that you <em>have</em> Siri. Give it a few tries.
724Learn to trust it. You’ll save incredible amounts of time and
725fumbling.</p>
726
727<p>I used the beta-test version all summer, growing more and more
728excited. Now that the final version is out, I wanted to see how
729often it gets things right. It <em>is</em> AI, after all. So I ran it
730through 125 tests.</p>
731
732<p>Some of these tasks are things Apple said are possible. Some
733ideas, I picked up from people on Reddit trying stuff. Some, I
734just wondered if Siri could do. It failed a handful of times. But
735a few other times, it absolutely blew me away. It did amazing
736things I bet you never suspected Siri could do.</p>
737</blockquote>
738
739<p>I’ve been using iOS 27 with the new Siri AI since the week after WWDC, and the single biggest problem I have echoes Pogue’s: remembering that Siri is now useful. I keep doing things manually, <em>then</em> thinking “Hey, I should have tried that with Siri...”, trying it again with Siri after the fact, and realizing only then that Siri accomplished the thing.</p>
740
741</dd>
742
743
744<dt>
745<a href="https://matthewbutterick.com/chron/drop-dead.html">Matthew Butterick: ‘Big AI to Humanity: Drop Dead’</a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘Matthew Butterick: ‘Big AI to Humanity: Drop Dead’’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/21/butterick-big-ai">&#9733;</a>
746</dt>
747<dd>
748<p>Matthew Butterick:</p>
749
750<blockquote>
751  <p>So let’s not take the bait. Nor overcomplicate. We needn’t spin
752our collective wheels spitballing answers to big-picture,
753long-term Al-policy questions. We don’t know enough yet. The best
754next steps are the concrete ones: Big Al needs to follow all
755current laws — just like everyone else. So far — they haven’t.
756When Big Al breaks those laws, they must face prosecution and
757penalties — just like everyone else. So far — they haven’t. The
758state and federal agencies tasked with enforcing those laws need
759to apply them to Big Al — just like everyone else. So far — they
760haven’t. In short, we have to attend to the basic features of the
761rule of law. So far — we haven’t. If we can’t or won’t insist on
762that now, then we shouldn’t expect to be able to later.</p>
763</blockquote>
764
765</dd>
766
767
768<dt>
769<a href="https://seths.blog/2014/01/measuring-nothing-with-great-accuracy/">‘Measuring Nothing (With Great Accuracy)’</a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘‘Measuring Nothing (With Great Accuracy)’’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/21/godin-measuring-nothing">&#9733;</a>
770</dt>
771<dd>
772<p>Seth Godin back in 2014:</p>
773
774<blockquote>
775  <p>You can’t tell if a book is any good by the number of words it
776contains, even though it’s quite easy and direct to measure this.</p>
777</blockquote>
778
779<p>(Vis-à-vis <a href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/20/mkbhd-iphone-18-pro">my sidenote over the weekend</a> about Apple refusing to publish mAh battery specs for iPhones.)</p>
780
781</dd>
782
783
784</dl>
785
786<h2 class="dateline">Sunday, 20 September 2026</h2>
787<dl class="linkedlist">
788<dt>
789<a href="https://deadline.com/2026/09/jessica-chastain-the-savant-new-release-date-apple-tv-1237108228/">Apple TV to Finally Air ‘The Savant’ in Early 2027, Supposedly</a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘Apple TV to Finally Air ‘The Savant’ in Early 2027, Supposedly’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/20/deadline-the-savant">&#9733;</a>
790</dt>
791<dd>
792<p>Nellie Andreeva, reporting for Deadline:</p>
793
794<blockquote>
795  <p>The release of <em>The Savant</em> is back on. A year after Apple TV put
796the thriller starring Jessica Chastain on hold three days before
797it was slated to premiere on Sept. 26, 2025, the streamer has
798rescheduled it for spring, 2027. The exact timing, which is still
799being finalized, will make the series eligible for the 2027
800Emmys, I hear.</p>
801
802<p>As Deadline <a href="https://deadline.com/2025/09/the-savant-jessica-chastain-postponed-apple-1236553658/">reported at the time</a> of the postponement, <em>The
803Savant</em>’s last-minute benching was due to its storyline about
804preventing extremist attacks and some imagery, including sniper
805attacks, that were considered potentially triggering two weeks
806after the assassination of right-wing political activist
807Charlie Kirk.</p>
808</blockquote>
809
810<p>The only people who were potentially “triggered” by this would be whoever answers the phone in Cupertino when the White House calls. <a href="https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/apple-tv-schedules-jessica-ch
810astain-thriller-the-savant-1236560893/">Variety</a> and <a href="https://www.darkhorizons.com/the-savant-sets-spring-2027-release/">Dark Horizons</a> both echo Deadline’s reporting that Apple TV is finally going to air <em>The Savant</em> early next year, but <a href="https://www.apple.com/tv-pr/originals/the-savant/">Apple TV’s own press page</a> still lists it as “Premiere Date: Coming Soon”.</p>
811
812</dd>
813
814
815<dt>
816<a href="https://youtu.be/WrwY_jVaN-w">Yours Truly on CNBC’s ‘Squawk on the Street’ Friday</a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘Yours Truly on CNBC’s ‘Squawk on the Street’ Friday’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/20/yours-truly-cnbc">&#9733;</a>
817</dt>
818<dd>
819<p>I genuinely enjoyed that Sara Eisen laughed a little when introducing me as having written a 5,000-word review of the iPhone 18 Pro.</p>
820
821</dd>
822
823
824<dt>
825<a href="https://workos.com/guide/the-developers-guide-to-sso?utm_source=daringfireball&amp;utm_medium=newsletter&amp;utm_campaign=q32026">WorkOS: How SSO Works and the Fastest Way to Add&#160;It</a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘WorkOS: How SSO Works and the Fastest Way to Add It’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/20/workos-sso">&#9733;</a>
826</dt>
827<dd>
828<p>My thanks to WorkOS for sponsoring this last week — a big week — at DF.</p>
829
830<p>SSO is table stakes for enterprise deals, but building it into your app yourself means writing SAML controllers, parsing XML assertions, and handling IdP-specific quirks for each provider. Learn how SAML flows work, the tradeoffs between building or buying, and best practices for security, routing, and UX.</p>
831
832<p>Or, skip the hassle and add SSO with <a href="https://workos.com/?utm_source=daringfireball&amp;utm_medium=newsletter&amp;utm_campaign=q22026">WorkOS</a>. Read <a href="https://workos.com/guide/the-developers-guide-to-sso?utm_source=daringfireball&amp;utm_medium=newsletter&amp;utm_campaign=q32026">their developer’s guide to learn more</a>.</p>
833
834</dd>
835
836
837<dt>
838<a href="https://www.autoweek.com/news/a73761352/gm-revives-apple-carplay-for-2027-chevy-silverado-gmc-sierra/">GM Revives CarPlay for 2027 Trucks</a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘GM Revives CarPlay for 2027 Trucks’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/20/gm-carplay-never-mind">&#9733;</a>
839</dt>
840<dd>
841<p>Natalie Neff, Autoweek:</p>
842
843<blockquote>
844  <p>General Motors is reversing course after having begun to remove
845Apple CarPlay from its vehicles, showing off instead a redesigned
846infotainment interface for the 2027 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC
847Sierra pickups that melds the smartphone apps with the truck’s
848native vehicle controls on the same screen.</p>
849
850<p>The new system, which will roll out later this year, marks a
851significant walk-back after the automaker faced widespread
852criticism for removing Apple CarPlay and Android Auto from its
853Ultium-based electric vehicles beginning with the 2024 Chevrolet
854Blazer EV.</p>
855</blockquote>
856
857<p>One of the dumbest own goals in recent memory. Tesla gets away with not supporting CarPlay because they created their own system that’s so good that many Tesla owners prefer it, or, at least find it good enough as an alternative. GM tried to replace CarPlay with a system that no one liked.</p>
858
859</dd>
860
861
862<dt>
863<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohqxP8EEumo">Marques Brownlee’s iPhone 18 Pro Review</a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘Marques Brownlee’s iPhone 18 Pro Review’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/20/mkbhd-iphone-18-pro">&#9733;</a>
864</dt>
865<dd>
866<p>He takes the same “<em>this is pretty much exactly what Apple used to label an ‘S’ year</em>” angle I did, so, unsurprisingly, I think his review is spot-on. Brownlee emphasizes one point that I should have, but didn’t: according to Apple’s published specs, the regular iPhone 18 Pro gets longer battery life than the iPhone 17 Pro Max. That’s just a year-over-year spec that anyone can understand, for an attribute that everyone cares about.</p>
867
868<p><strong>Sidenote, per that point:</strong> Brownlee wonders why Apple still refuses to publish the capacities of iPhone batteries in mAh. We eventually find out when people take new iPhones apart, so why not publish the numbers? Brownlee only mentions batteries but I’ll point out that Apple still does the same thing with RAM. There is no spec on the tech specs page for any iPhone telling you how much RAM it has. In some ways this is a little silly, but the way Apple thinks about it is that they only publish specs that they think are useful for comparison. Storage is useful for comparison, so Apple dutifully publishes storage c
868apacities. In fact that is the spec by which they price higher tiers. Battery <em>life</em> is useful for comparison, so Apple publishes that as a spec, based on multiple use cases. But mAh capacity of the battery, to Apple’s mind, isn’t useful for comparison. Not for comparison to Android phones, especially, and not even for comparison to other iPhone models. If they published a spec that says iPhone A has a 4,000 mAh battery and some Samsung phone has a 5,000 mAh battery, one could conclude that the Samsung phone “wins”. Obviously a bigger battery leads to longer battery life, but battery capacity alone doesn’t tell the battery life story for any device. The main reason that the year-over-year iPhone Pro battery life has improved so much that the regular iPhone 18 Pro gets longer battery life than the 17 Pro Max isn’t related to battery size — it’s the increased efficiency of the A20 Pro SoC (and perhaps secondarily the improved thermal system). Same thing for RAM. To Apple’s mind, iPhones perform much better with less physical RAM than Android phones do, so they don’t think RAM-vs.-RAM is a useful comparison. In fact, they think looking at RAM would be misleading. So they don’t publish it. They know that those of us who care are going to learn how much RAM is in these phones (12 GB, just like last year’s 17 Pro models), and how big the batteries are in mAh. But they’re only going to list the specs that they think are useful for comparison purposes.</p>
869
870</dd>
871
872
873</dl>
874
875<h2 class="dateline">Saturday, 19 September 2026</h2>
876<dl class="linkedlist">
877<dt>
878<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6cDErtCKAc">Tyler Stalman’s iPhone 18 Pro Camera Review</a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘Tyler Stalman’s iPhone 18 Pro Camera Review’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/19/stalman-iphone-18-pro">&#9733;</a>
879</dt>
880<dd>
881<p>Splendid video. Love that Stalman shot photos side-by-side with a film SLR using Kodak Portra 400, for comparison to Apple’s new film-look Photographic Styles.</p>
882
883</dd>
884
885
886<dt>
887<a href="https://www.austinmann.com/trek/iphone-18-pro-camera-review-dunton">Austin Mann’s iPhone 18 Pro Camera Review, From Dunton, Colorado</a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘Austin Mann’s iPhone 18 Pro Camera Review, From Dunton, Colorado’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/19/mann-iphone-18-pro">&#9733;</a>
888</dt>
889<dd>
890<p>Austin Mann:</p>
891
892<blockquote>
893  <p>I’m here at the beautiful <a href="https://www.bydunton.com/destinations/rivercamp">Dunton River Camp</a> in southwest
894Colorado, where I’ve spent the last week testing the new camera
895and features on the iPhone 18 Pro.</p>
896
897<p>Beyond the variable aperture and Pro Controls, Apple also built in
898a bunch of other new features like Photographic Styles 3 with film
899texture and grain control, 4K Time-lapse and Focus Tracking. As
900always, when I start a field test I’m asking one question:</p>
901
902<p><em>How will this new tech make our pictures and videos better?</em></p>
903</blockquote>
904
905<p>Outstanding example photos, a terrific video that illustrates how some of the new “pro controls” in the Camera app work, and some terrific examples of Photographic Styles 3.</p>
906
907<p>(I love how Mann takes these new phones to exotic locales around the globe each year, and I take them <a href="https://daringfireball.net/2026/09/the_iphones_18_pro#:~:text=WITH%20FILM%20TEXTURE%20AND%20GRAIN">to the hardware store</a>.)</p>
908
909</dd>
910
911
912</dl>
913
914<h2 class="dateline">Friday, 18 September 2026</h2>
915<dl class="linkedlist">
916<dt>
917<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/16/opinion/university-of-california-sat.html?unlocked_article_code=1.CFE.bXBA.V6BFzBn1jlKG">Just Me or Does This Argument Not Add&#160;Up?</a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘Just Me or Does This Argument Not Add Up?’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/18/sat-add-up">&#9733;</a>
918</dt>
919<dd>
920<p>Miriam Pawel, in an op-ed in The New York Times arguing that the University of California should not bring back the SAT requirement for admission:</p>
921
922<blockquote>
923  <p>What has made the University of California exceptional is its
924commitment to increase access without sacrificing excellence.
925[...] Students on University of California campuses may struggle
926with basic math, but they are graduating at record rates.</p>
927</blockquote>
928
929<p>A success story would be increasing the number of people with solid math skills. Printing degrees for students who struggle with basic math is not a success story, and sounds like the antithesis of “academic excellence”.</p>
930
931</dd>
932
933
934<dt>
935<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/2026/09/apple-folding-iphone/688562/?gift=aQyUJR7AIw1mJWdQ6Ed6yE6RbvpIGGpQGFPIX827p48">Will Oremus Is a Duo Doubter</a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘Will Oremus Is a Duo Doubter’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/18/oremus-duo-doubter">&#9733;</a>
936</dt>
937<dd>
938<p>Will Oremus, writing for The Atlantic last week, “Okay, Sure, a Folding iPhone” (gift link):</p>
939
940<blockquote>
941  <p>Apple’s next big invention, the company revealed at a launch event
942in Cupertino, is a $2,000 iPhone that sports — get ready — a
943“remarkable hinge.”</p>
944</blockquote>
945
946<p>Is it not possible for a hinge to be remarkable?</p>
947
948<blockquote>
949  <p>This is the iPhone Duo, a foldable gadget that opens like a book
950to reveal a capacious 7.6-inch screen. Billed as the most
951versatile iPhone, it can be used in folded or unfolded form, and
952in split-screen or full-screen modes. The screen appears seamless
953when open, which is a clever engineering feat. Yet an iPhone that
954blossoms into an iPad Mini seems unlikely to change many lives — especially at the price of a MacBook Pro.</p>
955</blockquote>
956
957<p>Why is it strange for an iPhone to have a similar price to a MacBook Pro? For many people the phone is their primary computer, the most important and personal device in their life. Not me. Not Oremus. Probably not you. But I bet there are a lot more people out there who w
957ould rather have a $2500 iPhone and a $700 MacBook Neo than who would want a $2500 MacBook Pro and a $700 iPhone.</p>
958
959<p>The oddity isn’t that the Duo is priced from $2000–$3200, it’s that it’s taken Apple 20 years to get to an iPhone with prices like this.</p>
960
961<blockquote>
962  <p>And foldable smartphones have been on the market since Samsung
963popularized the category, in 2019. In the pantheon of “one more
964things,” the Duo feels like a dud.</p>
965</blockquote>
966
967<p>This is half correct. Samsung has had foldables on the market since 2019. They have, as yet, <a href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/07/birchler-folding-iphone-predictions">not been popularized</a>. “The Duo feels like a dud” has a bit of “<a href="http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/10/23/1816257&amp;mode=thread&amp;tid=107">No wireless. Less space than a nomad. Lame.</a>” energy to it. If an all-new iPhone form factor doesn’t qualify for “one more thing” not much will.</p>
968
969</dd>
970
971
972<dt>
973<a href="https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=nyuppv9r">Apple Releases Xcode 27.1, First SDK With Support for iPhone&#160;Duo</a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘Apple Releases Xcode 27.1, First SDK With Support for iPhone Duo’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/18/xcode-27-1-duo">&#9733;</a>
974</dt>
975<dd>
976<p>In addition to the Duo-specific 27.1 SDK, which allows third-party developers to get started adapting apps to the Duo’s new screen sizes and layouts, Apple’s developer site also has Figma and Sketch design kits.</p>
977
978</dd>
979
980
981<dt>
982<a href="https://www.berkshirehathaway.com/news/sep1826.pdf">Warren Buffett, at 96, Steps Down as Chairman at Berkshire Hathaway</a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘Warren Buffett, at 96, Steps Down as Chairman at Berkshire Hathaway’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/18/buffett-retires">&#9733;</a>
983</dt>
984<dd>
985<p>Warren Buffett, in a letter to Berkshire shareholders:</p>
986
987<blockquote>
988  <p>Recently, I celebrated my 96th birthday with family and friends,
989including one of my great-grandchildren, who had just turned one.
990He’s moving a bit faster than I am these days. [...]</p>
991
992<p>So the timing is right to complete the transition. I will become
993Chairman Emeritus and remain a Director. My son, Howard, will
994succeed me as Chairman.</p>
995
996<p>Howard has been a Berkshire Director for 33 years. That is a
997longer apprenticeship than I served before taking the reins at the
998age of 34. Greg runs the company; Howard will guard its culture
999and values — both worth more than anything on our balance sheet.
1000Think of Howard as a policy the shareholders own and hope never to
1001claim against.</p>
1002</blockquote>
1003
1004<p>Not many 71-year-olds rise to the position of chairman at leading corporations.</p>
1005
1006</dd>
1007
1008
1009<dt>
1010<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/117293599348325006">Trump Says He’s Banning MS NOW, CNN, and Politico From White House</a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘Trump Says He’s Banning MS NOW, CNN, and Politico From White House’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/18/trump-msnow-cnn-politico">&#9733;</a>
1011</dt>
1012<dd>
1013<p>Let’s check in on the president of the United States, having a normal one on his blog:</p>
1014
1015<blockquote>
1016  <p>I am proud to announce that, effective immediately, I am banning
1017Fake News CNN, MSNOW (who recently changed their name from MSNBC
1018due to lack of viewership and credibility!), and Politico (The
1019recipients of an illegal and ridiculous $8 Million Dollar
1020subscription, an All Time Record, directly from the United States
1021Government, under Crooked Joe Biden, in order to keep them
1022“alive.” Seems like corruption to me!), from the White House as a
1023result of their constant “reporting” FAKE NEWS! Media Outlets
1024shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES
1025when they’re covering the President of the United States, the
1026Trump Administration, or the United States of America. Other Fake
1027News Media Outlets to follow. Thank you for your attention to this
1028matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP</p>
1029</blockquote>
1030
1031<p>Republicans are the party of free speech.</p>
1032
1033</dd>
1034
1035
1036<dt>
1037<a href="https://pagesix.com/2026/09/16/hollywood/mysterious-apple-ceo-charms-hollywood-following-big-emmys-night-by-showing-off-new-iphone/">Hollywood Wants the&#160;Duo</a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘Hollywood Wants the Duo’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/18/hollywood-wants-duo">&#9733;</a>
1038</dt>
1039<dd>
1040<p>Page Six Hollywood:</p>
1041
1042<blockquote>
1043  <p>Ternus attended an intimate Apple party the night before the
1044Emmys, filled with stars and powerbrokers, where some talent
1045brazenly hit him up for the phone.</p>
1046
1047<p>“The new phone is big news,” said one top Hollywood exec, who
1048added that they heard of at least one star, “asking [Ternus] to
1049get him on the list” for a phone. Joked the source about who gets
1050the phones: “It’s like CEOs. That’s like the ‘Eddy Cue list of
1051illuminati.’” (Cue is Apple’s senior vice president of services
1052and health.)</p>
1053</blockquote>
1054
1055</dd>
1056
1057
1058<dt>
1059<a href="https://maxfrequency.net/2026/09/17/iphone-duo-mkbhd-popularity-or-curiosity/">Gauging Interest in the iPhone&#160;Duo</a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘Gauging Interest in the iPhone Duo’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/18/gauging-interest-in-the-iphone-duo">&#9733;</a>
1060</dt>
1061<dd>
1062<p>Max Roberts, after looking at the list of MKBHD’s all-time most popular videos, and noting that his Duo first-look is #3, and a Duo follow-up is already at #36:</p>
1063
1064<blockquote>
1065  <p>Apple enters the category and in a week it blows past every other
1066folding video.</p>
1067
1068<p>Now, this doesn’t translate to sales and folding phones taking
1069over the entire smartphone market, but it does highlight a few
1070things to me about tech and the viewers of Marques’ channel.</p>
1071
1072<ol>
1073<li>Apple is the most popular brand Marques talks about.</li>
1074<li>New products and form factors from Apple are the most popular
1075Apple videos.</li>
1076<li>When the iPhone comes in a new form, watch out.</li>
1077</ol>
1078</blockquote>
1079
1080<p>There’s no need to overthink it. Humans are decidedly visual animals. Our brains evolved to notice and take interest in novelties. “New” will forever be the most powerful word in marketing. If something <em>looks</em> new, it <em>feels</em> new. If something doesn’t look new (like, say, the iPhone 18 Pro), it doesn’t <em>feel</em> new.</p>
1081
1082<p>The Duo looks totally new.</p>
1083
1084<p>It doesn’t matter that Samsung and Google and a bunch of Chinese companies have made foldable Android ph
1084ones for a decade. <a href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/07/birchler-folding-iphone-predictions">Almost nobody cares</a>. The Duo is a fucking iPhone. That makes people care.</p>
1085
1086</dd>
1087
1088
1089<dt>
1090<a href="https://daringfireball.net/2026/09/the_iphones_18_pro#:~:text=OR%20IS%20IT%20BIGGER">One More Thing About the iPhones 18 Pro: the Bigger/Smaller Dynamic Island</a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘One More Thing About the iPhones 18 Pro: the Bigger/Smaller Dynamic Island’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/18/iphone-18-pro-dynamic-island">&#9733;</a>
1091</dt>
1092<dd>
1093<p>Cleaning up my notes this morning, I realized I forgot to write about the new under-display Face ID sensor in the iPhones 18 Pro, and the corresponding change to the Dynamic Island. I just added it to my review. For those of you who’ve already read the review, here’s the new section in its entirety:</p>
1094
1095<blockquote>
1096  <h2>A Smaller — or Is It Bigger? — Dynamic Island</h2>
1097
1098<p>Apple moved the Face ID infrared camera under the display. It’s up
1099in the top left, underneath the area where iOS displays the time
1100in the status bar. This means that the dedicated black cutout for
1101the Dynamic Island is now noticeably smaller. But it also means
1102that when iOS is rendering the dynamic features of the Dynamic
1103Island, it’s effectively <em>bigger</em>, because now iOS can draw to the
1104left of it, where the Face ID sensor had previously occupied
1105dedicated space. On all previous iPhones with the Dynamic Island,
1106you can see up to two Live Activities at once in the Dynamic
1107Island. With the iPhone 18 Pro, you can now see up to three. I
1108don’t often have three Live Activities going at once, but
1109sometimes I do — simultaneous sporting events, upcoming flights
1110plus an Uber to the airport, etc. So the permanent cutout for the
1111Dynamic Island is smaller, but the usable space for <em>content</em> in
1112the Dynamic Island is now larger.</p>
1113
1114<p>There’s a minor tradeoff with this design. Even my middle-aged
1115eyes can see that the pixels on top of the Face ID sensor aren’t
1116quite as sharp as those on the rest of the screen. The time of day
1117in the status bar looks like it’s just a tad fuzzy, like the text
1118isn’t anti-aliased correctly. No big deal, and you need to look
1119for it to notice it.</p>
1120
1121<p>Over the past decade, Apple has taken this design <a href="https://daringfireball.net/2017/09/iphone_x_event_thoughts_and_observations#:~:text=THE%20NOTCH">from a big
1122notch</a>, to a smaller notch, to the Dynamic Island, and now to a
1123smaller cutout for the Dynamic Island. I don’t know if they’re
1124ever going to get there, but the goal, obviously, is to eventually
1125put all sensors under the display, creating a genuine all-display
1126front. Putting Face ID under the display on the iPhone 18 Pro is a
1127significant step toward that.</p>
1128</blockquote>
1129
1130</dd>
1131
1132
1133<dt>
1134<a href="https://support.google.com/youtube/thread/433409976/an-update-to-how-we-count-public-views-across-youtube?hl=en">YouTube Changed How It Counts ‘Views’ Last Month, Inflating New Numbers</a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘YouTube Changed How It Counts ‘Views’ Last Month, Inflating New Numbers’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/18/youtube-view-counts">&#9733;</a>
1135</dt>
1136<dd>
1137<p>YouTube Help:</p>
1138
1139<blockquote>
1140  <p>Last year, we updated how we count public views for Shorts to
1141better capture how viewers watch on YouTube. Now, we’re aligning
1142all other video formats to this same standard for consistency
1143across the platform. Beginning on 8/24/2026, a view will be
1144counted the moment a video begins to play — from the very first
1145frame. This standard will now apply globally across all formats.</p>
1146
1147<p>Historically, we’ve used multiple view counting systems across
1148different formats. However, we’ve heard that creators want to
1149eliminate this metric confusion and accurately understand their
1150true exposure, which is why we’re making this update!</p>
1151</blockquote>
1152
1153<p>In <a href="https://daringfireball.net/2026/09/thoughts_and_observations_on_apples_surprise_and_shine_event">my long take on Apple’s week ago keynote</a>, I made mention of the higher-than-ever view numbers for Apple’s iPhone keynote and announcement. I still think interest in Apple’s September iPhone events is higher than ever, and interest in the iPhone Duo is perhaps unprecedented, but there’s no point trying to measure this objectively via YouTube view counts with this change.</p>
1154
1155</dd>
1156
1157
1158</dl>
1159
1160<hr class="ookiaks" />
1161
1162
1163<div class="article">
1164<h1><a href="https://daringfireball.net/2026/09/the_iphones_18_pro" title="Permanent link to ‘The iPhones 18 Pro’">The iPhones 18&#160;Pro</a></h1>
1165<h6 class="dateline">Thursday, 17 September 2026</h6>
1166
1167<p>Every year since 2007, Apple has debuted a new flagship iPhone. Other than the just plain “iPhone” original, they all have numbers of some sort in their name. If you make a list of them in order, it’s a bit of a marketing curiosity that the only one of the bunch whose number in its name corresponds to its generation number is the <a href="https://daringfireball.net/2010/06/4">iPhone 4</a>, which was in fact the fourth iPhone. (The “ten” in iPhone X marked 10 years, but it was the 11th flagship model.)</p>
1168
1169<p>The iPhone 18 Pro, in fact, heralds Apple’s 20th iPhone generation:</p>
1170
1171<!-- Markdown table:
1172|     | Flagship        | Year | Milestones
1173|----:|:----------------|:-----|:---------------------------------
1174|  1. | [iPhone]        | 2007 | Holy shit
1175|  2. | [iPhone 3G]     | 2008 | EDGE → 3G, GPS
1176|  3. | iPhone 3GS      | 2009 | Speed, shooting video
1177|  4. | [iPhone 4]      | 2010 | Retina
1178|  5. | [iPhone 4S]     | 2011 | Late spring → early fall release
1179|  6. | [iPhone 5]      | 2012 | Lightning, 3.5″ → 4″
1180|  7. | [iPhone 5S]     | 2013 | Touch ID, 64-bit
1181|  8. | [iPhone 6]      | 2014 | Plus-size option
1182|  9. | [iPhone 6S]     | 2015 |
1183| 10. | [iPhone 7]      | 2016 | 2nd camera (Plus only)
1184| 11. | [iPhone X]      | 2017 | Holy shit redux
1185| 12. | [iPhone XS]     | 2018 |
1186| 13. | [iPhone 11 Pro] | 2019 | 3rd camera
1187| 14. | [iPhone 12 Pro] | 2020 | MagSafe
1188| 15. | [iPhone 13 Pro] | 2021 | ProMotion
1189| 16. | [iPhone 14 Pro] | 2022 | Notch → Dynamic Island
1190| 17. | [iPhone 15 Pro] | 2023 | Pro video, USB-C, Action button
1191| 18. | [iPhone 16 Pro] | 2024 | Camera Control button
1192| 19. | [iPhone 17 Pro] | 2025 | Camera plateau expands, Ceramic Shield 2
1193| 20. | iPhone 18 Pro   | 2026 |
1194 -->
1195
1196<p><style>
1197table td,
1198table th {
1199    vertical-align: top !important;
1200}
1201</style></p>
1202
1203<p><table width=500 style="margin-left: -10px;">
1204<thead>
1205<tr>
1206  <th align="right"></th>
1207  <th align="left">Flagship</th>
1208  <th align="left" style="padding-right: 1.5em;">Year</th>
1209  <th align="left">Milestones</th>
1210</tr>
1211</thead>
1212<tbody>
1213<tr>
1214  <td align="right">1.</td>
1215  <td align="left"><a href="https://daringfireball.net/2007/06/iphone_first_impressions">iPhone</a></td>
1216  <td align="left">2007</td>
1217  <td align="left">Holy shit</td>
1218</tr>
1219<tr>
1220  <td align="right">2.</td>
1221  <td align="left"><a href="https://daringfireball.net/2008/10/iphone_3g">
1221iPhone 3G</a></td>
1222  <td align="left">2008</td>
1223  <td align="left">EDGE → 3G, GPS</td>
1224</tr>
1225<tr>
1226  <td align="right">3.</td>
1227  <td align="left">iPhone 3GS<sup id="fnr1-2026-09-17"><a href="#fn1-2026-09-17">1</a></sup></td>
1228  <td align="left">2009</td>
1229  <td align="left">Speed, shooting video</td>
1230</tr>
1231<tr>
1232  <td align="right">4.</td>
1233  <td align="left"><a href="https://daringfireball.net/2010/06/4">iPhone 4</a></td>
1234  <td align="left">2010</td>
1235  <td align="left">Retina</td>
1236</tr>
1237<tr>
1238  <td align="right">5.</td>
1239  <td align="left"><a href="https://daringfireball.net/2011/10/iphone_4s">iPhone 4S</a></td>
1240  <td align="left">2011</td>
1241  <td align="left">Late spring → early fall release</td>
1242</tr>
1243<tr>
1244  <td align="right">6.</td>
1245  <td align="left"><a href="https://daringfireball.net/2012/09/iphone_5">iPhone 5</a></td>
1246  <td align="left">2012</td>
1247  <td align="left">Lightning, 3.5″ → 4″</td>
1248</tr>
1249<tr>
1250  <td align="right">7.</td>
1251  <td align="left"><a href="https://daringfireball.net/2013/09/the_iphone_5s_and_5c">iPhone 5S</a></td>
1252  <td align="left">2013</td>
1253  <td align="left">Touch ID, 64-bit</td>
1254</tr>
1255<tr>
1256  <td align="right">8.</td>
1257  <td align="left"><a href="https://daringfireball.net/2014/09/the_iphones_6">iPhone 6</a></td>
1258  <td align="left">2014</td>
1259  <td align="left">Plus-size option</td>
1260</tr>
1261<tr>
1262  <td align="right">9.</td>
1263  <td align="left"><a href="https://daringfireball.net/2015/09/the_iphones_6s">iPhone 6S</a></td>
1264  <td align="left">2015</td>
1265  <td align="left"></td>
1266</tr>
1267<tr>
1268  <td align="right">10.</td>
1269  <td align="left"><a href="https://daringfireball.net/2016/09/the_iphones_7">iPhone 7</a></td>
1270  <td align="left">2016</td>
1271  <td align="left">2nd camera (Plus only)</td>
1272</tr>
1273<tr>
1274  <td align="right">11.</td>
1275  <td align="left"><a href="https://daringfireball.net/2017/12/the_iphone_x">iPhone X</a></td>
1276  <td align="left">2017</td>
1277  <td align="left">Holy shit redux</td>
1278</tr>
1279<tr>
1280  <td align="right">12.</td>
1281  <td align="left"><a href="https://daringfireball.net/2018/09/the_iphones_xs">iPhone XS</a></td>
1282  <td align="left">2018</td>
1283  <td align="left"></td>
1284</tr>
1285<tr>
1286  <td align="right">13.</td>
1287  <td align="left"><a href="https://daringfireball.net/2019/09/the_iphone_11_and_iphones_11_pro">iPhone 11 Pro</a></td>
1288  <td align="left">2019</td>
1289  <td align="left">3rd camera</td>
1290</tr>
1291<tr>
1292  <td align="right">14.</td>
1293  <td align="left"><a href="https://daringfireball.net/2020/10/the_iphone_12_and_iphone_12_pro">iPhone 12 Pro</a></td>
1294  <td align="left">2020</td>
1295  <td align="left">MagSafe</td>
1296</tr>
1297<tr>
1298  <td align="right">15.</td>
1299  <td align="left"><a href="https://daringfireball.net/2021/09/the_iphones_13">iPhone 13 Pro</a></td>
1300  <td align="left">2021</td>
1301  <td align="left">ProMotion</td>
1302</tr>
1303<tr>
1304  <td align="right">16.</td>
1305  <td align="left"><a href="https://daringfireball.net/2022/09/the_iphones_14_pro">iPhone 14 Pro</a></td>
1306  <td align="left">2022</td>
1307  <td align="left">Notch → Dynamic Island</td>
1308</tr>
1309<tr>
1310  <td align="right">17.</td>
1311  <td align="left"><a href="https://daringfireball.net/2023/09/the_iphones_15_pro">iPhone 15 Pro</a></td>
1312  <td align="left">2023</td>
1313  <td align="left">Pro video, USB-C, Action button</td>
1314</tr>
1315<tr>
1316  <td align="right">18.</td>
1317  <td align="left"><a href="https://daringfireball.net/2024/09/the_iphones_16#fnr1-2024-09-18">iPhone 16 Pro</a></td>
1318  <td align="left">2024</td>
1319  <td align="left">Camera Control button</td>
1320</tr>
1321<tr>
1322  <td align="right">19.</td>
1323  <td align="left"><a href="https://daringfireball.net/2026/09/the_iphone_air_and_iphone_17_pro">iPhone 17 Pro</a></td>
1324  <td align="left">2025</td>
1325  <td align="left">Camera plateau expands, Ceramic Shield 2</td>
1326</tr>
1327<tr>
1328  <td align="right">20.</td>
1329  <td align="left" style="white-space: nowrap;">iPhone 18 Pro</td>
1330  <td align="left">2026</td>
1331  <td align="left"></td>
1332</tr>
1333</tbody>
1334</table></p>
1335
1336<p>I compiled this list from memory. I had to double-check a few of the milestone notes, but I literally remember every single new flagship iPhone. And I don’t really have a particularly good memory. The fact that Apple has just incremented integers annually since the iPhone 11 makes that easier. But the iPhone is unique in this way. I can sort of do it off the top of my head with the major Apple II models: II, II Plus, IIe, IIc, IIGS.<sup id="fnr2-2026-09-17"><a href="#fn2-2026-09-17">2</a></sup> But I can’t do it with iPads, and I don’t think there’s even a way to make such a list for Macs.</p>
1337
1338<p>Maybe next year Apple will commemorate the 20th anniversary with an iPhone 20 (there’s no way they’re going to call it “XX”, right? <
1338a href="https://daringfireball.net/2017/09/x_man">Right</a>?). They skipped right over 9, and could do the same with 19. But the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are the 20th new flagship models. That’s something.</p>
1339
1340<p>But ... is the 18 Pro even the flagship iPhone of this generation? Apple first started launching multiple phones the same year with the “unapologetically plastic” 5C alongside the 5S. Starting with the simultaneous unveiling of the forgettable iPhone 8/8 Plus and unforgettable iPhone X in 2017, Apple has launched multiple models at different tiers each fall. But it’s always been obviously clear which iPhone was <em>the</em> iPhone.</p>
1341
1342<p>This year, it’s not quite so obvious. Apple made no mention of the plain no-adjective iPhone 18 last week, and, now that I think about it, no one in the media wondered where it was. Apple never said “It’s coming early next year” and no one asked. Nor did Apple mention the year-old iPhone Air or offer even a hint that a sequel is coming alongside the 18 and 18e in early 2027.</p>
1343
1344<p>But the 18 Pro debuted alongside the iPhone Duo. The Duo got the anchor spot in the announcement keynote. The Duo is <a href="https://x.com/nandoprince93/status/2100247481237815567">getting</a> the <a href="https://x.com/gruber/status/2100343833200370161">billboards</a>. It was a pearl white Duo that <a href="https://x.com/DEADLINE/status/2099645816361332775">John Ternus pulled from his tuxedo jacket</a> on the red carpet at the Emmys Monday night. If it had been a burgundy iPhone 18 Pro instead, <a href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/16/duo-ternus-pocket">would the reporter from Deadline have screamed</a>? Would it make a difference if someone told her the 18 Pro main camera now has variable aperture?</p>
1345
1346<p>I do think the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are the flagship iPhones this year. But I wonder if I’m biased from habit. The Duo makes this year different, unlike any other, because clearly it is the most exciting new iPhone. One week out and it feels like the most exciting new iPhone since the iPhone X nine years ago. A decade from now, if I make a list like the above with 30 years of “flagship” iPhones, might not the Duo occupy the 2026 spot?</p>
1347
1348<p><em>Reply hazy, try again.</em></p>
1349
1350<h2>An ‘S’ by Any Other Name Would Smell as Sweet</h2>
1351
1352<p>Apple hasn’t put an “S” in an iPhone’s name since the XS in 2018, but the 18 Pro is a very S-like phone. The S models all had similar attributes: they looked nearly identical to their year-prior predecessors, and their improvements were often internal or technical. The 3GS was remarkably faster than the 3G. The 5S added 64-bit support <a href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2013/09/12/samsung-64">years ahead</a> of when observers expected mobile ARM chips to do so, and introduced Touch ID. The S years tend not to be exciting but they are workmanlike. Apple’s rigorous annual update schedule for the iPhone as a whole, and Apple Silicon A-series chips specifically, leads to compounding gains. I’ll leave it to others to benchmark the A20 Pro chip rigorously, but some quick poking around suggests that the A20 Pro is about 1.2× faster than last year’s A19 Pro for single-core CPU. And the A17 Pro was about 1.2× faster than the A16 Pro.</p>
1353
1354<p>Year over year, that’s nice, but it’s not game-changing. But these performance gains compound. 20 percent faster, give or take, every year, and after a few years the improvement is breathtaking. And most people only upgrade their phones every few years.</p>
1355
1356<p>But, looking back at that list of 20 years of flagship iPhones, there’s a stark difference between the first ten and the second ten. In the iPhone’s first decade, genuinely radical changes appeared every two or three years. In the second decade, there haven’t been any radical changes from year to year at all. That’s not a slag on Apple’s design chops or an accusation of apathy or laziness. It’s just the nature of a design that Apple steered toward its platonic ideal. The general form of a MacBook Pro hasn’t changed much since the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PowerBook_G4">Titanium G4 PowerBook in 2002</a> — which came right around a decade after Apple invented the modern laptop with the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PowerBook_100">PowerBook 100 series</a>.</p>
1357
1358<p>Let’s make a list of Hall of Fame iPhone models. I’ll arbitrarily cap it at five. Pick five iPhones for the Hall of Fame (or just <em>up to</em> five if you want to be stingy). Here’s my list:</p>
1359
1360<ol>
1361<li>iPhone (original)</li>
1362<li>iPhone 4</li>
1363<li>iPhone 5S</li>
1364<li>iPhone X</li>
1365<li>iPhone 17 Pro</li>
1366</ol>
1367
1368<p>Perhaps it’s <a href="https://daringfireball.net/2026/09/the_iphone_air_and_iphone_17_pro">recency bias</a>
1368 that has me putting last year’s 17 Pro on that list. But surely <em>some</em> iPhone in the post-X era qualifies for the Hall of Fame. I think it’s the 17 Pro. There was a long stretch of iPhones in the last 10 years when the entire back of the phone was glass. This glass cracked, a lot. I’ve only cracked the display glass of an iPhone twice in 20 years of carrying them. I’ve cracked the back glass on a bunch of them in the last five or six years. The iPhone 17 Pro fixed this, by going to a unibody aluminum frame, reducing the glass on the back to a panel. This looks better, feels better, and is seemingly far sturdier. The full-width camera plateau is more obtrusive, obviously, than the square corner plateau of previous iPhone Pro generations, but it’s more honest — both optically and physically more balanced. The camera system is such a prominent feature of these devices that it deserves a prominent protuberance. It’s very obvious to me that this is the best hardware design of the post-X era.</p>
1369
1370<p>The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are nearly identical to the 17 Pro and Pro Max in size and shape. Per Apple’s own specs, they’re precisely the same width, height, and thickness. In my personal testing, 17 Pro cases fit 18 Pro phones perfectly, as do 18 Pro cases (included from Apple in my review unit kit) on 17 Pro phones. I asked Apple if they’re stating that 18 Pro models are case-compatible with the iPhone 17 Pro, and they are <em>not</em>, because the 18 Pro camera plateaus are slightly thicker this year. I measured with a digital caliper and the difference is one-tenth of a millimeter: 11.5mm vs. 11.4mm. So Apple has raised the plateau guard lip on its own 18 Pro cases by one-tenth of a millimeter. I say that’s close enough to declare that you can use 17 Pro cases on 18 Pro iPhones and vice-versa.</p>
1371
1372<p>But zooming back in time, I just happen to have an iPhone 13 Pro next to my desk. And in broad strokes, I can’t say that the iPhone 18 Pro form factor is all that different. I do think the 18 Pro form factor is better in <em>every single</em> way. Just as objects in hand, there’s not one aspect I prefer about the 13 Pro to the 18 Pro. I’m glad Apple moved away from sharp corners, polished metal sides (slippery) and all-glass backs (my 13 Pro is cracked in the corner); expanded the camera plateau; and replaced the mute switch with the Action button <em>and</em> added the Camera Control button. But overall, these two phones, five years apart, are fundamentally similar. Familiarity may not breed contempt in this case, but it does breed boredom.</p>
1373
1374<p>The iPhone Duo is not boring.</p>
1375
1376<p>The iPhone 18 Pro, let’s just say it, sort of is. But it’s boring because it’s exactly like the iPhone 17 Pro — except for specific details <em>inside</em> the phone that are <em>obviously</em> better:</p>
1377
1378<ul>
1379<li><p><em>Variable aperture on the main 1× camera lens.</em> Most users will never adjust this manually but the Camera app will use it automatically, and results will be better. Even if you don’t know squat about photography it’s rather intuitive what aperture does, just knowing that it involves an iris-like mechanism. Open wide, it lets in more light (useful in low light); closed up, it lets in less light (useful in bright light). Open apertures decrease depth of focus; closed apertures increase depth of focus. Those facts can be used to artistic effect. In manual control, the iPhone 18 Pro 1× camera offers four stops for aperture: ƒ/1.48, ƒ/1.8, ƒ/2.8, and ƒ/4.0. This is a genuine hardware breakthrough. Over the next five years or so, I expect variable aperture to expand to the telephoto and ultrawide lenses. I’m not saying iPhone camera hardware won’t continue to improve after that — I’m sure it will — but I suspect variable aperture is the last remaining “easy win”. I think every camera gain after this will be more incremental.</p></li>
1380<li><p><em>A20 Pro chip.</em> It’s noticeably faster and more efficient. Not radically faster and more efficient. Just noticeably. <a href="https://daringfireball.net/2010/05/this_is_how_apple_rolls">This is how Apple rolls</a>.</p></li>
1381<li><p><em>Redesigned thermal system with a much larger vapor chamber</em>. It’s much easier to report on <em>peak</em> performance with benchmarks than it is to assign a score to <em>sustained</em> performance, but sustained performance is what matters most to users who really push their phones as computers. This could be playing games, shooting 4K ProRes video, or running local AI models. We all know the drill. You push your phone and it gets hot, and when it gets hot it slows down. An improved thermal system sounds so much like a pocket-protector-wearing nerd feature, but it really matters. I suspect that for sustained use cases, it would be more performant to have the 18 Pro’s new thermal system running the 17 Pro’s A19 Pro chip than to have the new A20 Pro chip running with the 17 Pro’s first-generation vapor chamber. But with the iPhone 18 Pro, you get both: you get the faster and more efficient A20 Pro chip <em>and</em> the second-generation vapor chamber thermal system. <a href="https://daringfireball.net/2010/05/this_is_how_apple_rolls">This, again, is how Apple rolls</a>.</p></li>
1382<li><p><em>C2 cellular modem</em>. The one and only odd spec regarding the iPhone 18 Pro lineup is that they use Ap
1382ple’s own C2 cellular modem in all models worldwide with one notable exception: 18 Pro Max models sold in the United States. The regular-size iPhone 18 Pro in the U.S. gets the C2, and all 18 Pros — regular and Max — outside the U.S. get the C2. Apple isn’t explaining this oddity <a href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/17/iphone-18-pro-c2-vs-qualcomm-modems">but I think</a> Joe Rossignol at MacRumors <a href="https://www.macrumors.com/2026/09/12/iphone-18-pro-max-us-model-difference/">deduced correctly</a>: it’s for minimal compliance with their 2023 contract with Qualcomm, which <a href="https://investor.qualcomm.com/news-events/press-releases/news-details/2023/Qualcomm-Announces-Agreement-with-Apple-for-Chip-Supply-09-11-2023/default.aspx">Qualcomm promoted</a> as covering “smartphone launches in 2024, 2025 and 2026.” I’ve spent time over the last week with both the 18 Pro and Pro Max and didn’t notice one whit of difference network-performance-wise. And there’s no easy way to measure the effect the modem has on battery life. But we know Apple’s C-series modems are noticeably more power-efficient than Qualcomm’s. If Apple had to use a Qualcomm modem in one model, in one region, it makes sense that it would be the 18 Pro Max in America. All Pro Max variants have larger batteries than the regular-size models, and the U.S. 18 Pro Max model has the very biggest battery of them all, because U.S. iPhones no longer have SIM card trays. Thus the 18 Pro Max is taking one for the team, while still delivering better battery life than last year’s 17 Pro Max. The U.S. iPhone 18 Pro Max will almost certainly be the last product Apple ever ships with a Qualcomm modem. Good riddance.</p></li>
1383<li><p><em>Photographic Styles 3 and pro controls in the Camera app</em>. I’ll mostly leave it to better photographers than me to evaluate the iPhone 18 Pro camera system and its exclusive Camera app features in detail. But I’ll say this, before getting to a few example photos below: it’s worth separately considering the iPhone camera <em>hardware</em> from the iOS Camera app <em>software</em>. For my own personal photography, I’ve switched away from Apple’s Camera app to a mix of third-party camera apps: <a href="https://halide.cam/">Halide</a>, <a href="https://notbor.ing/product/camera">Not Boring Camera</a>, and <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/analogue-film-camera/id6748702405">Analogue</a>. That’s a discussion for another time, but the basic reason is that I strongly prefer a more film-like look that embraces the nature of the iPhone’s small image sensors with grain, to Apple’s overly processed digital look that compensates for the noisy small sensors by applying computational smoothing. I’m far from alone in having grown tired of the smooth over-processed look, and the optional new “Film” texture look in the Camera app — exclusive to the A20 Pro-powered iPhones 18 Pro and Duo, thus far — is a move in that direction. This makes photography using Apple’s own Camera app far more appealing to me. But the variable aperture in the main camera makes the iPhone 18 Pro camera system better for <em>all</em> camera apps. And if you don’t like the new film texture and optional grain from Apple’s own Camera app, it’s optional (and, unsurprisingly, off by default — by default the Camera app takes photos that look like what people expect iPhone photos to look like).</p></li>
1384</ul>
1385
1386<h2>Sidenote on Camera Control</h2>
1387
1388<p>The 18 Pro is the third generation with the Camera Control button. But that button hasn’t changed at all since the 16 Pro, the phone on which it debuted. At some point in the last year, I gave up on using the Camera Control button as anything other than a simple button. I went into Settings and turned off all the features where you can soft-press it and slide your finger back and forth to adjust camera features while using Apple’s Camera app. What I found is that I kept changing things inadvertently and undesirably. It’s too prone to accidental half-presses that put it into slide-to-adjust for some setting, and because it’s an accident, my finger would start changing things. I turned that all off and I’m much happier for it. Now I just use the Camera Control button for four things:</p>
1389
1390<ol>
1391<li><p>
1391A full click of the button to jump me into the camera app of my choice. It doesn’t matter if the phone is locked, or if I’m using it for something else at the moment. I click this button and boom, I’m ready to snap a photo.</p></li>
1392<li><p>Click-and-hold the button to launch the Camera app in Siri mode, for Visual Intelligence. I don’t use this often but that’s less a statement about its usefulness than it is about the fact that I just haven’t yet developed the habit of pointing my camera at something to ask Siri about it. It’s really quite useful with Siri AI in iOS 27, and even if you only use it occasionally, there’s no reason not to assign it to a long press of the button. That said, I don’t think this feature belongs in the Camera app. It ought to be a tab in the Siri app. The Camera app should be for photography; the Siri app ought to be for all things Siri, including Visual Intelligence.</p></li>
1393<li><p>While I’m in a camera app, I sometimes half-press the button for AE/AF Lock.</p></li>
1394<li><p>While I’m in a camera app, I sometimes use a full click of the button as the shutter. But most of the time, I still use the on-screen shutter button. The reason is something I complained about in <a href="https://daringfireball.net/2024/09/the_iphones_16#fnr1-2024-09-18">my iPhone 16 Pro review two years ago</a>:</p>
1395
1396<blockquote>
1397  <p>At first, though, I was frustrated by the physical placement of
1398Camera Control. As a hobbyist photographer who has been shooting
1399with dedicated cameras all the way back to the late 1990s, my
1400right index finger expects a shutter button to be located near the
1401top right corner. But the center of Camera Control is 2 inches (5
1402cm) from the corner. I’ll never stop wishing for it to be closer
1403to the corner, but after a week I’ve grown acclimated to its
1404actual placement. And I get it. I’m old enough that I shoot all of
1405my videos and most of my photos in widescreen orientation. But
1406social media today is dominated by tallscreen video. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/uarNiSl_uh4?t=3462">As Apple’s
1407Piyush Pratik explained during last week’s keynote</a>, Camera
1408Control is designed to be used in both wide (landscape) and tall
1409(portrait) orientations. Moving it more toward the corner, where
1410my finger wants it to be, would make it better for shooting
1411widescreen, but would make it downright precarious to hold the
1412iPhone while shooting tall. I hate to admit it but I think Apple
1413got the placement right. Shooting tallscreen is just way too
1414popular. And, after just a week, my index finger is getting more
1415and more accustomed to its placement. It might prove to be a bit
1416of a reach for people with small hands, though.</p>
1417</blockquote></li>
1418</ol>
1419
1420<p>After two years, I still think Apple put the Camera Control where it was to make it useful to people who shoot video and take photos vertically. But, proud Gen-Xer that I am, I still shoot almost all my videos and photos horizontally, and this button is too far away from the corner to be a convenient shutter button while holding the phone horizontally. So I tend not to use it. I would use it as a shutter much more often if it were as close to the corner as the Action button is to the opposite corner. I’m a little bitter about this.</p>
1421
1422<h2>Photographic Styles 3, With Film Texture and Grain</h2>
1423
1424<p>When shooting with Apple’s Camera app, iPhone 18 Pro introduces support for Apple’s Photographic Styles 3. As with previous generations of Photographic Styles, these styles are non-destructive. You can shoot photos without them and add Photographic Styles later, in Apple Photos. Or you can shoot <em>with</em> them, and adjust or remove them later. The non-destructive nature of Photographic Styles is essential to note. You can capture images in black-and-white, to name a conspicuous example, and go back to full color in post.</p>
1425
1426<p>The first two generations of Photographic Styles adjust only color. Apple calls this “Palette”. Photographic Styles 3 adds Texture, with four options:</p>
1427
1428<ul>
1429<li>Standard (no texture)</li>
1430<li>Soft Skin</li>
1431<li>Glow</li>
1432<li>Film</li>
1433</ul>
1434
1435<p>The only one I’ve tried, both because I’ve only had the iPhones 18 Pro for one week and because it’s the only one that appeals to me, is Film. When you change a style to use the Film texture, there are two additional adjustments: the strength of the film-like texture (0–100), and an on/off toggle for “Grain”. Soft Skin and Glow also have 0–100 sliders to adjust the strength of those textures, but only Film has the option to add Grain. Soft Skin defaults to 88 strength, Glow defaults to 50, and Film defaults to 100. Grain is on by default when you switch to Film.</p>
1436
1437<p>Grain, to my eyes, and based on my conversations with Apple folks who worked on it, is not a simplistic lessening of image sensor noise reduction. It’s a process that attempts to replicate actual film grain, based on a microscopic study of actual film prints from the last century. So too with the look of the Film texture, aside from Grain.</p>
1438
1439<p>Aside from Grain (which, again, you can turn off), the most noticeable thing about the Film texture is halation. I think it’s a bit much, at least with Film at its default 100 strength. But the overall effect of Film, with and without Grain, is interesting, and at least in some cases, pleasing to me.</p>
1440
1441<p>Here are three example photos, all of them shot using an iPhone 18 Pro, all of them developed using the Standard Photographic Style palette. The Standard palette with standard texture (which is to say no special texture) is the default style, which matches the general look of iPhone photos captured with the Camera app on other iPhone models.</p>
1442
1443<p>First example, starting with the default look (Standard style, no texture):</p>
1444
1445<p><a href="https://daringfireball.net/misc/2026/09/iphone-18-camera-examples/rittenhouse-sitters-iphone-18-pro-std-standard.jpeg" class="noborder">
1446  <img
1447    width = 500
1448    src = "https://daringfireball.net/misc/2026/09/iphone-18-camera-examples/rittenhouse-sitters-iphone-18-pro-std-standard-thumb.jpeg"
1449    alt = "Afternoon in Rittenhouse Park, Philadelphia, on lovely late summer day. A man (himself taking photos or photo) sits high atop a planter between park benches."
1450  /></a></p>
1451
1452<p>Here’s that same image, now with Film at 100, with Grain off:</p>
1453
1454<p><a href="https://daringfireball.net/misc/2026/09/iphone-18-camera-examples/rittenhouse-sitters-iphone-18-pro-std-film100-grainOFF.jpeg" class="noborder">
1455  <img
1456    width = 500
1457    src = "https://daringfireball.net/misc/2026/09/iphone-18-camera-examples/rittenhouse-sitters-iphone-18-pro-std-film100-grainOFF-thumb.jpeg"
1458    alt = "Afternoon in Rittenhouse Park, Philadelphia, on lovely late summer day. A man (himself taking photos or photo) sits high atop a planter between park benches."
1459  /></a></p>
1460
1461<p>
1461Here it is with Film at 100, with Grain on:</p>
1462
1463<p><a href="https://daringfireball.net/misc/2026/09/iphone-18-camera-examples/rittenhouse-sitters-iphone-18-pro-std-film100-grainON.jpeg" class="noborder">
1464  <img
1465    width = 500
1466    src = "https://daringfireball.net/misc/2026/09/iphone-18-camera-examples/rittenhouse-sitters-iphone-18-pro-std-film100-grainON-thumb.jpeg"
1467    alt = "Afternoon in Rittenhouse Park, Philadelphia, on lovely late summer day. A man (himself taking photos or photo) sits high atop a planter between park benches."
1468  /></a></p>
1469
1470<p>This image illustrates what I mean about Film, at full strength, being a bit heavy on the halation. Here’s that same image, with Grain turned back on, with Film dialed back to 50:</p>
1471
1472<p><a href="https://daringfireball.net/misc/2026/09/iphone-18-camera-examples/rittenhouse-sitters-iphone-18-pro-std-film50-grainON.jpeg" class="noborder">
1473  <img
1474    width = 500
1475    src = "https://daringfireball.net/misc/2026/09/iphone-18-camera-examples/rittenhouse-sitters-iphone-18-pro-std-film50-grainON-thumb.jpeg"
1476    alt = "Afternoon in Rittenhouse Park, Philadelphia, on lovely late summer day. A man (himself taking photos or photo) sits high atop a planter between park benches."
1477  /></a></p>
1478
1479<p>Much better. I prefer this image (Film: 50, Grain on) to the others.</p>
1480
1481<p>Next example, a small car whose environmentally conscious owner got it in green (Standard style, no texture):</p>
1482
1483<p><a href="https://daringfireball.net/misc/2026/09/iphone-18-camera-examples/porsche-gt3-iphone-18-pro-standard.jpeg" class="noborder">
1484  <img
1485    width = 500
1486    src = "https://daringfireball.net/misc/2026/09/iphone-18-camera-examples/porsche-gt3-iphone-18-pro-standard-thumb.jpeg"
1487    alt = "A bright green Porsche 911 GT3 in a parking lot."
1488  /></a></p>
1489
1490<p>Same image, with Film texture at 100, Grain off:</p>
1491
1492<p><a href="https://daringfireball.net/misc/2026/09/iphone-18-camera-examples/porsche-gt3-iphone-18-pro-film100-grainOFF.jpeg" class="noborder">
1493  <img
1494    width = 500
1495    src = "https://daringfireball.net/misc/2026/09/iphone-18-camera-examples/porsche-gt3-iphone-18-pro-film100-grainOFF-thumb.jpeg"
1496    alt = "A bright green Porsche 911 GT3 in a parking lot."
1497  /></a></p>
1498
1499<p>That image helps show the effect of the Film texture, without adding any grain. Here it is with Film at 100, with Grain:</p>
1500
1501<p><a href="https://daringfireball.net/misc/2026/09/iphone-18-camera-examples/porsche-gt3-iphone-18-pro-film100-grainON.jpeg" class="noborder">
1502  <img
1503    width = 500
1504    src = "https://daringfireball.net/misc/2026/09/iphone-18-camera-examples/porsche-gt3-iphone-18-pro-film100-grainON-thumb.jpeg"
1505    alt = "A bright green Porsche 911 GT3 in a parking lot."
1506  /></a></p>
1507
1508<p>I’m a grain fan myself, but in this particular image, the grain prevents the image from representing the nature of the car’s smooth green finish. A perfect example of why it’s so great that Photographic Styles are non-destructive. You might shoot with Film + Grain by default, but want to disable Grain on an image like this one after you’ve looked at it.</p>
1509
1510<p>One last photo. This one is a picture of Carl, my favorite employee at my <a href="https://rittenhousehw.com/">favorite local hardware store</a>. I’ll start again with the default look, the Standard style with no texture:</p>
1511
1512<p><a href="https://daringfireball.net/misc/2026/09/iphone-18-camera-examples/carl-iphone-18-pro-std-standard.jpeg" class="noborder">
1513  <img
1514    width = 500
1515    src = "https://daringfireball.net/misc/2026/09/iphone-18-camera-examples/carl-iphone-18-pro-std-standard-thumb.jpeg"
1516    alt = "Carl, a delightful English setter (white with black spots), sitting at attention in the aisle of an ideal local hardware store."
1517  /></a></p>
1518
1519<p>Now here’s the same image, with Film texture at 100, no Grain:</p>
1520
1521<p><a href="https://daringfireball.net/misc/2026/09/iphone-18-camera-examples/carl-iphone-18-pro-std-film100-grainOFF.jpeg" class="noborder">
1522  <img
1523    width = 500
1524    src = "https://daringfireball.net/misc/2026/09/iphone-18-camera-examples/carl-iphone-18-pro-std-film100-grainOFF-thumb.jpeg"
1525    alt = "Carl, a delightful English setter (white with black spots), sitting at attention in the aisle of an ideal local hardware store."
1526  /></a></p>
1527
1528<p>And with Film at 100, with Grain:</p>
1529
1530<p><a href="https://daringfireball.net/misc/2026/09/iphone-18-camera-examples/carl-iphone-18-pro-std-film100-grainON.jpeg" class="noborder">
1531  <img
1532    width = 500
1533    src = "https://daringfireball.net/misc/2026/09/iphone-18-camera-examples/carl-iphone-18-pro-std-film100-grainON-thumb.jpeg"
1534    alt = "Carl, a delightful English setter (white with black spots), sitting at attention in the aisle of an ideal local hardware store."
1535  /></a></p>
1536
1537<p>If you look closely at Carl’s face in those last two, with Film at 100, you’ll see what I consider unpleasant halation above his snout. Here’s the same image, keeping Grain on, but with the Film texture dialed back to 33:</p>
1538
1539<p><a href="https://daringfireball.net/misc/2026/09/iphone-18-camera-examples/carl-iphone-18-pro-std-film33-grainON.jpeg" class="noborder">
1540  <img
1541    width = 500
1542    src = "https://daringfireball.net/misc/2026/09/iphone-18-camera-examples/carl-iphone-18-pro-std-film33-grainON-thumb.jpeg"
1543    alt = "Carl, a delightful English setter (white with black spots), sitting at attention in the aisle of an ideal local hardware store."
1544  /></a></p>
1545
1546<p>I prefer that one, by far.</p>
1547
1548<p>OK, OK, I get it. You want another picture of Carl. Here he is with the Standard style, no texture:</p>
1549
1550<p><a href="https://daringfireball.net/misc/2026/09/iphone-18-camera-examples/carl-carpet-iphone-18-pro-std-standard.jpeg" class="noborder">
1551  <img
1552    width = 500
1553    src = "https://daringfireball.net/misc/2026/09/iphone-18-camera-examples/carl-carpet-iphone-18-pro-std-standard-thumb.jpeg"
1554    alt = "Carl, sitting on a rug at a different spot in the hardware store."
1555  /></a></p>
1556
1557<p>Same photo, but this time with the Natural base style (my personal favorite, with Tone: -60, Color: +25), Film at 100, with Grain:</p>
1558
1559<p><a href="https://daringfireball.net/misc/2026/09/iphone-18-camera-examples/carl-carpet-iphone-18-pro-nat-film100-grainON.jpeg" class="noborder">
1560  <img
1561    width = 500
1562    src = "https://daringfireball.net/misc/2026/09/iphone-18-camera-examples/carl-carpet-iphone-18-pro-nat-film100-grainON-thumb.jpeg"
1563    alt = "Carl, sitting on a rug at a different spot in the hardware store."
1564  /></a></p>
1565
1566<p>The halation around Carl’s head in that photo is undeniably distracting. It looks like the poor guy is radioactive or something. I absolutely love that Apple added this Film texture to Photographic Styles, but I think the default strength should be quite a bit lower than 100. Here’s that same image with Grain still on, but Film texture dialed back to 50:</p>
1567
1568<p><a href="https://daringfireball.net/misc/2026/09/iphone-18-camera-examples/carl-carpet-iphone-18-pro-nat-film50-grainON.jpeg" class="noborder">
1569  <img
1570    width = 500
1571    src = "https://daringfireball.net/misc/2026/09/iphone-18-camera-examples/carl-carpet-iphone-18-pro-nat-film50-grainON-thumb.jpeg"
1572    alt = "Carl, sitting on a rug at a different spot in the hardware store."
1573  /></a></p>
1574
1575<p>Now that’s a good photo of a good boy.</p>
1576
1577<h2>A Smaller — or Is It Bigger? — Dynamic Island</h2>
1578
1579<p>Apple moved the Face ID infrared camera under the display. It’s up in the top left, underneath the area where iOS displays the time in the status bar. This means that the dedicated black cutout for the Dynamic Island is now noticeably smaller. But it also means that when iOS is rendering the dynamic features of the Dynamic Island, it’s effectively <em>bigger</em>, because now iOS can draw to the left of it, where the Face ID sensor had previously occupied dedicated space. On all previous iPhones with the Dynamic Island, you can see up to two Live Activities at once in the Dynamic Island. With the iPhone 18 Pro, you can now see up to three. I don’t often have three Live Activities going at once, but sometimes I do — simultaneous sporting events, upcoming flights plus an Uber to the airport, etc. So the permanent cutout for the Dynamic Island is smaller, but the usable space for <em>content</em> in the Dynamic Island is now larger.</p>
1580
1581<p>There’s a minor tradeoff with this design. Even my middle-aged eyes can see that the pixels on top of the Face ID sensor aren’t quite as sharp as those on the rest of the screen. The time of day in the status bar looks like it’s just a tad fuzzy, like the text isn’t anti-ali
1581ased correctly. No big deal, and you need to look for it to notice it.</p>
1582
1583<p>Over the past decade, Apple has taken this design <a href="https://daringfireball.net/2017/09/iphone_x_event_thoughts_and_observations#:~:text=THE%20NOTCH">from a big notch</a>, to a smaller notch, to the Dynamic Island, and now to a smaller cutout for the Dynamic Island. I don’t know if they’re ever going to get there, but the goal, obviously, is to eventually put all sensors under the display, creating a genuine all-display front. Putting Face ID under the display on the iPhone 18 Pro is a significant step toward that.</p>
1584
1585<h2>Conclusion</h2>
1586
1587<p>The most exciting iPhone <em>years</em> are those when the new flagship screams “new”. But the best iPhone <em>models</em> were the ones from the S years. I only included one S model in my top-five Hall of Fame list above: the iPhone 5S from 2013.<sup id="fnr3-2026-09-17"><a href="#fn3-2026-09-17">3</a></sup> But that’s in some ways profoundly unfair to the S models. The iPhone XS was <a href="https://daringfireball.net/2018/09/the_iphones_xs">a much better camera</a> than the iPhone X. The iPhone 4S introduced Siri, which was actually amazing for its time. And not only was the 3GS far better than the 3G, but the 3G was much better than the original iPhone simply for going from EDGE to 3G networking.<sup id="fnr4-2026-09-17"><a href="#fn4-2026-09-17">4</a></sup> I have no affection for the 3G and 3GS devices because of their plastic bodies, but as practical devices, both were great improvements.</p>
1588
1589<p>The S years (and S-type years, even when there’s no S in the name) are low on excitement but high on practical gains. That’s the iPhone 18 Pro. The one and only trade-off compared to the year-ago 17 Pro, in my  utterly subjective opinion, is that cosmic orange was an iconic super-fun color and neither burgundy nor glacier have that appeal. That’s it: orange.<sup id="fnr5-2026-09-17"><a href="#fn5-2026-09-17">5</a></sup> Every other difference between the 18 Pro and 17 Pro, every single one, is something that is <em>objectively</em> better about the 18 Pro. Faster performance, better thermals, better cameras, longer battery life.</p>
1590
1591<p>In the first decade of the iPhone, there were so many ways to improve the hardware that changes came fast and furious. It was breathtaking and exhilarating. At the end of the iPhone’s second decade, there are no longer big obvious ways to improve. The low-hanging fruit was picked long ago, and the mid-hanging fruit might be gone now too. Performance, battery life, durability, camera quality — all of those things are important, but all of them have been raised to the level of excellence. There may well be extraordinary breakthroughs to come, the sort of breakthroughs that only appear once a decade in an established product category. Waiting for those things to happen isn’t a strategy. Apple’s strategy is to push for incremental gains across the board, every single year, year after year after year. Do that, and the experience for someone upgrading every fourth or fifth year will be exhilarating.</p>
1592
1593<p>I didn’t review the iPhone 17 Pro <a href="https://daringfireball.net/2026/09/the_iphone_air_and_iphone_17_pro">until last week</a>, when I unabashedly declared it the <em>best</em> phone Apple had ever made. The iPhone 18 Pro is only different from the 17 Pro in ways that make it better. Thus, it is clearly now the new <em>best</em> phone Apple has ever made. It’s the culmination of an entire decade of year-after-year iteration on the iPhone X’s ground-up redesign. It’s the best version of the most successful product ever made. And yet by nature of <em>how</em> the iPhone 18 Pro improved in the last year, it’s not exciting at all. How jaded we all are.&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘The iPhones 18 Pro’" href="https://daringfireball.net/2026/09/the_iphones_18_pro">&#9733;</a></p>
1594
1595<div class="footnotes">
1596<hr />
1597<ol>
1598
1599<li id="fn1-2026-09-17">
1600<p>For reasons I do not remember, I apparently never wrote a standalone review of the iPhone 3GS. Until I went looking for it to link to in this list, I didn’t even remember that I hadn’t written one. I know that I waited in line to buy one on launch day. I easily recall that it truly was a significantly faster device than the two previous models. But I never wrote a review of the 3GS. I don’t think it had even occurred to me then that “the new iPhone” would soon become an annual tradition, worth chronicling not just for years, but for decades.&nbsp;<a href="#fnr1-2026-09-17"  class="footnoteBackLink"  title="Jump back to footnote 1 in the text.">&#x21A9;&#xFE0E;︎</a></p>
1601</li>
1602
1603<li id="fn2-2026-09-17">
1604<p>The IIGS, coincidentally, <a href="https://oldbytes.space/@savetz/117277318012408507">was announced 40 years ago this week</a>. Graphics and sound, baby — and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uozzGBBvrfM">what a keyboard</a>.&nbsp;<a href="#fnr2-2026-09-17"  class="footnoteBackLink"  title="Jump back to footnote 2 in the text.">&#x21A9;&#xFE0E;︎</a></p>
1605</li>
1606
1607<li id="fn3-2026-09-17">
1608<p>64-bit silicon was huge, but Touch ID really changed the game. I don’t even remember what we did before Touch ID to protect the content on our iPhones. I think I had my passcode preferences set to let me — or anyone with my phone in their hand! — unlock my phone without typing my measly 4-digit code for 15 minutes after the code had been successfully entered? In hindsight it really seems crazy. Either we forced ourselves to enter a passcode manually every single time we unlocked our iPhones, or, we left them unlocked for c
1608onvenience. The three fundamental step changes in iPhone history were: retina displays (iPhone 4), biometric ID (iPhone 5S), and all-screen design (iPhone X). That’s why those are the phones I place in my Hall of Fame. And there hasn’t really been a step change like that since the iPhone X — until, maybe, the Duo.&nbsp;<a href="#fnr3-2026-09-17"  class="footnoteBackLink"  title="Jump back to footnote 3 in the text.">&#x21A9;&#xFE0E;︎</a></p>
1609</li>
1610
1611<li id="fn4-2026-09-17">
1612<p>The odds are pretty low that you used an original iPhone. If you didn’t, it’s hard to put into words just how slow EDGE cellular networking was. Best I can compare it to is to say that it was like a poor airplane Wi-Fi connection. Not a mid airplane Wi-Fi connection. A poor one. You could practically feel the ones and zeroes coming in, bit by bit. The best you got on EDGE was really, really slow. And we loved it. It was the Internet, away from home. And websites meant for mobile consumption were optimized for slow-as-molasses connections. <a href="https://lite.cnn.com/">Some</a> <a href="https://text.npr.org/">still</a> <a href="https://plaintextsports.com/">are</a>. But once you tried 3G there was no going back, no matter how much better the original iPhone’s aluminum body looked and felt compared to the iPhone 3G’s plastic one. The iPhone 3G could have been carved out of a potato and I’d have switched to get 3G instead of EDGE.&nbsp;<a href="#fnr4-2026-09-17"  class="footnoteBackLink"  title="Jump back to footnote 4 in the text.">&#x21A9;&#xFE0E;︎</a></p>
1613</li>
1614
1615<li id="fn5-2026-09-17">
1616<p>That said, I personally bought my iPhone 17 Pro last year in deep blue, and <a href="https://www.apple.com/iphone-duo/">if</a> I buy an 18 Pro, you know I’m getting black. My review units are a glacier 18 Pro and a burgundy 18 Pro Max. I’ve spent most of the week carrying the 18 Pro Max, just to force myself to use the size I don’t usually carry. I still don’t like it, and still can’t believe how many people do. Burgundy is a very strong color that I somehow don’t have strong feelings about. Glacier isn’t so strong, and I rather like it — perhaps because it reminds me more than a little of <a href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2025/10/01/americas-pants">America’s Pants</a>.&nbsp;<a href="#fnr5-2026-09-17"  class="footnoteBackLink"  title="Jump back to footnote 5 in the text.">&#x21A9;&#xFE0E;︎</a></p>
1617</li>
1618
1619</ol>
1620</div>
1621
1622</div> <!-- article -->
1623
1624<hr class="ookiaks" />
1625
1626
1627<h2 class="dateline">Thursday, 17 September 2026</h2>
1628<dl class="linkedlist">
1629<dt>
1630<a href="https://www.macrumors.com/2026/09/12/iphone-18-pro-max-us-model-difference/">Why Do U.S. Models of the iPhone 18 Pro Max, and Only U.S. Models of the 18 Pro Max, Use Qualcomm Cellular Modems Instead of Apple’s Own Superior C2 Modem?</a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘Why Do U.S. Models of the iPhone 18 Pro Max, and Only U.S. Models of the 18 Pro Max, Use Qualcomm Cellular Modems Instead of Apple’s Own Superior C2 Modem?’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/17/iphone-18-pro-c2-vs-qualcomm-modems">&#9733;</a>
1631</dt>
1632<dd>
1633<p>Joe Rossignol at MacRumors over the weekend:</p>
1634
1635<blockquote>
1636  <p>Apple now says the iPhone 18 Pro has a C2 modem worldwide, while
1637the iPhone 18 Pro Max uses the chip in every country except for
1638the U.S. [...]</p>
1639
1640<p>Apple has yet to provide an explanation for this modem difference,
1641so we can only speculate for now. In 2023, <a href="https://investor.qualcomm.com/news-events/press-releases/news-details/2023/Qualcomm-Announces-Agreement-with-Apple-for-Chip-Supply-09-11-2023/default.aspx">Qualcomm announced</a>
1642that it would supply Apple with smartphone modems through 2026, so
1643perhaps Apple is equipping the U.S. version of the iPhone 18 Pro
1644Max with a Qualcomm modem in order to honor this agreement in a
1645minimum way.</p>
1646
1647<p>Apple’s C2 modem supports ultra-fast mmWave 5G in the U.S., unlike
1648its previous-generation C1 and C1X modems. Qualcomm modems in the
1649iPhone 12 and newer already supported mmWave 5G in the U.S., so
1650Apple is playing catch up here. Apple said the C2 delivers
1651“meaningfully faster uploads” compared to the C1X while consuming
165215% less energy.</p>
1653</blockquote>
1654
1655<p>I’d say Apple <em>played</em> catch-up here, past tense. They caught up in terms of support for mmWave. And ever since the C1 first shipped <a href="https://daringfireball.net/2025/02/the_iphone_16e">with the iPhone 16e in early 2025</a>, Apple has been noticeably <em>ahead</em>
1655 of Qualcomm on energy efficiency.</p>
1656
1657<p>Apple isn’t explaining why the U.S. iPhone 18 Pro Max models are the only 18 Pro models worldwide using Qualcomm modems, but I think Rossignol’s explanation must basically be it: they needed to use it in <em>some</em> models in order to minimally comply with their 2023 contract with Qualcomm.</p>
1658
1659</dd>
1660
1661
1662</dl>
1663
1664<h2 class="dateline">Wednesday, 16 September 2026</h2>
1665<dl class="linkedlist">
1666<dt>
1667<a href="https://developer.apple.com/documentation/xcode-release-notes/xcode-27_2-release-notes">Xcode 27.2 Is Out, but 27.1 Is Not, Which Means Developers Still Can’t Get Started on Duo-Adapted Apps</a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘Xcode 27.2 Is Out, but 27.1 Is Not, Which Means Developers Still Can’t Get Started on Duo-Adapted Apps’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/16/xcode-27-iphone-duo">&#9733;</a>
1668</dt>
1669<dd>
1670<p>A note flagged “Important” atop the Xcode 27.2 release notes:</p>
1671
1672<blockquote>
1673  <p>The iOS SDK and simulator support for iPhone Duo will be available
1674later this month in an upcoming release of Xcode 27.1.</p>
1675</blockquote>
1676
1677<p>Adapting apps for the Duo is not just a simple “recompile with the new SDK”. It’s different. For just about all apps it’s going to be a significant amount of work, and for some apps it’s going to be a <em>lot</em> of work. But without Xcode 27.1, developers cannot get started. Developers wanted this SDK a week ago. And when day one preorder buyers start using their Duos on October 23, they’re going to wish Apple had shipped this SDK last week too.</p>
1678
1679</dd>
1680
1681
1682<dt>
1683<a href="https://x.com/DEADLINE/status/2099645816361332775">Is That a Duo in Ternus’s Pocket or Was He Just Happy That Apple TV Shows Won 28 Emmys?</a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘Is That a Duo in Ternus’s Pocket or Was He Just Happy That Apple TV Shows Won 28 Emmys?’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/16/duo-ternus-pocket">&#9733;</a>
1684</dt>
1685<dd>
1686<p>Note the reaction from the Deadline reporter.</p>
1687
1688</dd>
1689
1690
1691<dt>
1692<a href="https://x.com/stevewoz/status/2100074363605397658">Woz Launches Merch Store</a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘Woz Launches Merch Store’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/16/woz">&#9733;</a>
1693</dt>
1694<dd>
1695<p>Steve Wozniak:</p>
1696
1697<blockquote>
1698  <p>I’ve decided it’s time to have a little more fun on X this
1699year! 😄⚡</p>
1700
1701<p>I get to speak at some amazing events, meet fascinating people,
1702hear great stories, and occasionally find myself in places I
1703never expected to be. So I figured… why not share some of those
1704moments here?</p>
1705</blockquote>
1706
1707<p>He announced this on X, you will note, not “social media”.</p>
1708
1709</dd>
1710
1711
1712<dt>
1713<a href="https://www.macrumors.com/2026/09/16/heres-why-apple-released-ios-27-2-beta/">Apple OS 27.2 Betas Are Out; Version 27.1 Is the Duo-Exclusive iOS Fork</a>&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘Apple OS 27.2 Betas Are Out; Version 27.1 Is the Duo-Exclusive iOS Fork’" href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/16/272-betas">&#9733;</a>
1714</dt>
1715<dd>
1716<p>Joe Rossignol, MacRumors:</p>
1717
1718<blockquote>
1719  <p>Apple just seeded the first beta of iOS 27.2 to developers for
1720testing. Yes, you read that correctly: iOS 27.2, not iOS 27.1.</p>
1721
1722<p>Why no iOS 27.1 beta? The answer likely relates to the iPhone Duo.</p>
1723</blockquote>
1724
1725<p>This unusual version numbering is entirely about the Duo. The Duo is on its own branch of iOS — heretofore to keep details about its software secret / internal to Apple. When it launches October 23, Apple has already announced it will ship with iOS 27.1. Apple is thus using 27.2 as the version number for the first post-27.0 updates to all of its OSes for devices other than the Duo, to keep those version numbers aligned. The 27.2 releases, I am to understand, are scheduled to ship in October too. I bet they’ll ship <em>after</em> the iPhone Duo launches on October 23. So, putting beta releases aside, we’ll see the versions hit the public in numeric order:</p>
1726
1727<ul>
1728<li>All OS 27.0 releases: two days ago.</li>
1729<li>iOS 27.1: October 23, exclusively on the iPhone Duo.</li>
1730<li>All OS 27.2.0 releases: probably in late October, after the 23rd, but with the Duo remaining on its own 27.1 branch.</li>
1731</ul>
1732
1733<p>Then, with a subsequent 27.2.x update, the Duo will join the other devices and version numbers across all devices on all platforms will converge, in November or early December. I believe that’s the plan. Maybe Duo convergence will wait for 27.3, but I think it’ll be a 27.2.x update.</p>
1734
1735<p><a href="https://daringfireball.net/2010/06/marble_mystery_solved">Something similar happened back in 2010</a> with the original iPad, which launched in April 2010 running what was then still called iPhone OS, version 3.2. iPhone OS 3.2 was exclusive to the iPad — no iPhone or iPod Touch ever ran it. (Those devices remained on v3.1 after the iPad launched.) Apple renamed the OS to <a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2010/06/07Apple-Presents-iPhone-4/">iOS at WWDC in June that year</a>, but iOS 4.0 <em>and</em> 4.1 remained exclusive to iPhones and iPod Touches. Convergence with the iPad didn’t happen <a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2010/11/22Apples-iOS-4-2-Available-Today-for-iPad-iPhone-iPod-touch/">until iOS 4.2 in late November</a>.</p>
1736
1737<p>This time it should only take a month or so to converge for the Duo, not seven or eight months like it did for the iPad in 2010. But iOS 27.1 is exclusively for the Duo in a very similar way that 3.2 was exclusive to the iPad.</p>
1738
1739</dd>
1740
1741
1742</dl>
1743
1744<hr class="ookiaks" />
1745
1746
1747<div class="article">
1748<h1><a href="https://daringfireball.net/2026/09/thoughts_and_observations_on_apples_surprise_and_shine_event" title="Permanent link to ‘Thoughts and Observations on Apple’s ‘Surprise and Shine’ Event; the Announcements of the iPhones 18 Pro, AirPods 5, Apple Watches Series 12 and Ultra 4, and the iPhone Duo; and the Dawn of the Ternus, John Ternus Era at Apple’">Thoughts and Observations on Apple’s ‘Surprise and Shine’ Event; the Announcements of the iPhones 18 Pro, AirPods 5, Apple Watches Series 12 and Ultra 4, and the iPhone Duo;
1748 and the Dawn of the Ternus, John Ternus Era at Apple</a></h1>
1749<h6 class="dateline">Tuesday, 15 September 2026</h6>
1750
1751<h2>The Keynote</h2>
1752
1753<p>I loved <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39BalPDuTo0">the keynote</a>’s “You want a great opening scene?” opening, which ran through a series of genre-inspired hook-you-from-the-first-shot pretend movie openings. Apple started with a title card that said “The following was shot on iPhone”, but the whole keynote — including the fun fake-movie openings — was shot on iPhone 18 Pros. <a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/10/behind-the-scenes-at-scary-fast-apples-keynote-event-shot-on-iphone/">Apple started shooting</a> its keynote movies using iPhone Pros in October 2023, <a href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2023/10/31/downplaying-shot-on-iphone">with the “Scary Fast” Mac event</a>. That first one was shot on the then-just-released iPhone 15 Pro, the first iPhone Pro generation to support the necessary pro video features to enable Apple-level production quality (e.g. ProRes recording and Apple Log encoding).<sup id="fnr1-2026-09-15"><a href="#fn1-2026-09-15">1</a></sup> For the next few years, Apple shot each of its keynotes using whatever the current iPhone Pro model was. But last year, with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3KnMyojEQU">the September 2025 “Awe Dropping” event</a>, they shot the keynote using the as-yet-unreleased iPhone 17 Pro itself — a bit of a risk given that it was running mid-summer iOS 26 beta software. They did the same this year, shooting the entire keynote, including the prelude fake mov
1753ies, using iPhone 18 Pros. But, they couldn’t say that it was the 18 Pro on the title card because the 18 Pro wasn’t announced until later in the keynote.</p>
1754
1755<p>There was at least <a href="https://www.macrumors.com/2026/09/07/tim-cook-wont-appear-apple-sept-9-event-video/">one report</a> from an ill-informed know-it-all who claimed, with odd certainty given how often he’s wrong, that Tim Cook would not appear in the keynote. But the last segment of the keynote’s cold opening gave us Cook, Tim Cook, framed in an obvious homage to the opening of 2012’s <em>Skyfall</em>:</p>
1756
1757<p><a href="https://daringfireball.net/misc/2026/09/craig.jpeg" class="noborder">
1758  <img
1759    src = "https://daringfireball.net/misc/2026/09/craig.jpeg"
1760    alt = "Daniel Craig in “Skyfall”."
1761    width = 400
1762  /></a></p>
1763
1764<p><a href="https://daringfireball.net/misc/2026/09/cook.jpeg" class="noborder">
1765  <img
1766    src = "https://daringfireball.net/misc/2026/09/cook.jpeg"
1767    alt = "Tim Cook in a “Skyfall” homage at the beginning of the keynote."
1768    width = 400
1769  /></a></p>
1770
1771<p>I’ve stolen those comparison frames from <a href="https://fxrant.blogspot.com/2026/09/apple-event-film-2018-vs-james-bond.html">this splendid blog post by Vaziri, Todd Vaziri</a>, in which he points out a few other Bond homages in this keynote — including using the new variable aperture on the 18 Pro’s main camera as a reference to the Bond title-sequence gun barrel. Fun stuff all around, and a perfect way to commemorate the Cook-to-Ternus passing of the torch.<sup id="fnr2-2026-09-15"><a href="#fn2-2026-09-15">2</a></sup> Also, the variety of visual styles in these mini movies really showed off the capabilities of the iPhone 18 Pro as a cinematic camera.</p>
1772
1773<p>The little Cook / Bond homage that closes the opening segment starts with a voiceover from Cook himself (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/39BalPDuTo0?t=127">starting at 2m:07s</a>):</p>
1774
1775<blockquote>
1776  <p>Forget all that. Keep it classic. Open on an aerial shot, high
1777above the California coast. A car drives down the highway. Then it
1778disappears into a tunnel. Cut to an interior. Camera follows a
1779mysterious figure, before revealing our main character...</p>
1780
1781<p>No no no no no. Not me. <em>That’s</em> your guy. <em>That’s</em> your opener.</p>
1782</blockquote>
1783
1784<p>It’s a perfect segue, and Cook’s line reading is sublime. Cook’s on-screen persona improved a <em>lot</em> in the 15 years he served as CEO and keynote emcee, but even at his best he always came across as a bit, well, stiff. Voicing this introduction of John Ternus, on the other hand, he sounds cool as hell — relaxed, certain, and comfortable. I think the chairman role suits him better than CEO did. He’s a natural born <em>éminence grise</em>. And if <em>this</em> was Cook’s last appearance in a keynote, he went out on top.</p>
1785
1786<h2>Ternus’s Turn</h2>
1787
1788<p>For those of us invited to Apple Park, Ternus actually took the stage in person at 9:58 am, for a brief in-person greeting and introduction. What I recall isn’t anything he said but how he was greeted, which was with tremendous enthusiasm. The annual iPhone events always have a unique charge to them. WWDC is a far bigger event attendee-count-wise, but the September iPhone event is sharper, higher pressure. The exclusivity heightens the stakes — Apple only invites as many people as fit in Steve Jobs Theater: <a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2017/02/apple-park-opens-to-employees-in-april/">1,000</a>. The <em>new era begins</em> energy was palpable, if subtle. In the morning meet-and-greet coffee-and-apple-tarts mingling in and outside the Steve Jobs Theater upstairs atrium, attendees were genuinely unsure what to expect. A few were genuinely wondering if Ternus would bring back live-on-stage keynotes. (The apple tarts were supposedly made using apples grown on campus, and were quite good.)</p>
1789
1790<p>In person, Ternus wore a dark t-shirt and jacket. In the keynote video, a burgundy shirt that clearly served as a reference to burgundy as the color of the year. (It’s hard to imagine Ternus in a cosmic orange shirt if he’d taken the top job a year prior.)</p>
1791
1792<p>I think Ternus came across fine as emcee. Not great, but fine. He’s comfortable but I think the role still feels like a new pair of shoes he hasn’t yet broken in. Ternus’s opening line in the video was “Hello, and welcome to Apple Park”. I <em>think</em> that’s what he said on stage too. They’re leaving “Good morning!” as Co
1792ok’s signature, as they should.</p>
1793
1794<p>Before any product announcements, Ternus laid out his theory of an “intelligent personal hub” for the AI era, making the case that if one were to design such a device from the ground up, starting today, you’d wind up with something exactly like an iPhone — with you all the time, with a great display, ubiquitous networking, great cameras and mics, and long battery life. The cynical take would be that this is an “<em>If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail</em>” guiding doctrine. Apple is not a leading AI model company, and is completely sitting out the capex data center rat race,  so of course they’re going to argue that the most popular product they make — the iPhone — is the central device of the AI era. But, well, I think it’s true. You need devices to run AI. I wrote an entire column about this back in May — “<a href="https://daringfireball.net/2026/05/ai_is_technology_not_a_product">AI Is Technology, Not a Product</a>” — responding to <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/apples-next-ceo-needs-to-launch-a-killer-ai-product/">Steven Levy’s argument</a> that Ternus “needs to launch a killer AI product”.</p>
1795
1796<p>Levy, in Wired, wrote:</p>
1797
1798<blockquote>
1799  <p>By the end of this decade, it’s unlikely that people will swipe on
1800their phones to tap on Uber or Lyft. They will just tell their
1801always-on AI agent to get them home. Or that agent will have
1802already figured out where they need to go, and the car will be
1803waiting without the friction of a request. “There’s an app for
1804that,” may be replaced by “Let the agent do that.”</p>
1805</blockquote>
1806
1807<p>I wrote:</p>
1808
1809<blockquote>
1810  <p>Actual products have to be real. Actual experiences have to rely
1811on actual products. How exactly in Levy’s end-of-this-decade
1812scenario will we tell our “always-on AI agent” to get us home?
1813What microphone is listening to the command? What speaker is
1814telling us the request was understood and acted upon? What screen
1815do we look at to see how far away the hailed car is? I’d bet a
1816pretty large sum of money that in 2030, when someone hails a
1817ride-share vehicle to take them home, the most common product
1818they’ll use to do that will be their phone. Whether they’re doing
1819it via a verbal command issued to an “always-on AI agent” or good
1820old tapping and swiping, it’ll be a phone.</p>
1821</blockquote>
1822
1823<p>Ternus’s “intelligent personal hub” doctrine seems very much in line with my retort to Levy’s not-entirely-thought-through fantasy. It also sounds an awful lot like a modern-day reimagining of a former Apple CEO’s “digital hub” strategy for the Mac. I highly recommend you take 8 minutes of your time, right now, and watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmvmtmqqbeI">Steve Jobs’s introduction of the digital hub strategy</a> from January 2001’s Macworld Expo. History doesn’t repeat but it does echo, and Ternus’s “intelligent personal hub” sure sounds <em>exactly</em> like Jobs’s “digital hub” echoing a quarter century later. If Ternus’s “intelligent personal hub” strategy works out like Jobs’s “digital hub” one did a quarter century ago, Apple’s going to be alright.</p>
1824
1825<h2>iPhone 18 Pro</h2>
1826
1827<p>Heretofore, to my recollection, the iPhone Pro always came last in the September keynotes (including the years when the higher-tier iPhones didn’t yet have the word “Pro” in their names, like the XS in 2018 and X in 2017). This year the 18 Pro came first. This worked both as the immediate product announcement after Ternus’s expression of Apple’s intelligent personal hub strategy, and to clear the final act of the keynote for the much-anticipated Duo. (It’s <a href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/11/last-years-iphone-share-amongst-users-of-widgetsmith">somewhat telling</a> that the Air didn’t get that cleanup spot in the announcement batting order a year ago.<sup id="fnr3-2026-09-15"><a href="#fn3-2026-09-15">3</a></sup>)</p>
1828
1829<p>Thoughts on the colors, based on my hands-on experience:</p>
1830
1831<ul>
1832<li>Black: Truly deep black. Reminds me a lot of the flat black iPhone 7 (not to be confused with the jet black iPhone 7 — <a href="https://daringfireball.net/2016/09/the_iphones_7">what a year for black that was</a>).</li>
1833<li>Silver: Looks good. Not sure how it’s different from last year’s silver, because I had no way to compare side-by-side.</li>
1834<li>Glacier: Nice. I think this will be popular. It’s definitely blue, not silver / gray (which you’d hope would be true in general, but especially alongside an explicit silver colorway).</li>
1835<li>Burgundy: Last year the iPhone 17 Pro only came in three colors: silver, deep blue, and cosmic orange. I sort of thought of the strategy as “light”, “dark”, and “special”. But this year there are two specials, glacier and burgundy, but burgundy seems more special. Last year cosmic orange was clearly the color of the year. It was the most-used by far in Apple’s advertising, and I suspect it was the most popular sales-wise. Burgundy is that color this year. I don’t like it nearly as much, and I don’t think it will prove to be as popular or as iconic as cosmic orange. The cosmic orange iPhone 17 Pro seems set to go down as one of the most iconic iPhone colors ever made. I don’t think that will be true for the burgundy iPhone 18 Pro.</li>
1836</ul>
1837
1838<p>Pricing:</p>
1839
1840<p><!-- Markdown table:
1841|            | 256 GB | 512 GB | 1 TB   | 2 TB <br />
1842| ---------: | :----: | :----: | :----: | :----:
1843|     18 Pro | $1,200 | $1,400 | $1,800 | $2,400
1844| 18 Pro Max | $1,300 | $1,500 | $1,900 | $2,500
1845-->
1846<table width = 400>
1847<thead>
1848<tr>
1849  <th></th>
1850  <th align="center">256 GB</th>
1851  <th align="center">512 GB</th>
1852  <th align="center">1 TB</th>
1853  <th align="center">2 TB</th>
1854</tr>
1855</thead>
1856<tbody>
1857<tr>
1858  <td align="right">18 Pro</td>
1859  <td align="center">$1,200</td>
1860  <td align="center">$1,400</td>
1861  <td align="center">$1,800</td>
1862  <td align="center">$2,400</td>
1863</tr>
1864<tr>
1865  <td align="right">18 Pro Max</td>
1866  <td align="center">$1,300</td>
1867  <td align="center">$1,500</td>
1868  <td align="center">$1,900</td>
1869  <td align="center">$2,500</td>
1870</tr>
1871</tbody>
1872</table></p>
1873
1874<p>
1874Compared to <a href="https://www.macrumors.com/2025/09/09/2025-iphone-lineup-storage-and-prices/">the 17 Pro one year ago</a>:<sup id="fnr4-2026-09-15"><a href="#fn4-2026-09-15">4</a></sup></p>
1875
1876<p><!-- Markdown table:
1877|            | 256 GB | 512 GB | 1 TB   | 2 TB <br />
1878| ---------: | :----: | :----: | :----: | :----:
1879|     17 Pro | $1,100 | $1,300 | $1,500 | — | 17 Pro Max | $1,200 | $1,400 | $1,600 | $2,000
1880-->
1881<table width = 400>
1882<thead>
1883<tr>
1884  <th></th>
1885  <th align="center">256 GB</th>
1886  <th align="center">512 GB</th>
1887  <th align="center">1 TB</th>
1888  <th align="center">2 TB</th>
1889</tr>
1890</thead>
1891<tbody>
1892<tr>
1893  <td align="right">17 Pro</td>
1894  <td align="center">$1,100</td>
1895  <td align="center">$1,300</td>
1896  <td align="center">$1,500</td>
1897  <td align="center">—</td>
1898</tr>
1899<tr>
1900  <td align="right">17 Pro Max</td>
1901  <td align="center">$1,200</td>
1902  <td align="center">$1,400</td>
1903  <td align="center">$1,600</td>
1904  <td align="center">$2,000</td>
1905</tr>
1906</tbody>
1907</table></p>
1908
1909<p>So:</p>
1910
1911<ul>
1912<li>Max remains $100 extra.</li>
1913<li>2 TB is now available on the regular-size Pro; last year it was exclusive to the Max.</li>
1914<li>256 and 512 GB storage options are only $100 more expensive this year. </li>
1915<li>1 TB costs $300 more this year.</li>
1916<li>2 TB costs $500 more.</li>
1917</ul>
1918
1919<p>256 and 512 GB are by far the most popular sizes (and I think 256 in particular far outsells 512 — the base size truly is large enough for the majority of users), so for most 18 Pro buyers, the RAM/SSD shortage is only resulting in a $100 year-over-year price increase. The higher storage tier prices aren’t too bad, all things considered.</p>
1920
1921<p>It’s worth pointing out here that coincident with the announcement of the iPhones 18 Pro and Duo on Wednesday, <a href="https://www.macrumors.com/2026/09/09/apple-raises-iphone-17-prices/">Apple raised the prices of all existing iPhones in its lineup</a> by the same amounts, depending on storage — $100 for models with 128, 256, or 512 GB storage; and $300 for the iPhone Air with 1 TB.</p>
1922
1923<p>Technically, the iPhone 18 Pro mostly offers three new things compared to the 17 Pro: the A20 Pro SoC (faster cores, two Neural Engines instead of one, and 50% faster memory bandwidth); variable aperture on the 1× main camera, ranging from ƒ/1.48 to ƒ/4.0; and an all-new thermal management system, including a much larger vapor chamber. The A20 Pro means peak performance is faster; the new thermal system allows it to maintain peak performance longer.</p>
1924
1925<p>In a curious decision, the regular-sized 18 Pro models ship with Apple’s C2 cellular modem worldwide, but the <a href="https://www.macrumors.com/2026/09/12/iphone-18-pro-max-us-model-difference/">18 Pro Max models use a Qualcomm modem in the U.S.</a>, and <a href="https://x.com/LelloucheNico/status/2098370012570333689">the C2 everywhere else</a>. Apple’s C-series modems are power efficiency marvels, with (in my experience) just as good reception and speed. I’d be just ever so slightly bummed about this if I were a Pro Max fan in the US.</p>
1926
1927<p>That said, both the 18 Pro and Pro Max models continue to get slightly longer battery life <a href="https://www.apple.com/iphone-18-pro/specs/">in the US models</a> than <a href="https://www.apple.com/uk/iphone-18-pro/specs/">worldwide models</a>, because the US models are eSIM-only, but most (all?) models elsewhere still have a physical SIM tray. The US models use the space occupied by the SIM tray in international models to make the batteries physically larger. Going by Apple’s new “typical use” tech spec, the US Pro / Pro Max models are rated for 24 / 30 hours respectively; the international models with a physical SIM tray for 23 / 29. Not a big difference, but not nothing.</p>
1928
1929<p>In line with my belief that modern iPhones are best thought of as cameras with phones, not phones with cameras, most of the 18 Pro’s year-over-year improvements (and the features that set the Pro models apart from all other iPhones, including the Duo) are related to photography — both still and video:</p>
1930
1931<ul>
1932<li><p>Photographic Styles is now up to version 3, adding new controls for “texture”, film-look, and grain. One stated goal of this is to enable shooting images with a less processed look; on the other end of the aesthetic spectrum, though, I think it will also enable shooting with a <em>more</em> processed look, with the addition of “glow” and “soft skin” as texture alternatives alongside “film” (which is the only texture with the new grain option). The other, and default, texture option is “standard”, which effectively means no texture processing.</p></li>
1933<li><p>Apple Reference Image is a new shooting mode (main 1× camera only, because it’s tied to new features on that sensor) that performs pixel-by-pixel signing of the sensor data and embeds that signature in the file. After capture, reference images can be sent to Private Cloud Compute servers for verification and comparison to the original image sensor data. To capture images in Apple Reference format, you must shoot them in that mode, and you must enable that shooting mode first. The embedded sensor data doesn’t make files that much larger, but the sensor data stored in the file does uniquely identify your iPhone. When you “develop” a reference image — something the user must choose to do (not something that happens automatically each time you capture one) — the raw sensor data, sensor identifier, and time window when the image was captured are sent to Private Cloud Compute. When you share a photo captured in Apple Reference Image format, the sensor identifier is <em>not included</em> in the developed image, and you have the option to share a plain version without the embedded verification data. Apple Reference Image capture is not available in the EU or China, the world’s two largest bastions of freedom, but <a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/09/apple-debuts-iphone-18-pro-and-iphone-18-pro-max/#:~:text=In%20the%20EU">according to an Apple footnote</a>, users in the EU “with iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 will be able to develop and view reference images.”</p></li>
1934<li><p>Cinematic Mode can now be applied after shooting a regular video; on previous iPhones the Cinematic Mode effect was only available via a specific shooting mode.</p></li>
1935</ul>
1936
1937<p>To the layman’s eye, though, the 18 Pro just looks like it comes in new colors. That’s not a complaint, just a fact. Oh, but the Face ID infrared camera is now <em>underneath</em> pixels on the display, so the Dynamic Island cutout is now smaller. So the part of the Dynamic Island that is always black 
1937is smaller, but because there are now more display pixels next to it, the 18 Pro Dynamic Island can now show three active Live Activities, up from two. Apple is getting closer and closer each year to achieving a no-notch / no-cutout display.</p>
1938
1939<h2>AirPods 5</h2>
1940
1941<p>Just like with AirPods 4, Apple continues to make two different products under the same name. For $130, the cheaper AirPods 5 now have active noise cancellation (previously reserved for the higher-priced tier of AirPods 4), including Transparency and Adaptive modes. For $150, you get AirPods 5 with a wireless charging case (using MagSafe, Qi, or Apple Watch pucks), volume control by swiping up / down on the earbud stems, <em>and</em> longer battery life. It’s a much better product for just $20 extra, but it must have worked out well for Apple with a similar split with AirPods 4. I honestly can’t see why anyone should buy the $130 models, but someone must be buying them.</p>
1942
1943<p>Apple provided me with a pair (the $150 model) to review, with no embargo. I wore them on the cross-country plane ride home, and compared them to my own AirPods Pro 3 for noise cancellation. It’s hard to make a direct comparison of the overall acoustic quality, but solely in terms of reducing the noise of the airplane cabin while trying to work, I found the new AirPods 5 with full noise cancellation to be roughly equivalent to the AirPods Pro 3 in Adaptive mode. That’s pretty good, and makes the ambient noise level in an airplane much more pleasant. But the full noise cancellation mode of the AirPods Pro 3 delivers an entire step change in noise reduction that the open-ear AirPods 5 cannot match.</p>
1944
1945<p>I feel bad for people who despise airplane cabin noise but whose ears aren’t comfortable with closed-ear fit earbuds like AirPods Pro. But the noise reduction quality of the AirPods 5 seems impossibly good given their open-ear design. I don’t find AirPods Pro uncomfortable, but I do find regular AirPods more comfortable, especially for long stretches like hours-long flights. I’ll take the small trade-off in comfort for the big improvement in audio quality and noise cancellation with the AirPods Pro, though. With AirPods Pro you can truly forget you’re on an airplane at all if you’re watching a movie with Vision Pro or even on a MacBook or iPad display in a dark cabin.<sup id="fnr5-2026-09-15"><a href="#fn5-2026-09-15">5</a></sup></p>
1946
1947<h2>Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4</h2>
1948
1949<p>The big new health thing is a next-generation heart sensor that takes readings every 5 seconds — 60× as frequent as with Series 11 / Ultra 3 a year ago. Apple commissioned a study comparing their new watches against a slew of competing heart rate monitoring devices, <a href="https://www.apple.com/legal/more-resources/docs/Heart_Rate_Accuracy_Study_2026.pdf">and released a paper with the results</a>, claiming that Apple Watch was the most accurate. That’s an Apple-commissioned, Apple-released study, so take it with a grain of salt, but it looks solid to me and I’m unaware of any other studies showing otherwise. (And if I’m reading the results correctly, rings like Oura’s are crummy heart rate monitors.)</p>
1950
1951<p>Ultra 4 looks the same as Ultras 1–3 (although Ultra 1 only came in natural titanium, not black). Series 12 comes in some tweaked colors in matte aluminum ($400) and polished titanium ($700), and for the first time since Series 5 seven years ago, brings back ceramic, in two colors: pearl white and night blue ($900). Those prices are for the smaller 42mm size; add $50 to each of them for the larger 46mm size. As has been true for every Series model to date, only the higher-priced materials come with sapphire crystal displays; the entry-model aluminum models still use Ion-X glass. But now those glass displays offer Ceramic Shield 2, which treatment has <a href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/08/13/ceramic-shield-2-is-the-real-deal">proven to be a tremendous boon to scratch resistance</a> on iPhones. </p>
1952
1953<p>The S11 chip powering the new watches enables <a href="https://support.apple.com/en-us
1953/148354">two very interesting, and instantly controversial Apple Intelligence features</a>:</p>
1954
1955<ul>
1956<li><p>Live Rewind is a feature that allows you to double-click the digital crown to bring up a transcript of the last 15 seconds of conversation around you. Apple claims, somewhat preposterously, that audio isn’t being continuously recorded, when it clearly is. What they mean is that audio is only being cached for 15 seconds, continuously. There is no way to set Live Rewind to transcribe more (or less, for that matter) than the last 15 seconds of audio.</p></li>
1957<li><p>Siri Recap is a feature that produces Apple Intelligence-generated summaries of your conversations throughout the day, while the feature is enabled on your Apple Watch. These are not transcripts, just bullet-point style summaries. You can set Siri Recap to only be enabled during certain times (like work hours), and you can toggle it on and off in Control Center at any time. But when it’s on, that’s the only control you have over it. You can’t manually start / stop conversations to record, like you do when recording something with Voice Memos. You just turn Siri Recap on, and Siri generates summaries when it thinks you’ve had a conversation worth summarizing. It’s entirely and exclusively automatic, when the mode is enabled.</p></li>
1958</ul>
1959
1960<p>Neither of these features are available in WatchOS 27.0. They’re both described as coming “in beta later this year”. I asked Apple reps if that meant 27.1, and they wouldn’t answer other than to repeat “later this year”, but I thought I saw a smile. Both features are English-only for now.</p>
1961
1962<p>Some people are objecting to the very existence of these features as privacy intrusive. I think they’re pretty reasonably thought out. There are surveillance cameras all over the place now. I was walking home from dinner here in Philadelphia a few weeks ago with a friend visiting from out of town, talking about this, and he stopped midway between the restaurant and my house and asked me to count how many cameras we were on at that spot. I think we counted seven or eight. Who knows how many we missed? I’m not saying that’s good or bad, it’s just the world today. So too it’s soon going to be with personal devices recording audio. This is inevitable. I’m glad to see Apple ship features like this early, with pretty limited scope, to provide good examples before other companies ship devices that record and save audio continuously throughout the day. I think it’s better for Apple to lead with privacy-minded versions of ambient transcripts and AI-generated conversation summaries than to follow <em>after</em> other products have hit the market with all-day recordings and whole-life transcripts.</p>
1963
1964<p>Think back to Apple’s announcement of AirTags. A lot of people had a perfectly reasonable “<em>Hey I don’t know if it’s a good idea for a product like this to even exist</em>” initial reaction. But having Apple lead the way actually proved good. I suspect Live Rewind and Siri Recap will turn out like that.</p>
1965
1966<p>It’s also interesting to think about why these two features are only on Apple Watch, not iPhone. I think it’s because once an Apple Watch is on your wrist and unlocked, it remains a “trusted device” until you take the watch off. An iPhone is only a trusted device while it’s unlocked. It’s locked, and thus untrusted, while it’s in your pocket or bag, or even just sitting on a desk. I leave my iPhone unattended in our kitchen all the time. I’m often not in the room for conversations that take place in the kitchen while my iPhone is there, sitting on the counter. I shouldn’t get summaries of those conversations. And, thinking more nefariously, I shouldn’t be able to hide my iPhone on or near someone’s desk, or in a conference room, or in a car, or anywhere else, to get Siri Recap summaries of conversations where I’m not present. Making this an Apple Watch exclusive feature avoids that. Thus, I think Apple Watch can be trusted to “listen” ambiently, all the time while it’s unlocked on the wearer’s wrist, in ways that even an iPhone can’t.</p>
1967
1968<h2>iPhone Duo</h2>
1969
1970<p>Ternus broke out the hallowed “But actually, there is one more thing...” to introduce the Duo, which line — to circle back to the keynote’s intro — is for Apple CEOs what “Vodka martini, shaken not stirred” is for actors playing James Bond.<sup id="fnr6-2026-09-15"><a href="#fn6-2026-09-15">6</a></sup></p>
1971
1972<p>Pre-orders for the Duo don’t start until October 16, and it doesn’t ship until October 23. In my experience, Apple never seeds review units for any product until a few days before pre-orders open, so we’re not going to hear or see anything more about the Duo until those review embargoes lift on October 20 or 21, I bet.</p>
1973
1974<p>Duo is available in only two colors: star white (polished silver) and night sky (a deep blue-black). As predicted, the Duo is expensive. I’ll put it alongside the 18 Pro models for comparison:</p>
1975
1976<p><!-- Markdown table:
1977|            | 256 GB | 512 GB | 1 TB   | 2 TB <br />
1978| ---------: | :----: | :----: | :----: | :----:
1979|     18 Pro | $1,200 | $1,400 | $1,800 | $2,400
1980| 18 Pro Max | $1,300 | $1,500 | $1,900 | $2,500
1981|        Duo | $2,000 | $2,200 | $2,600 | $3,200
1982-->
1983<table width = 400>
1984<thead>
1985<tr>
1986  <th></th>
1987  <th align="center">256 GB</th>
1988  <th align="center">512 GB</th>
1989  <th align="center">1 TB</th>
1990  <th align="center">2 TB</th>
1991</tr>
1992</thead>
1993<tbody>
1994<tr>
1995  <td align="right">18 Pro</td>
1996  <td align="center">$1,200</td>
1997  <td align="center">$1,400</td>
1998  <td align="center">$1,800</td>
1999  <td align="center">$2,400</td>
2000</tr>
2001<tr>
2002  <td align="right">18 Pro Max</td>
2003  <td align="center">$1,300</td>
2004  <td align="center">$1,500</td>
2005  <td align="center">$1,900</td>
2006  <td align="center">$2,500</td>
2007</tr>
2008<tr>
2009  <td align="right">Duo</td>
2010  <td align="center">$2,000</td>
2011  <td align="center">$2,200</td>
2012  <td align="center">$2,600</td>
2013  <td align="center">$3,200</td>
2014</tr>
2015</tbody>
2016</table></p>
2017
2018<p>At every storage tier, it’s $800 more than an 18 Pro and $700 more than an 18 Pro Max.</p>
2019
2020<p>Key facts:</p>
2021
2022<ul>
2023<li><p>It has no Face ID sensor, either open or closed. The only authentication is an iPad Air-style Touch ID side button.</p></li>
2024<li><p>It has a Camera Control button, but does not have an Action button.</p></li>
2025<li><p>The interior display has a matte nano-texture display. It looks great and apparently this is a key element of Apple’s efforts to make the crease as unnoticeable as possible. By 
2025next year I expect all competing foldables to have matte interior displays and 1.4 : 1 aspect ratio displays.</p></li>
2026<li><p>It is very satisfying to open and close.</p></li>
2027<li><p>The outer glossy screen has a “Center Stage” 12 megapixel front-facing camera, that seems very similar to the 18 megapixel Center Stage front cameras in the iPhone 17 generation phones. Year-ago tech but still high quality. There’s a circular hole punch in the corner of the display for this camera.</p></li>
2028<li><p>The inner matte screen has an under-the-display “FaceTime” camera for which Apple hasn’t even given a megapixel count. Clearly this is a lesser camera — the question is how much lesser. The idea presumably is that this camera is solely for use in Zoom or FaceTime apps, where you might want to use the bigger inner display to view the meeting, and don’t care as much about your own image quality. But there’s no reason ever to capture a self portrait with the camera on the larger inner display. If the Duo is opened, and you care about image quality for self portraits, you can shoot using the <em>main</em> camera and use the small display to frame yourself, turning the large display around to the back. When not using the inner FaceTime camera, there is no visible cutout showing where it goes. If you look closely at the display however, you can see where it is. Under-display cameras aren’t magic.</p></li>
2029<li><p>The regular cameras are a 1× / 2× main, and a 0.5× ultra wide. I suspect the main 1× camera is very similar optically to that of the iPhone Air, but the Duo has A20 Pro features like Photographic Styles 3, although it lacks Pro Controls, Apple Log, <a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/09/apple-announces-final-cut-camera-2-0/">genlock</a>, and other pro camera features. (The Air only has last year’s Photographic Styles 2.)</p></li>
2030</ul>
2031
2032<p>The initial introduction of the Duo was handled by two keynote newcomers: industrial design VP <a href="https://www.apple.com/leadership/molly-anderson/">Molly Anderson</a>, and human interface VP <a href="https://www.apple.com/leadership/steve-lemay/">Steve Lemay</a>. A hardware / software design duo (<em>ahem</em>
2032), if you will. What made it worth having Anderson and Lemay present together is that the iPhone Duo exemplifies Apple’s integrated approach to product design. Are they a hardware company that writes their own software or a software company that makes their own hardware? The answer is yes.<sup id="fnr7-2026-09-15"><a href="#fn7-2026-09-15">7</a></sup> The defining aspect of the Duo isn’t that it folds open and closed — we’ve seen almost a decade of Android phones that do that — but its aspect ratio, roughly 1.4 : 1. Because that’s effectively the square root of 2, doubling the outer display’s shorter dimension when you unfold it produces an inner display with roughly the same aspect ratio. That’s elegant and satisfying conceptually. And I think in practice it will feel right, too.</p>
2033
2034<p>Heretofore the iPhone has only had three display aspect ratios:</p>
2035
2036<ol>
2037<li><p>The original iPhone (2007) display was precisely 3 : 2 (480&NoBreak; &NoBreak;×&NoBreak; &NoBreak;320 pixels, and let’s call it 1.5 : 1 for comparison’s sake to the following ratios), and this remained true through the iPhone 4 and 4S (960&NoBreak; &NoBreak;×&NoBreak; &NoBreak;640 pixels, 2× retina).</p></li>
2038<li><p>Then the iPhone 5 (2012) display size went from 3.5 inches to 4 inches, but added all the extra pixels on the long dimension. Held vertically, it got taller, but not at all wider, changing the aspect ratio to 16 : 9 (roughly 1.77 : 1). This 16 : 9 aspect ratio held for all of the 5, 6, 7, and 8 generation iPhones, including the Plus models.</p></li>
2039<li><p>The iPhone X (2017) introduced the “all-screen” era. The actual device hardware <a href="https://www.apple.com/iphone/compare/?modelList=iphone-x,iphone-8,iphone-8-plus">didn’t change size or aspect ratio by much</a>, but eliminating the chin (with Home button) and forehead and filling those areas with the screen, the display aspect ratio went to roughly 2.17 : 1, and every new model since then, including the new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, has maintained that aspect ratio.<sup id="fnr8-2026-09-15"><a href="#fn8-2026-09-15">8</a></sup></p></li>
2040</ol>
2041
2042<p>Thus, over 20 years, iPhone displays (and thus all phones, since all the other phones mostly just copy iPhones) have only gotten more elongated: from 1.5 : 1 to 1.77 : 1 to 2.17 : 1. Now, though, the iPhone Duo goes <em>squatter than the original iPhone</em> for the first time, to 1.4 : 1 on both the outer and inner displays.<sup id="fnr9-2026-09-15"><a href="#fn9-2026-09-15">9</a></sup> That’s a noticeable change from the original iPhone, but it’s a downright striking change from every iPhone released in the last 10 years.</p>
2043
2044<p>This aspect ratio is <em>so</em> different that it demands a different UI layout for the Duo to have any chance at being a good experience. That’s exactly what Apple has done, and what Steve Lemay was there in the keynote to unveil. A lot of UI chrome that previously was at the top or bottom of the display is now on the right — the dock on the home screen, the toolbars in apps, etc. And these elements are always on the right. You can’t turn the Duo upside down to move them to the left, nor is there an accessibility setting to move them to the left. This layout puts these controls on the right not because 90 percent of people are right-handed and Apple thinks lefties can get bent, but, I think (and so I’ve been told in conversations with Cupertinoites), because that’s the nature of a book-like shape. The arrow keys on keyboards always fall on the right, publishers don’t print left-handed books, and carmakers don’t make left-handed steering wheels. The right-side bias in the Duo iOS layout is like that.</p>
2045
2046<p>I’ve only spent a few minutes, in total, playing with the Duo, so I really can’t say whether it succeeds or not. But I will say that it’s <em>weird</em>. Not saying it’s weird <em>good</em> or weird <em>bad</em> — just weird <em>different</em>. In some ways iOS on the Duo feels more different from iOS on all other post-iPhone-X phones than iOS on the original iPad felt from iOS on the iPhones of that time. The original iPad just felt like a much b
2046igger iPhone. The Duo feels like a different layout entirely, in every single app that I had time to poke around with.</p>
2047
2048<p>Is the Duo good? I do not know. Is it different? Very much.</p>
2049
2050<p>Here’s the thing. If you take a 2 : 1 or even 2.2 : 1 aspect ratio phone display and turn that into a book-like foldable, the inner screen comes out square — or so close to square that we might as well just call it square. Nobody makes any device of any sort that just has a square display. Square is a terrible aspect ratio for a phone or a tablet or a laptop or a desktop display. The only square displays on the market are the inner displays for Android foldables from the last decade. Square being a shitty aspect ratio is half the reason <a href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/07/birchler-folding-iphone-predictions">almost no one has bought those things</a>. The other half of the reason is that no developers truly adapted software to take advantage of the double-area inner displays. Google didn’t do it, Samsung didn’t do it, and since neither of them bothered to do it, of course third-party developers didn’t do it either. Nothing <em>adapts</em> to the inner display on Android foldables — it just <em>expands</em> to fill the space.</p>
2051
2052<p>Apple’s insight to go with 1.4 : 1 on the outside and thus also 1.4 : 1 on the inside gives the Duo a chance. Maybe this will be a huge hit. But maybe not? There are no 5-inch phone displays with aspect ratios anyw
2052here near as squat as the Duo’s. That’s a tablet aspect ratio. The current A17 Pro iPad Mini has a 2266&NoBreak; &NoBreak;×&NoBreak; &NoBreak;1488 pixel display: roughly 1.5 : 1. The 11-inch iPad Air is 1.4 : 1 and the 13-inch Air is 1.33 : 1. So I think the Duo’s inner display is going to feel just right.</p>
2053
2054<p>But that outer display? I don’t know. Even in the best case, it’s going to be no better than a tolerable compromise. If it were actually a good idea there would be non-folding phones with 1.4 : 1-ish squat displays, and there aren’t any such phones. And even if the Duo proves to be a hit, I don’t think there will be. If you only have one display you don’t want it to be the size and shape of the Duo’s outer display. So the questions are: How tolerable has Apple’s UI redesign made it? And how will Duo users split their time between using it closed vs. using it open? Someone who spends more of their time using it open might absolutely love it with a “you’ll take it away only from my cold dead hands” fervor. Someone who winds up mostly using the outer display because so many of their iPhone interactions are quick <em>take it out → use it for a bit to check something, jot something down, or snap a quick photo → put it back in pocket / bag</em> situations, might wind up regretting it.</p>
2055
2056<p>Given the design brief of creating a book-shaped foldable phone, I feel quite certain already that Apple has nailed it with the Duo. But having only seen the keynote spiel and poked around with one in hand for a few minutes Wednesday afternoon, I think it remains an open question whether a book-shaped foldable phone is a good idea in the first place. Folks from Apple who have actually spent time carrying the Duo seem genuinely enthused. I remain highly skeptical about its appeal for me personally, and somewhat skeptical about its appeal broadly. That’s OK if it’s not suited for me, but is suited for many (but not most) people. No one in the keynote described the iPhone Duo as the future of iPhone, like they did when introducing the iPhone X in 2017. I just wonder if the fundamental idea appeals to all that many people at all. We’ll find out starting in late October.</p>
2057
2058<p>Regarding some specific Duo details:</p>
2059
2060<ul>
2061<li><p>The lack of Face ID is a serious sad-trombone bummer, and in my opinion could sink the first-generation model. Side-button Touch ID is OK, but OK is not <em>good</em>, and even good is not <em>insanely great</em>. Face ID is insanely great. For whatever reason, the only iPads with Face ID are the iPad Pro models. Every time I review an iPad Air or iPad Mini, my biggest gripe is the lack of Face ID. I complained about it <a href="https://daringfireball.net/2022/03/the_2022_ipad_air#:~:text=Face%20ID%20alone%20is%20worth%20%24150">reviewing the iPad Air in 2022</a> and <a href="https://daringfireball.net/2021/09/the_2021_ipad_mini#:~:text=biggest%20annoyance">the iPad Mini in 2021</a>, and in the five years since then my annoyance has only grown. With Face ID, so long as you’re looking at the screen as you unlock the device, it’s like not having it locked at all. It just unlocks, seemingly automatically. With Touch ID you must think about putting one of your registered fingers on the button every single time you unlock it. It never ever feels automatic. I feel quite certain Apple tried to fit a Face ID sensor on the outer Duo display and could not make the engineering work.</p></li>
2062<li><p>I’m much more concerned about convenience than security, but Face ID is 20× more secure than Touch ID. That’s according to Apple’s own <a href="https://help.apple.com/pdf/security/en_GB/apple-platform-security-guide-b.pdf">Apple Platform Security</a> whitepaper, updated just last month, which states:</p>
2063
2064<blockquote>
2065  <p>The probability that a random person in the population could
2066unlock a user’s iPad, iPhone, or Apple Vision Pro is less than 1
2067in 1 million with Optic ID or Face ID — including when Face ID
2068with a mask is turned on. For a user’s iPad, iPhone, Mac models
2069with Touch ID, and those paired with a Magic Keyboard with Touch
2070ID, it’s less than 1 in 50,000. This probability increases with
2071multiple enrolled fingerprints (up to 1 in 10,000 with five
2072fingerprints) or appearances for Face ID (up to 1 in 500,000
2073with two appearances).</p>
2074</blockquote></li>
2075<li><p>As a sign of how inconvenient the lack of Face ID is, Apple is promoting the fact that the iPhone Duo can be unlocked by your Ap
2075ple Watch, like a Mac. No other iPhone needs such a crutch.<sup id="fnr10-2026-09-15"><a href="#fn10-2026-09-15">10</a></sup> Based on my experience with Touch ID iPads, wearing an Apple Watch all the time to unlock the Duo will feel essential. I don’t wear an Apple Watch all the time, and don’t want to start wearing an Apple Watch all the time, so I suspect this alone will keep me from switching to an iPhone Duo personally. On the other hand, for people who <em>do</em> wear an Apple Watch all the time and are happy to do so, the Duo’s lack of Face ID might prove to be only an occasional inconvenience rather than a constant annoyance.<sup id="fnr11-2026-09-15"><a href="#fn11-2026-09-15">11</a></sup></p></li>
2076<li><p><a href="https://www.macrumors.com/2026/04/24/iphone-ultra-could-be-missing-5-features/">Contrary to some speculation</a>, the Duo does support MagSafe. (Samsung’s latest, the Galaxy Z Fold8 and Fold8 Ultra, support inductive Qi charging but don’t have magnets, so you need to use a case or something to get chargers to snap into place.)</p></li>
2077<li><p>Closed, the Duo has — per Molly Anderson’s dulcet keynote description — “a distinctive asymmetric shape, with two rounded corners, that invites you to open it.” Expect this to be copied by every other foldable phone in 2027, and then for Android dorks to argue that it’s a totally obvious design. (Same for the matte interior display.)</p></li>
2078<li><p>Apple rates the Duo as IP68 for dust and water resistance, <a href="https://www.apple.com/iphone/compare/?modelList=iphone-duo,iphone-air,iphone-18-pro">with exactly the same description</a> as the iPhones 18 Pro (and all other iPhone models currently in the lineup): “Rated IP68 (maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes) under IEC standard 60529”. Samsung’s new <a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/979421/ifixit-samsung-galaxy-z-fold-8-hinge">Z Fold8 is only IP48</a>. With these <a href="https://www.iec.ch/ip-ratings">IEC ratings</a> the second numeral is for water. The first numeral is for “solid foreign agents” (read: dirt and dust). iPhone Duo’s IP6<em>x</em> rating means “dust-tight”. The Z Fold8’s IP4<em>x</em> rating isn’t even “dust-protected” (that would be IP5<em>x</em>) but instead only protection against particles 1mm or larger. 1mm is pretty big for a piece of grit. That doesn’t mean it’s susceptible to ingress from every particle smaller than 1mm, but it’s not good. Pocket lint is a real thing and people put their phones in their pockets.</p></li>
2079</ul>
2080
2081<h2>I’m Trying So Hard Not to Be Insufferable About Predicting the ‘Duo’ Name That I’ve Put This Entire Section 6,500 Words Deep Into the Column</h2>
2082
2083<p>Yours truly, <a href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/04/14/name-of-foldable-iphone">back on April 14</a>:</p>
2084
2085<blockquote>
2086  <p>I have no inside knowledge about what Apple plans to name this
2087device, but I’ll eat my proverbial hat if they name it “iPhone
2088Fold”. That name is so dumb it’s what Samsung calls their
2089foldables. You don’t name a device for what it does, you name it
2090for what it connotes. A good name conveys feeling, not just
2091function. “iPhone Ultra” or “iPhone Max” would both work, and
2092<em>Ultra</em> sounds more luxe. So while unsurprising, that’s probably
2093the best bet, even without the reliable word of Mr. Digital Chat
2094Station.</p>
2095
2096<p>But if you want my take on a wildcard name, one with some
2097<a href="https://everymac.com/systems/apple/powerbook_duo/index-powerbook-duo.html">history</a>, how about “iPhone Duo”?</p>
2098</blockquote>
2099
2100<p>My thinking re: “Duo” seemingly jibed with that of Apple’s crack marketing team:</p>
2101
2102<ul>
2103<li>It’s two devices in one.</li>
2104<li>The early 1990s <a href="https://everymac.com/systems/apple/powerbook_duo/index-powerbook-duo.html">PowerBook Duo</a> (and <a href="https://apple.fandom.com/wiki/Duo_Dock">corresponding Duo Dock</a>) were extraordinary Macs that were ahead of their time.</li>
2105<li>It’s not <em>ultra</em>, if we take ultra to mean “better than what’s less than ultra in every way”. The iPhone Duo is different — quite different — from the iPhones Pro but, to name one conspicuous example, the iPhones Pro have better camera systems. (The Duo is ultra-priced, but one can also say it’s double-priced.)</li>
2106<li><em>Duo</em> looks and sounds so good alongside <em>Neo</em>.</li>
2107</ul>
2108
2109<p>When I suggested “Duo” in April and <a href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/07/birchler-folding-iphone-predictions">again the day before the event</a>, the number one objection was that Microsoft had used the name “Duo” <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us
2109/d/surface-duo-unlocked/8S3V46W10HFR?activetab=pivot:overviewtab">for one</a> of its many forgettable Surface products. The half dozen or so readers who argued thus might be the only people alive who remember this product. No one cares. Microsoft <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface_Neo">also had a Surface Neo</a>, and no one cares about that one either. Even if Apple hadn’t offered a line of (successful, memorable) PowerBook Duos from 30 years ago, it wouldn’t matter that Microsoft had used “Duo” in 2020. For chrissakes <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone_(trademark)">Cisco had the rights to the name “iPhone” in 2007</a> and had been making products with the name since 1998.</p>
2110
2111<p>I love the name Duo for this iPhone. It just feels right. And, just five days in, I already find myself saying and writing just “Duo”, without “iPhone”, when referring to it.</p>
2112
2113<h2>Miscellaneous</h2>
2114
2115<ul>
2116<li><p>Too many cooks spoil the stew. It was very fun and a little touching to have <em>the</em>
2116 Cook hand things off to Ternus at the start, but I think there were too many presenters in the keynote. Duo was effectively introduced three or four separate times. First by the Anderson / Lemay (<em>I’m going to pun it again</em>) duo, then Joz, then Craig Federighi (covering much of the same software ground Lemay did), then Johny Srouji (covering much of the same ground Anderson did). Maybe the thinking was that everyone wanted a part in Ternus’s debut keynote. Maybe this is just the way of the future — many small segments, rather than one continuous on-stage live monologue. It didn’t make the keynote run overly long (running time was just 1h:17m), so maybe I’m all wet here. But I think what I wanted was to see Ternus do more of the explaining — not just the <em>what</em> but the <em>why</em>.</p></li>
2117<li><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39BalPDuTo0">Apple’s YouTube video of the entire keynote</a> has over 49 million views, and that doesn’t count the views from Apple’s own hosted version, presented on Apple.com and Apple TV. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Apple/videos">Apple has</a> 12 other shorter keynote-related videos on YouTube, including “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3zwkxqh1t0">Introducing the new iPhone 18 Pro</a>” with 18 million views, and “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUfGcZ092b0">Introducing the new iPhone Duo</a>” with 28 million views. For comparison, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF8swzNR1-o">this year’s WWDC keynote on YouTube</a> has 8.9 million views. 9 million views is a hell of a view count for the introduction of operating systems, but the iPhone remains king — not just for Apple, but the industry. It remains the Super Bowl of the annual tech calendar. </p></li>
2118<li><p>For an even better comparison, <a href="https://archive.org/details/mwsf01_300">in the full version</a> of that 2001 Macworld Expo keynote that I suggested you watch earlier in this column — the one where Steve Jobs introduced the Mac-as-digital-hub strategy — when Jobs takes the stage, he’s beaming with pride when he says there are “tens of thousands” of people watching the stream live. Both streaming and Apple have come a long way in 25 years.&nbsp;<a class="permalink" title="Permanent link to ‘Thoughts and Observations on Apple’s ‘Surprise and Shine’ Event; the Announcements of the iPhones 18 Pro, AirPods 5, Apple Watches Series 12 and Ultra 4, and the iPhone Duo; and the Dawn of the Ternus, John Ternus Era at Apple’" href="https://daringfireball.net/2026/09/thoughts_and_observations_on_apples_surprise_and_shine_event">&#9733;</a></p></li>
2119</ul>
2120
2121<div class="footnotes">
2122<hr />
2123<ol>
2124
2125<li id="fn1-2026-09-15">
2126<p>I’ll just tuck in a footnote here that another necessary technical feature was high-speed USB-C, for recording video to external SSD drives. EU regulatory cheerleaders hang their hats on the belief that Apple switched iPhones from Lightning connectors to USB-C solely because of the EU charging port mandate. Some of them believe that absent EU intervention, iPhones today would still be on Lightning. That’s nonsense. These things are all true: the EU now mandates USB-C charging ports for phones (and most other devices); Apple opposed the EU USB-C mandate; the iPhone switched to USB-C in 2023 with the iPhone 15 generation; and the iPhone’s Lightning port was the last remaining proprietary phone connector that anyone cared about. But correlation is not causation. Apple opposed (and still opposes) the EU USB-C mandate not because they think USB-C is bad today, but because the mandate will stymie moving to something better (thinner / smaller / faster) in the future. (In 2011 the EU soft-mandated the terrible Micro-USB connector <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/memo_11_75">in a “Memorandum of Understanding”</a> that Apple of course ignored. USB-C is a good connector, but the lesson the European Commission took from their Micro-USB attempt was to hard-mandate their preferred universal connector this time — to 
2126switch from <em>should</em> to <em>must</em>.) Apple started moving iOS devices from Lightning to USB-C all the way back <a href="https://daringfireball.net/2018/11/the_2018_ipad_pros">in 2018 with the iPad Pros</a>. The EU USB-C mandate <a href="https://commission.europa.eu/news-and-media/news/eu-common-charger-rules-power-all-your-devices-single-charger-2024-12-28_en">didn’t come into effect until December 2024</a>. Apple had planned to move the iPhone to USB-C starting with the iPhone 15 generation years prior. If Apple had switched the iPhone to USB-C only for begrudging compliance with the EU mandate, they would have waited until 2024; Apple never complies early with regulations they disagree with. They also might have shipped USB-C iPhones exclusively within the EU. For years Apple shipped iPhones with two physical SIM card slots in China — region-specific hardware wouldn’t be new. They still today ship new iPhones with physical SIM card trays in most of the world but without them in the US models. But the best proof is that the iPhone 15 Pro models had camera features that required USB-C for data transfer performance.</p>
2127
2128<p>The theory that the EU dragged Apple kicking and screaming into switching the iPhone to USB-C is predicated on the notion that because Lightning was proprietary and USB-C is not, that Apple made a fortune selling Lightning accessories and didn’t want to give up that revenue stream. But Apple sells just as many <a href="https://www.apple.com/shop/accessories/all/made-by-apple/cables">$20–30 USB-C cables</a> as they did $20–30 Lightning cables, and dirt-cheap Lightning cables from third-party companies were always plentiful (albeit not in Apple Stores). The iPhone switching to USB-C hasn’t affected Apple’s bottom line at all. This footnote, I’m sure, will put this matter to rest.&nbsp;<a href="#fnr1-2026-09-15"  class="footnoteBackLink"  title="Jump back to footnote 1 in the text.">&#x21A9;&#xFE0E;</a></p>
2129</li>
2130
2131<li id="fn2-2026-09-15">
2132<p>Also interesting knowing that this was the first keynote produced <a href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2026/09/03/schiller-steps-down">after Phil Schiller stepped down from running events</a>, yet Schiller is as big a Bond fan as anyone I know. The Bond references in the keynote might have been a nice nod to Schiller from his former team.&nbsp;<a href="#fnr2-2026-09-15"  class="footnoteBackLink"  title="Jump back to footnote 2 in the text.">&#x21A9;&#xFE0E;︎</a></p>
2133</li>
2134
2135<li id="fn3-2026-09-15">
2136<p>Last year’s keynote announcement order: AirPods Pro 3, Apple Watch (Series 11 and Ultra 3), iPhone 17, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro. This year’s order: iPhone 18 Pro, AirPods 5, Apple Watch, iPhone Duo.&nbsp;<a href="#fnr3-2026-09-15"  class="footnoteBackLink"  title="Jump back to footnote 3 in the text.">&#x21A9;&#xFE0E;︎</a></p>
2137</li>
2138
2139<li id="fn4-2026-09-15">
2140<p>As I write this in mid-September, you can still purchase the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max at last year’s prices from carriers like <a href="https://www.att.com/buy/phones/apple-iphone-17-pro.html">AT&amp;T</a> and <a href="https://www.verizon.com/smartphones/apple-iphone-17-pro-max/">Verizon</a>, including the 1 TB 17 Pro for $1,500 and 2 TB 17 Pro Max for $2,000. It doesn’t make much sense to me to buy a 256 or 512 GB 17 Pro today just to save $100, unless you really love cosmic orange and feel disappointed by the 18 Pro colors. But if you really want 1 or 2 TB of storage, you’ll save $300 or $500 respectively buying a 17 Pro model instead of an 18 Pro. That’s real money.&nbsp;<a href="#fnr4-2026-09-15"  class="footnoteBackLink"  title="Jump back to footnote 4 in the text.">&#x21A9;&#xFE0E;︎</a></p>
2141</li>
2142
2143<li id="fn5-2026-09-15">
2144<p>Have you noticed that more and more, people in window seats keep their windows closed, keeping the cabin dark, even for mid-day flights? I get it for early morning flights, but I don’t get it for mid-day and late afternoon flights. Sunlight is good. I’m an aisle-seat man myself, but when I get stuck with a window seat the best part is the view out the window. With the window closed, those seats aren’t much better than middle seats.&nbsp;<a href="#fnr5-2026-09-15"  class="footnoteBackLink"  title="Jump back to footnote 5 in the text.">&#x21A9;&#xFE0E;︎</a></p>
2145</li>
2146
2147<li id="fn6-2026-09-15">
2148<p>Roger Moore played Bond in <a href="https://www.007.com/the-films/">seven films</a>, but never once ordered a martini nor uttered the “shaken not stirred” line. He did enjoy martinis in three of the movies, but in each case, the drink was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwvN0qvs5tA">ordered or prepared for him</a>. This, despite Moore himself <a href="https://daringfireball.net/linked/2017/05/23/moore-perfect">having been a dry martini aficionado</a>.&nbsp;<a href="#fnr6-2026-09-15"  class="footnoteBackLink"  title="Jump back to footnote 6 in the text.">&#x21A9;&#xFE0E;︎</a></p>
2149</li>
2150
2151<li id="fn7-2026-09-15">
2152<p>But the fact that the new CEO spent his career in hardware engineering tells you which side at Apple is the bigger 50 percent.&nbsp;<a href="#fnr7-2026-09-15"  class="footnoteBackLink"  title="Jump back to footnote 7 in the text.">&#x21A9;&#xFE0E;︎</a></p>
2153</li>
2154
2155<li id="fn8-2026-09-15">
2156<p>The iPhone X (2436&NoBreak; &NoBreak;×&NoBreak; &NoBreak;1125 pixels) worked out to 2.165<span style="text-decoration: overline;">3</span> : 1. This week’s new iPhone 18 Pro (2622&NoBreak; &NoBreak;×&NoBreak; &NoBreak;1206 pixels) is 2.1741… : 1, and the 18 Pro Max (2868&NoBreak; &NoBreak;×&NoBreak; &NoBreak;1320) is 2.1<span style="text-decoration: overline;">72</span> : 1. To two decimal places they’re all 2.17 : 1.&nbsp;<a href="#fnr8-2026-09-15"  class="footnoteBackLink"  title="Jump back to footnote 8 in the text.">&#x21A9;&#xFE0E;︎</a></p>
2157</li>
2158
2159<li id="fn9-2026-09-15">
2160<p>Let’s keep going with the math pedantry. The Duo’s 5.4-inch outer display is 2034&NoBreak; &NoBreak;×&NoBreak; &NoBreak;1398 pixels, which <a href="https://www.wolframalpha.com/input?i=2%2C034+%2F+1%2C398">works out to about</a>
2160 1.455 : 1. The 7.8-inch inner display is 2670&NoBreak; &NoBreak;×&NoBreak; &NoBreak;1878 pixels, which works out to about 1.422 : 1. Calling them both “1.4 : 1” is close enough for government work.&nbsp;<a href="#fnr9-2026-09-15"  class="footnoteBackLink"  title="Jump back to footnote 9 in the text.">&#x21A9;&#xFE0E;︎</a></p>
2161</li>
2162
2163<li id="fn10-2026-09-15">
2164<p>Back in 2021 during the COVID era, <a href="https://daringfireball.net/2021/02/unlock_with_apple_watch_with_face_mask">iOS 14.5 added a then-much-needed feature</a> that allowed Apple Watch to unlock your iPhone. That feature <a href="https://support.apple.com/guide/watch/unlock-your-iphone-apd2a4393dc1/watchos">remains available</a>, and I guess that’s what Apple is promoting for use with iPhone Duo. But I had to check that this feature was still available in iOS because I haven’t used it since last wearing a face mask four or five years ago.&nbsp;<a href="#fnr10-2026-09-15"  class="footnoteBackLink"  title="Jump back to footnote 10 in the text.">&#x21A9;&#xFE0E;︎</a></p>
2165</li>
2166
2167<li id="fn11-2026-09-15">
2168<p>Which raises an obvious question that I’ve never really thought hard about before: Why the hell can’t you unlock a Touch ID iPad with your Apple Watch, like you can with a Mac (or, now, an iPhone Duo)?&nbsp;<a href="#fnr11-2026-09-15"  class="footnoteBackLink"  title="Jump back to footnote 11 in the text.">&#x21A9;&#xFE0E;︎</a></p>
2169</li>
2170
2171</ol>
2172</div>
2173
2174</div> <!-- article -->
2175
2176<hr class="ookiaks" />
2177
2178
2179<div id="Footer">
2180<form id="SiteSearch" action="https://daringfireball.net/search" method="get" style="margin-bottom: 2.5em;">
2181<div>
2182<input name="q" type="text" value="" style="margin-right: 8px; width: 66%;" />
2183<input type="submit" value="Search" />
2184</div>
2185</form>
2186
2187<p class="smallprint">
2188<a href="/preferences/" title="Customize the font size and presentation options for this web site.">Display Preferences</a>
2189<br /><br />
2190Copyright &copy; 2002–2026 The Daring Fireball Company LLC.
2191</p>
2192</div>
2193
2194
2195<!-- Google Analytics -->
2196
2197<!-- 
2198<script type="text/javascript">
2199  var _gaq = _gaq || [];
2200  _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-593949-1']);
2201  _gaq.push (['_gat._anonymizeIp']);
2202  _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);
2203  (function() {
2204	var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true;
2205	ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js';
2206	var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s);
2207  })();
2208</script>
2208
2209 -->
2210
2211<!-- Asynchronously load Mint -->
2212<!-- No, screw mint
2213<script type="text/javascript">
2214(function () {
2215	var ma = document.createElement('script');
2216	ma.type = 'text/javascript';
2217	ma.src = '/mint/?js';
2218	ma.async = true;
2219	var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
2220	s.parentNode.insertBefore(ma, s);
2221})();
2222</script>
2222
2223-->
2224</div> <!-- Main -->
2225
2226</div> <!-- Box -->
2227<script type="module" src="https://static.cloudflareinsights.com/beacon.min.js/v31edd6df95cf4e85bb4c19e7a9bdbcba1788362987495" integrity="sha512-iIg7k2xntmwu6/uSb5tpc/hySgZc4eoL31yB29W6tJFo2akwjPWcEqnCEdJvGexCL0KEQwVYv5BlowfhVz26hg==" data-cf-beacon='{"version":"2024.11.0","token":"d5bbc0b4e8ae452eba45dc9b72931665","spa":2}' crossorigin="anonymous"></script>
vendor: 1 bytes, line 2227
2227
2228<script>(function(){function c(){var b=a.contentDocument||(a.contentWindow&&a.contentWindow.document);if(b){var d=b.createElement('script');d.innerHTML="window.__CF$cv$params={r:'a3ff98f56cb2ab71',t:'MTc5MDIyOTkyNw=='};var a=document.createElement('script');a.src='/cdn-cgi/challenge-platform/scripts/jsd/main.js';document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(a);";b.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(d)}}if(document.body){var a=document.createElement('iframe');a.height=1;a.width=1;a.style.position='absolute';a.style.top=0;a.style.left=0;a.style.border='none';a.style.visibility='hidden';document.body.appendChild(a);if('loading'!==document.readyState)c();else if(window.addEventListener)document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded',c);else{var e=document.onreadystatechange||function(){};document.onreadystatechange=function(b){e(b);'loading'!==document.readyState&&(document.onreadystatechange=e,c())}}}})();</script>
2228</body>
2229</html>
2230<!-- 0.0234 seconds -->
2231

Line numbers count LF bytes from the start of the resource, as the search results do. Vendor segments are library code the classifier recognised; they are stored but not indexed. Bytes are shown as Latin1 characters, one per byte.