Apple's upcoming iPhone 18 Pro has entered production testing ahead of a launch later this year, a Chinese leaker reported today.


In a Weibo post, the leaker account known as "Fixed Focus Digital" said the Pro models had already entered "mass-production testing," likely referring to late-stage manufacturing validation for the devices ahead of a September launch.

February typically aligns with Apple's Design Validation Test (DVT) phase transitioning into early Production Validation Test (PVT). During this period, Apple uses production tooling and activates portions of factory assembly lines to validate manufacturing processes, yields, and quality control, rather than producing units at full scale. Full mass production usually ramps in the summer months ahead of launch.

The leaker also claimed that production testing had begun for the regular iPhone 18 model, but given that we aren't expecting the lower-specced device to be released until early next year, it would likely be in an earlier validation stage at this point, such as mid-to-late Engineering Validation Test (EVT) or early DVT.

Fixed Focus Digital added that, based on their information, there are no major changes to the materials, and that overall, the devices continue to use the existing design specifications for the iPhone 17 lineup. The comment reflects earlier reports that the iPhone 18 Pro models won't be a big update this year, with outward changes potentially only extending to a smaller Dynamic Island.

There will still be several important internal changes, such as a new camera system with a variable aperture, the A20 chip, and the custom C2 modem. However, the new Pro models likely won't be "the star of Apple's ‌iPhone‌ launch this fall," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, with the company's first foldable set to claim the spotlight instead.
This article, "iPhone 18 Pro Reportedly Enters Trial Production Stage" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple's Visual Intelligence is expected to feature heavily in the company's upcoming set of AI wearable devices, which could include smart glasses, a pendant, and more advanced AirPods, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman said that hints dropped by CEO Tim Cook in recent months suggested the Apple Intelligence feature would be central to the devices, with Cook's comments following a pattern similar to how he foreshadowed the importance of health sensors and augmented reality before the launch of Apple Watch and Apple Vision Pro, respectively.

On iPhone 15 Pro and newer models, Visual Intelligence lets you use the camera to learn more about places and objects around you. It can also summarize text, read text out loud, translate text, search Google for items, ask ChatGPT, and more.

Gurman has previously reported that Apple's upcoming smart glasses will have an advanced camera system with a high-resolution camera that's able to capture photos and videos, as well as a second camera that provides visual information to ‌Siri‌ and environmental context.

Meanwhile, the AI pin – should the device make it to launch – is said to have a lower-resolution camera to provide the AI with visual insight, but it won't be able to take photos or videos. The camera is always-on, recording what's around the wearer. Like the AI pin, the more advanced AirPods will have a low-resolution camera that's designed for information, rather than photo capture.

During a discussion about AI and Apple Intelligence on the company's holiday quarter earnings call, Cook touted Visual Intelligence as "one of our most popular features." Cook said it "helps users learn and do more than ever with the content on their iPhone screen, making it faster to search, take action and answer questions across their apps."

On another occasion, during a recent all-hands meeting with employees about AI, the Apple chief reportedly singled out Visual Intelligence as a standout element of Apple Intelligence – even though the feature relies heavily on OpenAI and Google technologies. Gurman argues that Cook "wouldn't be putting it at the forefront of his remarks if things weren't going to accelerate in that area soon."

Apple's smart glasses will compete with the Meta Ray-Bans. Apple is said to have recently provided its hardware engineering team with prototypes, and it is targeting a 2027 launch. Production on the glasses could begin as soon as December 2026.

AirPods with cameras are planned for as early as this year, while Apple's work on the AI pin is apparently in the early stages, and it's possible that it could still be canceled. If work continues, the AI pin could launch as soon as 2027.


This article, "Apple's AI Wearables Expected to Lean Heavily on Visual Intelligence" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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