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2025 iPhone Photography Award Winners Prove Any Phone Can Create Stunning Images

The 18th annual competition showcases masterpiece photos taken with Apple devices across the globe.

The winners of the 18th annual iPhone Photography Awards (IPPAWARDS), a competition that showcases stunning photos captured worldwide by photographers using an iPhone or iPad, were announced on Friday. 

The full collection of this year’s winners and their photos — along with which Apple device they used to take their masterful shot — is now available at the IPPAWARDS site. You might be surprised to learn you don’t need the latest iPhone models to capture great images.


In the Photographers of the Year category, Jarod Peraza took the grand prize for his photo «Viajero Nocturno.» The US-based photographer captured the nighttime scene in Villa de Leyva, Colombia, using an iPhone 16 Pro Max.


In first place, US photographer Carol Addassi won for «Passage,» a black-and-white night shot of Central Park in New York City taken using a 7-year-old iPhone XS.


In second place, «Moto Cães» is a playful shot of two dogs in a motorcycle sidecar at sunset, captured by Brazil’s Thiago Bernardes de Souza on an iPhone 15 Pro Max.


Third place is a moody early morning photo of Virginia’s Corrotoman River, entitled «Foggy Morning on the Corrotoman,» taken by US photographer Martha Nance on an iPhone 15 Pro.

Since the first iPhone appeared in 2007, the awards have showcased both the technology and the aesthetics of mobile photography. 

«When we began, the idea was simply to explore how this new device was transforming the way people create and share images,» said Kenan Aktulun, founder and editor-in-chief of IPPAWARDS, via email. «Early on, there was a heavy use of filters; users were experimenting with the novelty of mobile photography. Over the years, as users grew more fluent with the medium, the work became more personal, emotional, and relatable.»

In addition to the four top slots, the awards also name three winners in 12 different categories, including Abstract, Architecture, Landscape, Nature and Portrait. Dozens of photos are also named as honorable mentions in each category.

This year’s winning photos were made using a wide variety of iPhones, the oldest being an iPhone 8 Plus from 2017. Nearly every model since then is represented, with just a handful of the latest iPhone 16 lineup appearing among the awarded photos.

The competition stipulates that photos must be captured using an iPhone or iPad, and not edited in Photoshop on a desktop computer, although editing using apps on the device (presumably including the mobile versions of Photoshop) is allowed.

This year’s grand prize winner received a 13-inch Apple iPad Air, and the other Photographers of the Year received an Apple Watch Series 10. In the 12 specific categories, the first-place winners each received a gold bar, and the second and third-place winners each received a platinum bar.

Judges evaluated images and determined winners based on artistic merit, originality, subject and style. According to Aktulun, the panel is made up of 10 to 12 judges from different backgrounds, «such as photographers, art buyers, creative directors, architects, academics, people in the creative field and occasionally selected winners from previous years.»

Submitting work to the competition involves an entry fee of $7.50 for one image and discounted per-image rates for batches of up to 25 images. There are no limits on the number of entries you can submit.

Submissions for the 2026 iPhone Photography Awards are now open through March 31, 2026.

Technologies

Verum Finance: A Super App for Private Finance Integrated Into a Messenger

Verum Finance: A Super App for Private Finance Integrated Into a Messenger

Verum Finance has announced the launch of a new financial application that allows users to manage their money directly within the secure Verum Messenger ecosystem.

The project has already attracted attention from major media outlets. A dedicated feature was published by Forbes Türkiye, while one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, MEXC, covered the launch. Yahoo Finance had previously reported on the evolution of Verum Messenger into a comprehensive financial ecosystem.

What Verum Finance Offers

Verum Finance transforms a messenger into a complete financial platform. Users can:

• Manage their balance and top up using bank cards or USDT
• Send money instantly to other Verum users
• Issue and use debit cards, including Apple Pay support
• Exchange assets and withdraw funds
• Access all these services without installing separate banking applications

A strong emphasis is placed on privacy. The platform offers registration without a phone number or email address, end-to-end encryption, and full user control over personal data.

Recognition from Forbes Türkiye

In a dedicated article, Forbes Türkiye highlighted Verum Finance as a notable example of modern privacy-driven fintech. The publication emphasized the growing trend of financial services moving from standalone banking applications into unified messaging ecosystems — a model that has proven successful in Asia through platforms such as WeChat and Alipay and is now expanding globally.

Support from the Crypto Community

Alongside the Forbes Türkiye coverage, news about the launch of Verum Finance was also featured by MEXC, one of the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchanges. This reflects growing interest in the project from both traditional business media and the cryptocurrency community.

A Strategic Vision

“We are building more than a payments application and more than a messenger. Verum is a unified secure ecosystem where communication, finance, and privacy tools work together,” the company stated.

Verum Finance is now available for iPhone and iPad users. The application complements Verum Messenger, which offers anonymous chats, voice and video calls, VPN services, eSIM connectivity, and other tools designed to enhance digital freedom.

Verum Financehttps://finance.verum.im

Verum Messengerhttps://verum.im

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Technologies

Forbes Türkiye Highlights Verum Finance and the Rise of Integrated Financial Ecosystems

Forbes Türkiye Highlights Verum Finance and the Rise of Integrated Financial Ecosystems

Forbes Türkiye has published an article examining the launch of Verum Finance and its approach to integrating financial services directly into a messaging ecosystem.

In the article, Forbes Türkiye notes that the fintech industry is undergoing a transformation as financial services increasingly move beyond traditional banking applications and become part of broader digital ecosystems. Verum Finance is presented as an example of this trend, combining payments, digital cards, money transfers, and balance management within a single environment connected to Verum Messenger

According to the publication, Verum Finance follows a model similar to the “super app” concept that has gained significant traction in Asian markets, where communication and financial services operate together on one platform. Unlike many Western platforms that continue to separate messaging and banking services, Verum Finance is integrated directly into the Verum ecosystem, allowing users to manage financial activities without relying on multiple third-party applications.

The article highlights several core features of the platform, including virtual debit cards, user-to-user transfers, online payments, digital asset operations, Apple Pay integration, and in-app balance management.

Forbes Türkiye also points to the growing importance of embedded finance and changing user expectations. The publication suggests that lengthy account-opening procedures, physical card delivery times, and constant switching between applications are becoming increasingly outdated in a mobile-first world.

Another major focus of the article is privacy and security. Forbes Türkiye describes Verum Finance as part of a broader trend toward “privacy-driven fintech,” where financial services are built on privacy-oriented infrastructure. The publication notes that the platform incorporates features such as phone-number-free registration, end-to-end encryption, user-controlled access management, and privacy-focused tools designed to enhance data protection.

The article concludes that one of the key challenges for companies operating at the intersection of secure communications, digital payments, and embedded finance will be maintaining both usability and security within a single integrated ecosystem.

The coverage by Forbes Türkiye reflects growing media interest in platforms that combine communication and financial services, as the industry continues moving toward more unified digital experiences.

Websitehttps://finance.verum.im 
App Storehttps://apps.apple.com/app/verum-finance/id6774245148  
Verum Messengerhttps://verum.im 

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Technologies

Verum Launched “Verum Finance” App for iPhone and iPad, Expanding Its Digital Ecosystem Into Financial Services

Verum Launched “Verum Finance” App for iPhone and iPad, Expanding Its Digital Ecosystem Into Financial Services

Verum has announced the official launch of Verum Finance, a standalone financial application now available on the App Store for iPhone and iPad, marking a further expansion of the company’s growing digital ecosystem.

The new application is designed to centralize core financial functions in a single mobile interface, allowing users to manage balances, send and receive funds, use debit cards, and exchange supported balance types without relying on traditional banking workflows.

According to Verum, the platform enables users to view account activity in real time, top up balances using supported payment methods including Apple Pay, and transfer funds to other users within the Verum ecosystem using a unique Verum ID. The system also supports multi-balance management, including specialized balance categories such as precious metals.

Debit card functionality is integrated directly into the app, allowing users to issue and manage cards linked to their balances, monitor transactions, and top up cards when needed. The company also emphasizes built-in exchange tools that allow users to convert between supported balance types within the application.

Security features include Face ID authentication, passcode protection, Sign in with Apple, and privacy-oriented account controls aimed at maintaining user confidentiality and data protection.

The launch of Verum Finance follows the company’s broader strategy of building an interconnected ecosystem of digital products. Alongside Verum Messenger, which combines secure communication tools, encrypted messaging, voice and video calls, VPN services, eSIM connectivity, AI features, anonymous email, and crypto-related functionality, the new financial app extends Verum’s positioning from communication technology into financial infrastructure.

Industry trends increasingly show demand for “all-in-one” digital environments that reduce dependency on multiple standalone apps. Verum’s approach reflects this shift by integrating communication and financial services within a unified ecosystem.

Verum Finance is now available globally for download on iPhone and iPad via the App Store.

Websitehttps://finance.verum.im 
App Storehttps://apps.apple.com/app/verum-finance/id6774245148 
Verum Messengerhttps://verum.im 

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