Technologies
What is Micro-OLED? Apple Vision Pro’s Screen Tech Explained
The microscopic version of the beloved display tech winds up the pixels per inch to insane levels. Here’s why Apple and others are so excited about this new version of OLED.
At WWDC 2023, Apple announced the Vision Pro AR/VR headset, which offered an impressive amount of technology and an equally imposing $3,500 price tag. Yet, one of the things that helps the Vision stand out from cheaper products from Valve and Meta is the use of a new type of display called micro-OLED. More than just a rebranding by the marketing experts at Apple, micro-OLED is a variation on the screen technology which has become a staple of best TV lists over the last few years.
Micro-OLED’s main difference from «traditional» OLED is right in the name. Featuring far smaller pixels, micro-OLED has the potential for much, much higher resolutions than traditional OLED: think 4K TV resolutions on chips the size of postage stamps. Until recently, the technology has been used in things like electronic viewfinders in cameras, but the latest versions are larger and even higher resolution, making them perfect for AR and VR headsets.
Here’s an in-depth look at this tech and where it could be used in the future.
What’s OLED?
OLED stands for Organic Light Emitting Diode. The term «organic» means the chemicals that help the OLED create light incorporate the element carbon. The specific chemicals beyond that don’t matter much, at least to us end-users, but suffice it to say when they’re supplied with a bit of energy, they create light. You can read more about how OLED works in What is OLED and what can it do for your TV?.
The basic differences between micro-OLED and «traditional» OLED.
The benefit of OLED in general is that it creates its own light. So unlike LED LCD TVs, which currently make up the rest of the TV market, each pixel can be turned on and off. When off, they emit no light. You can’t make an LED LCD pixel totally dark unless you turn off the backlight altogether, and this means OLED’s contrast ratio, or the difference between the brightest and darkest part of an image, is basically infinite in comparison.
OLED TVs, almost all manufactured by LG, have been on the market for several years. Meanwhile, Samsung Display has recently introduced OLED TVs that also feature quantum dots (QD-OLED), which offer even higher brightness and potentially greater color. These QD-OLEDs are sold by Samsung, Sony, and, in computer monitor form, Alienware.
Micro-OLED aka OLED on Silicon
The layers of a micro-OLED display.
Micro-OLED, also known as OLEDoS and OLED microdisplays, is one of the rare cases where the tech is exactly as it sounds: tiny OLED «micro» displays. In this case, not only are the pixels themselves smaller, but the entire «panels» are smaller. This is possible thanks to advancements in manufacturing, including mounting the display-making segments in each pixel directly to a silicone chip. This enables pixels to be much, much smaller .
Two Sony micro-OLED displays. They look like computer chips because that’s what they’re based on.
If we take a look at Apple’s claims, we can estimate how small these pixels really are. Firstly, Apple says the twin displays in the Vision Pro include «More pixels than a 4K TV. For each eye» or «23 million pixels.» A 4K TV is 3,840×2,160, or 8,294,400 pixels, so that should equate to around 11,500,000 pixels per eye for the Apple screens.
Next, Apple partnered with Sony (or maybe TSMC) to create these micro-OLED displays and they are approximately 1-inch in size. To calculate the size of each pixel I’m going to use 32-inch 4K TVs as a comparison, and these boast about 138 pixels per inch (ppi). We don’t know the aspect ratio of the chips in the Vision Pro, but if they’re a square 3,400×3,400 resolution that would be a total of 11,560,000 pixels, so that’s a safe bet. So, if that’s the case, these displays have a ppi of around 4,808(!) and that’s more than almost anything else on the market, and that’s by a lot. Even the high-resolution OLED screen on the Galaxy S23 Ultra has a ppi of «only» 500. Regardless of the panel’s production aspect ratio, the ppi is going to be impressive. Apple didn’t respond immediately to CNET’s request for clarification.
AR and VR microdisplays are so close to your eyes that they need to be extremely high performance in order to be realistic. They need extreme resolution so you don’t see the pixels, they need high contrast ratios so they look realistic, and they need high framerates to minimize the chance of motion blur and motion sickness. In addition, being in portable devices means they need to be able to do all that with low power consumption. Micro-OLED seems able to do all of these, but at a cost. Literally a cost. The Vision Pro is the most high-profile use of the high-end of the technology and it costs $3,500.
A monochrome micro-OLED display from the company Microoled, one of the largest manufactures of micro-OLED displays. On the right is the tip of a mechanical pencil.
The Micro-OLED technology isn’t particularly new, having been available in some form for over a decade. Sony has been using them in camera viewfinders for several years, as have Canon and Nikon. Like all display techs, however, micro-OLED has evolved quite a bit over the years. The displays in the Vision Pro, for instance, are huge and very high resolution for a micro-OLED display.
A high-resolution color micro-OLED display by the company Microoled.
How is micro-OLED different from MicroLED? Despite the fact that they’re written slightly differently, they are superficially similar in the way they are both self-emitting, or can make their own light. But on a more in-depth level, the differences between the carbon-based OLED and the non-carbon LED are sadly beyond the scope of this article. Suffice it to say right now, MicroLED is better suited for large, wall-sized displays using individual pixels made up of LEDs. Micro-OLED is better suited for tiny, high-resolution displays. This isn’t to say that MicroLED can’t be used in smaller displays, and we’ll likely see some eventually. But for now they’re different tools for different uses.
The future is micro?
The ENGO 2 eyeware uses a tiny micro-OLED made by the company Microoled. The display reflects off the inside of the eyeware to show you your speed, time, direction and other data. Basically anything an athlete would need for better training, but instead of on a watch or phone, it’s projected in real time in front of you. Essentially, a heads-up display built into sunglasses.
Where else will we see micro-OLED? At MWC 2023, Xiaomi announced its AR Glass Discovery Edition featured the technology, and future high-end VR headsets from Meta, HTC and others will likely use it. Currently, a company named Engo is using a tiny micro-OLED projector to display speed and other data on the inside of its AR sunglasses. I know I sure don’t need these, but I want them. Then there’s the many mirrorless and other cameras that have been using micro-OLED viewfinders for years.
Could we see ultra-ultra-ultra high-resolution TVs with this new technology? Technically, it’s possible but highly unlikely. Macro micro-OLED is just OLED. The resolutions possible using more traditional OLED manufacturing are more than enough for a display that’s 10 feet from your eyeballs. However, it’s possible micro-OLED might find its way into wearables and other portable devices where its size, resolution and efficiency will be an asset. That’s likely why LG, Samsung Display, Sony and others are all working on micro-OLED.
Will ultra-thin, ultra-high resolution micro-OLED displays compete in a market with ultra-thin, ultra-high resolution nanoLED? Could be. We shall see.
As well as covering TV and other display tech, Geoff does photo tours of cool museums and locations around the world, including nuclear submarines, massive aircraft carriers, medieval castles, epic 10,000-mile road trips and more. Check out Tech Treks for all his tours and adventures.
He wrote a bestselling sci-fi novel about city-size submarines and a sequel. You can follow his adventures on Instagram and his YouTube channel.
Technologies
Apple AirPods Max 2 Headphones Are Here, Powered by the New H2 Chip
Apple’s premium over-ear headphones get their first update since 2020. Available for preorder on March 25, they ship in early April for $549.
The long wait is over for Apple’s next-generation AirPods Max headphones, which were first released in 2020. Apple announced today that the AirPods Max 2 will be powered by the H2 chip found in the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods 4. They offer 1.5x more effective noise canceling and «a new high-dynamic range amplifier for even cleaner audio.» The new AirPods Max will cost $549, the same as the original model.
Read more: Best Headphones of 2026
While the design of the headphones doesn’t appear to have changed, this new version brings the Max up to date with other AirPods models in the line. It’ll offer features supported by the H2 chip, including Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, Voice Isolation, Live Translation and Siri Interactions. They also support studio-quality audio recording and camera remote.
The more powerful chip (the original AirPods Max were powered by the H1 chip) should also help in improved voice-calling performance as it allows for more advanced AI filtering of background noise while isolating your voice. Apple also say the transparency mode sounds even more natural.
It was hard to call Apple’s updated USB-C version of the original AirPods Max a true 2.0 product, but it did have some small updates along with additional color options. The AirPods Max 2 has some things in common with it: It also supports 24-bit, 48 kHz lossless audio when connected with the included USB-C cable. And playing iOS, MacOS and iPadOS games in Game Mode reduces audio latency when using the AirPods Max 2.
There was no mention about Apple changing the protective carrying case for the AirPods Max 2. Until I hear otherwise, I’ll assume they come with the same case, which is more minimalist in style. Not everybody loves it, though, due to its purse-like aesthetic.
The AirPods Max 2 will be available to order starting March 25 in midnight, starlight, orange, purple and blue, with availability beginning in early April.
I’ll have a full review once I get my hands on a pair.
Technologies
The Galaxy Watch Ultra Is Due for an Update. Here’s When It Could Arrive
Rumors point to new Galaxy Watches on the way, but the rugged Ultra may steal the spotlight this year.
We’re only two months into the year, and Samsung has already dropped two major debuts, including a surprise trifold reveal and a new lineup of flagship Galaxy phones. Now, a fresh wave of Galaxy Watch rumors is starting to take shape.
Last year, Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 8 debuted a slightly controversial redesign, making the return of the Galaxy Watch Classic and its physical rotating bezel all the more satisfying. This year, a new Classic model doesn’t seem likely (though another redesign isn’t completely off the table). But there may be another headliner ready to steal attention from the flagship once again.
A report from GalaxyClub cited by Android Authority suggests Samsung may launch a new Galaxy Watch Ultra alongside the Galaxy Watch 9, likely in the summer of 2026.
The rugged smartwatch, which debuted in summer 2024, received a few updates in the last cycle, such as larger storage (up to 64GB) and a new color, but otherwise remained the same.
This year’s version, likely to be called the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, may keep a similar design. At 47mm, the Ultra is already pushing the limits of wrist real estate. While a rotating bezel borrowed from the Classic line would be interesting, it feels like a tough sell for a rugged, adventure-focused watch.
Unlocking new health metrics
More realistically, the Ultra 2 could bring a new processor and upgraded sensors focused on deeper health tracking. Last year’s most notable addition was Samsung’s antioxidant index, which can detect nutrition-related signals through the skin’s surface. This year, Samsung could go deeper into skin-based detection, with broader nutrition insights and potentially even noninvasive glucose monitoring — one of the long-standing «holy grails» of wearable health tech that may finally be showing progress.
Battery and processor
One of the original Ultra’s biggest advantages was battery life, which lasted roughly 2.5 days on a charge, compared to the 30 to 40 hours of the flagship Galaxy Watch 8. Both the Watch 9 and Ultra 2 are expected to get a brand-new processor, which could mean better efficiency, longer battery life, or possibly a dual-chip architecture that separates high-performance tasks from low-power background processes, similar to what we’ve seen on the OnePlus Watch 3. If Samsung pulls that off, it could bring its lineup closer to the multiday endurance of competitors like the Huawei Watch 5 and OnePlus Watch 3.
More AI and less reliance on the phone
Improved processing power could also unlock more on-device AI features, especially as health coaching and AI-powered insights continue to evolve in wearables. Satellite connectivity is another possibility, following similar additions on the Apple Watch Ultra and Pixel Watch.
All of this is speculation for now, but it’s exciting to see the next Galaxy Watch lineup start to take shape based on early industry signals.
Technologies
iPhone 17E Review: The Appeal Is Magnetic (and Pink)
Apple’s new $599 budget phone offers a premium feel, complete with MagSafe compatibility and an A19 chip. That makes the minor trade-offs easier to swallow.
Our Experts
- Named a Tech Media Trailblazer by the Consumer Technology Association in 2019, a winner of SPJ NorCal’s Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2022 and has three times been a finalist in the LA Press Club’s National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards.
Pros
- Premium feel
- Solid camera
- MagSafe compatibility
- Higher 256GB base storage
- A19 chip
- Fun pink color option
Cons
- No Dynamic Island
- Thick bezels
- No ultrawide camera or Cinematic video
- Only 60Hz refresh rate means no always-on display
I never thought MagSafe’s haptic feedback could be so satisfying.
At last, Apple’s $599 iPhone 17E brings MagSafe‘s magnetic technology to its lowest-priced handset. Beyond the added convenience of easily attaching chargers and accessories, this signals Apple’s efforts to expand once-premium features across its full iPhone lineup, no matter how much you’re willing to pay. Plus, the addition of a fresh color warms my pink-loving heart.
The iPhone 17E borrows other features from the $829 baseline iPhone 17. The budget option packs the same A19 chip (albeit with a four-core GPU instead of five), an Action button and a 48-megapixel main camera. It starts with 256GB of storage, making that $599 price more enticing — even if it’s arguably pushing the limits of what’s considered a «budget» phone. But the fact that I have to double-check whether I’m reaching for the iPhone 17E or the 17 is surely a good sign that the gap between the two is narrowing — and in the right direction.
Other aspects of the 17E serve as a reminder that you get what you pay for. The bezels are noticeably thicker than on Apple’s more premium options. There’s no Dynamic Island for system notifications and Live Activities, but rather an old-school notch at the top. A fixed 60Hz display also means there’s no always-on display, so I can’t quickly glance at the time or my notifications.
There’s a lot that makes the iPhone 17E feel like a worthy lower-priced option. And for most people, the compromises shouldn’t feel too glaring, especially when you’re saving a couple of hundred dollars.
The iPhone 17E is available now.
iPhone 17E look, feel and display
One of my favorite things about the iPhone 17E is that it doesn’t sacrifice the premium look and feel of its pricier counterparts. Like the other iPhone 17 models, the iPhone 17E’s back glass has a satisfying matte finish that resists fingerprints. An aluminum frame keeps it feeling nice and light at 169 grams, compared to 177 grams on the iPhone 17.
The iPhone 17E’s 6.1-inch display is just slightly smaller than the 6.3-inch display on the iPhone 17, a difference that’s hardly noticeable. The lower-priced option shares the same Ceramic Shield 2 cover glass, which Apple says has three times better scratch resistance than the iPhone 16E’s display, and 33% less reflection. I have a knack for scratching my phone’s screen even just through everyday use, but my iPhone 17E’s screen is still unscathed.
The 60Hz refresh rate is a step down from the 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate you’ll get on Apple’s other phones, but it’s a nearly imperceptible difference unless you’re gaming. Personally, the biggest downside to this limitation is not having an always-on display, which I rely on extensively to peek at the time and see all my notifications at a glance. Going without that feature has taken some getting used to.
While the iPhone 17 supports 1,600 nits HDR peak brightness, the iPhone 17E tops out at 1,200 nits peak HDR brightness. Holding the phones side by side, I can see the difference, but the 17E looks just fine, even in the California sunshine.
The iPhone 17E’s smaller size can either be a benefit or a drawback, depending on your preferences. I tend to gravitate toward larger phones, so typing and scrolling on a smaller frame was a bit of an adjustment. But if you want a more compact device that’ll fit in practically any pocket, you’ll dig the 17E’s dimensions. I do appreciate feeling like I have a firmer grip on a more compact phone, especially when I bravely go case-less.
This year, Apple decided to branch out and add a soft pink color option to its budget line, along with the standard black and white. Luckily, I got paired with a pink model, which takes on a pastel-like, blush hue that’s certainly more subdued than the bold orange of the iPhone 17 Pro. The subtle shade is nice if you want some color without making too much of a statement. I’m always happy when fun colors aren’t limited to the pricier models.
iPhone 17E camera gets some minor upgrades
Similar to last year’s budget iPhone, the iPhone 17E has a single 48-megapixel rear camera. With sensor cropping, it can also snap 2x telephoto images, which look as good as 1x photos to my eyes. A bonus perk of having just one rear camera is that it’s significantly less obtrusive than the camera bumps on other iPhone 17 models, particularly the Pros. It’s refreshing to go back to a phone I can hold without my fingers brushing against an ever-expanding camera platform.
Like my experience with the iPhone Air, the lack of an ultrawide camera feels limiting. It’s harder to take landscape photos or capture a wider scene — though if I had to choose between an ultrawide and a telephoto camera, I’d always pick the latter. I’m much more likely to punch into something to show more detail than take a dramatically wider shot.
The iPhone 17E has a 12-megapixel selfie camera, drawing another parallel to the iPhone 16E. The 17E doesn’t get the Center Stage camera feature that debuted on the iPhone Air and 17, which can automatically switch between portrait and landscape orientation as more people come into the frame without you rotating your phone. I don’t see this as much of a loss; in fact, I keep Center Stage disabled on my iPhone 17 Pro Max, largely because old habits die hard and I just end up rotating my phone manually anyway.
Not having Cinematic mode for video on the budget line is still a bummer, since I rely on it for more professional-looking clips with blurred backgrounds. But if trade-offs have to be made, that’s a manageable one.
The hardware feature I’ve struggled without is the Camera Control button — not because I ever use it as a shortcut to Apple’s Visual Intelligence, but because that’s how I almost exclusively launch the iPhone’s camera now. I like having a physical button that’s easy to trigger (perhaps too easy for some) when I want to quickly snap a photo. Without Camera Control on the iPhone 17E, you’ll have to open the camera the old-fashioned way by tapping on your screen, swiping the lock screen to the left or using the Action button as a camera shortcut. Though I don’t think most people will mind that, especially if you’re coming from a phone that never had Camera Control in the first place. And you can access Visual Intelligence from the iPhone 17E’s Control Panel (or assign it to the Action button if you really want faster access to that feature).
Portraits get a nice boost on the iPhone 17E, compared to last year’s budget phone. Apple says the advanced image pipeline allows subjects to stand out more naturally against their bokeh-effect backgrounds. For example, a person will appear in sharper focus, including fringe details like their hair or the corner of their glasses, and the transition to the image’s blurred background looks a bit more gradual and realistic.
When you’re snapping pictures in the camera’s standard Photo mode, it’ll now automatically detect cats and dogs in addition to people, and enable portrait shots without you having to switch to that mode.
And now, you can also adjust the focus point of a photo after you’ve snapped it by going to Edit in the Photos app and tapping where you want to focus. You can modify the amount of background blur, too. It’s great to see that flexibility and customization on Apple’s lower-tier phone.
Here are a few of my favorite photos I’ve taken on the iPhone 17E:
iPhone 17E battery and MagSafe compatibility
The iPhone 17E touts the same 26 hours of video playback as the iPhone 16E. On Apple’s product pages in the European Union, where it’s required to disclose battery capacity, that’s listed as 4,005 mAh (the same as the 16E). Apple says the battery is aided by the power-efficient A19 chip, the new C1X cellular modem and the «advanced power management of iOS 26.»
The battery can easily last me more than a day. For instance, I started with a full battery at 10:12 a.m. on a Saturday, and still had a healthy 48% by 8 p.m. When I woke up the next morning at 5:15 a.m. (yes, my sleep schedule was completely thrown off by jet lag from Mobile World Congress), the phone was at 38%. Another day, I unplugged my phone with 77% charge at 1:45 p.m., and it reached 32% at 11:25 p.m. I feel confident I can go about my day without worrying about the iPhone 17E dying mid-way through.
The iPhone 17E supports 20-watt wired charging. And with MagSafe and Qi2 compatibility, it can charge wirelessly up to 15 watts — double the 7.5 watts on the iPhone 16E. That’s still less than the 25-watt wireless charging (Qi2.2) the iPhone 17 supports, but it’s a worthy step up from last year.
With wired charging, the iPhone 17E went from 8% to 61% in half an hour. And using wireless charging, it went from 0% to 23% in 30 minutes.
In CNET’s 45-minute endurance test, which involves streaming, scrolling through social media, joining a video call and playing games, the iPhone 17E’s battery went from full to 97%. That tops the Google Pixel 10A, which finished at 95%, and the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE, which hit 92%. It also beat the iPhone Air, which reached 95%, but was topped by the iPhone 17, which ended at 98%.
In a 3-hour streaming test over Wi-Fi, in which I watched a YouTube video in full-screen mode at full brightness, the 17E’s battery dropped from 100% to 86%. That places it above the Pixel 10A, which finished at 78%, and the Galaxy S25 FE, which landed at 83%. It’s just slightly topped by the iPhone 17’s 89%, and is on par with the iPhone Air’s 85%.
I’ve enjoyed snapping MagSafe accessories such as cases and wallets onto the iPhone 17E simply because I can. I’ve also been tapping into Apple’s StandBy feature, which displays widgets while you charge your phone in landscape mode, including a calendar, clock and photos.
Benchmark tests for the CPU in Geekbench 6 place the iPhone 17E well above other budget phones like the Pixel 10A and Galaxy S25 FE. It’s on par with the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air.
In a graphics test using 3DMark’s Wild Life Extreme, the iPhone 17E also topped the performance of the Pixel 10A, and it aligns with results from the Galaxy S25 FE. The 17E is beaten out by the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air.
Check out the graphs below for more specifics.
Geekbench v.6.0
- Single-core
- Multicore
3DMark Wild Life Extreme
Final thoughts: Should you buy the iPhone 17E?
The iPhone 17E brings subtle yet welcome changes to Apple’s budget line — namely, MagSafe charging, a higher base storage level and a more advanced A19 chip. This year’s phone shares a lot in common with the iPhone 16E, especially when it comes to the cameras and battery capacity, but it still shines in both areas.
More notably, the iPhone 17E borrows a handful of features from the baseline iPhone 17, which costs $200 more. The phones have a similar feel, a 48-megapixel main camera and that A19 chip. You’ll spot some notable design differences, including the iPhone 17E’s prominent notch, wider bezels and the lack of a Camera Control button.
If you’re switching from an older iPhone like the iPhone 11 or 12, these are trade-offs you’ll hardly notice, especially in light of all the relative upgrades. Similarly, if you’re coming from another budget phone that’s a few years old, like the iPhone SE (2020) or an older Android counterpart, the improvements are sure to outweigh any missing premium features.
If you’re using last year’s iPhone 16E, the incremental changes don’t justify the upgrade, even with the long-awaited addition of MagSafe. Apple doesn’t appear to be targeting this demographic anyway, since its promotional materials largely compare the iPhone 17E to older models like the iPhone 11. That’s where the differences really stand out.
The iPhone 17E is a solid choice for someone who wants the basics — a good camera, long battery life and solid performance — without sacrificing a high-end feel. The $599 price is a little steep for a «budget» phone, but for what you get, it may well be worth it.
Apple iPhone 17E specs vs. Google Pixel 10A, Apple iPhone 17, Apple iPhone 16E
| Apple iPhone 17E | Google Pixel 10A | Apple iPhone 17 | Apple iPhone 16E | |
| Display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate | 6.1-inch OLED display; 2,532×1,170 pixels; 60Hz refresh rate | 6.3-inch POLED, 2,424×1,080 pixels, 60-120Hz variable refresh rate | 6.3-inch OLED; 2,622×1,206 pixels; 1-120Hz variable refresh rate | 6.1-inch OLED display; 2,532×1,170 pixels; 60Hz refresh rate |
| Pixel density | 460 ppi | 422 ppi | 460 ppi | 460 ppi |
| Dimensions (inches) | 5.78×2.82×0.31 | 6.1×2.9×0.4 | 5.89×2.81×0.31 | 5.78×2.82×0.31 |
| Dimensions (millimeters) | 146.7×71.5×7.8 | 154.7×73.3×8.9 | 149.6×71.5×7.95 | 146.7×71.5×7.8 |
| Weight (grams, ounces) | 167g (5.88 oz.) | 183 g (6.5 oz) | 177g (6.24 oz.) | 167g (5.88 oz.) |
| Mobile software | iOS 26 | Android 16 | iOS 26 | iOS 18 |
| Camera | 48-megapixel (wide) | 48-megapixel (wide), 13-megapixel (ultrawide) | 48-megapixel (wide) 48-megapixel (ultrawide) | 48-megapixel (wide) |
| Front-facing camera | 12-megapixel | 13-megapixel | 18-megapixel | 12-megapixel |
| Video capture | 4K | 4K | 4K | 4K |
| Processor | Apple A19 | Google Tensor G4 | Apple A19 | Apple A18 |
| RAM + storage | RAM unknown + 256GB, 512GB | 8GB + 128GB, 256GB | RAM N/A + 256GB, 512GB | RAM unknown + 128GB, 256GB, 512GB |
| Expandable storage | None | None | None | None |
| Battery | 4,005 mAh | 5,100 mAh | 3,692 mAh | 4,005 mAh |
| Fingerprint sensor | None, Face ID | Under display | None, Face ID | None, Face ID |
| Connector | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C |
| Headphone jack | None | None | None | None |
| Special features | MagSafe, Qi2 charging (up to 15W), Action button, Apple C1 5G modem, Apple Intelligence, Ceramic Shield, Emergency SOS, satellite connectivity, IP68 resistance | 7 years of OS, security and Pixel feature drops, Gorilla Glass 3 cover glass, IP68 dust and water resistance, 3,000-nit peak brightness, 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio, 30W fast charging with 45W charging adapter (charger not included), 10W wireless charging Qi certified, Satellite SOS, Wi-Fi 6E, NFC, Bluetooth 6, dual-SIM (nano SIM + eSIM), Camera Coach, Add Me, Best Take, Magic Eraser, Magic Editor, Photo Unblur, Super Res Zoom, Circle to Search; colors: lavender, berry, fog, obsidian (black) | Apple N1 wireless networking chip: Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2×2 MIMO, Bluetooth 6, Thread, Action button, Camera Control button, Dynamic Island, Apple Intelligence, Visual Intelligence, dual eSIM, 1 to 3,000 nits brightness display range, IP68 resistance; colors: black, white, mist blue, sage, lavender; fast charge up to 50% in 20 minutes using 40W adapter or higher via charging cable; fast charge up to 50% in 30 minutes using 30W adapter or higher via MagSafe Charger | Action button, Apple C1 5G modem, Apple Intelligence, Ceramic Shield, Emergency SOS, satellite connectivity, IP68 resistance |
| US price starts at | $599 (256GB) | $500 (128GB) | $829 (256GB) | $599 (128GB) |
How we test phones
Every phone CNET’s reviews team tests is used in the real world. We test a phone’s features, play games and take photos. We examine the display to see if it’s bright, sharp and vibrant. We analyze the design and build to see how it is to hold and whether it has an IP rating for water resistance. We push the processor’s performance to the extremes using standardized benchmark tools like GeekBench and 3DMark, along with our own anecdotal observations navigating the interface, recording high-resolution videos and playing graphically intense games at high refresh rates.
All the cameras are tested in a variety of conditions, from bright sunlight to dark indoor scenes. We try out special features like night mode and portrait mode, and compare our findings against similarly priced competing phones. We also check out the battery life by using it daily, as well as running a series of battery drain tests.
All the cameras are tested in a variety of conditions, from bright sunlight to dark indoor scenes. We try out special features like night mode and portrait mode, and compare our findings against similarly priced competing phones. We also check out the battery life by using it daily, as well as running a series of battery drain tests.
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