Apple released Apple Reference Image on Wednesday during its Surprise and Shine event, saying it can prove whether an image taken with the iPhone 18 Pro is authentic. It is the company's first major update to its photography capabilities since the iPhone 15 Pro.
Apple reported the reference image is generated using signed sensor data captured by the main camera sensor, measured on the iPhone 18 Pro's hardware. That compares with the iPhone 15 Pro's standard image processing capabilities.
The feature is built on Apple's Private Cloud Compute service and targets photojournalists and photographers. Availability begins with the iPhone 18 Pro, initially for users who take professional-grade photos.
"This is vital for photojournalists and photographers," said Apple. The company explained that the reference image can then be compared with other versions of the photo to determine whether any changes have been made.
The announcement follows Apple's Surprise and Shine event, where the company emphasized its commitment to authenticity in photography. Apple framed the feature as a step toward ensuring trust in digital media.
Apple did not say how the reference image will be used beyond the Photos app, and the company raised the open question of how third-party developers will integrate the feature. The company said it will support the SynthID standard to help people determine whether images were created or altered with AI.
Source: techcrunch
