Apple iPhone 18 Pro adds reference image feature, not yet launched in the EU and China

Apple (AAPL.US) has introduced a “Reference Image” feature in the newly released iPhone 18 Pro series, which digitally verifies whether photos taken by users have been modified by AI in post-production. When users take photos, the main camera sensor simultaneously captures sensor data with a signature. Apple’s “Private Cloud Compute” service then converts this data into a tamper-proof image, which can be viewed in the “Photos” app. If a photo has been edited, users can view the original “digital negative” image and compare the differences. The “Reference Image” certification mark is not only displayed on the device that took the photo; users can also share signed photos with others, including the reference signature for future authentication. However, this feature will not be available in the EU or China for now.