# Thou shalt not lie: the implications of the new iPhone Reference Image
iPhone 18 Pro introduces a built-in way to tell if a picture taken by its camera is real or not, the repercussions might not be the ones we expect
Ever since the Covid  lockdown Apple keynotes left campus theatres for a pre-recorded broadcast that leaves little to no room for improvisation and error. Every line, announcement and clothing choice must be thoroughly rehearsed and legally vetted. The final presentation has been sanitised with a *stocky* feeling of a *théatre des illusions.* The September 2026 edition gave us among other innovations the new iPhone Duo and a refreshed iPhone Pro with an improved chip and a physical variable aperture as headlines. For the most part the press coverage focused on the iPhone Duo and its crease or lack thereof Yet a briefly mentioned dormant asset is only waiting for its TMZ moment to shine: **Reference Images**. 



<figure><img alt="apple-reference-image-iphone-18-pro.jpg.webp" src="https://cdn.peakub.com/s3/peakub-objects/article/moRsfSygY1/static/zS8vPL0tkd0qwQSiHtOO0.webp"><figcaption>https://9to5mac.com/2026/09/15/apple-explains-how-the-iphone-18-pros-new-reference-image-camera-mode-works/</figcaption></figure>

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