★ Thoughts and Observations on Apple’s ‘Surprise and Shine’ Event; the Announcements of the iPhones 18 Pro, AirPods 5, Apple Watches Series 12 and Ultra 4, and the iPhone Duo; and the Dawn of the Ternus, John Ternus Era at Apple
The keynote, the products, and a new era.
The keynote opening ran through a series of genre-inspired movie openings, shot on iPhone 18 Pros. Apple started shooting its keynotes using iPhone Pros in October 2023, beginning with the "Scary Fast" Mac event. For the September 2025 "Awe Dropping" event, Apple shot the keynote using the unreleased iPhone 17 Pro. Tim Cook made a cameo in the closing segment, paying homage to the opening of 2012's Skyfall.
The keynote showcased the capabilities of the iPhone 18 Pro as a cinematic camera, with various visual styles on display.
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