{
  "id": 9590620,
  "title": "iPhone 18 Pro benchmark boosted by giving it a cold drink",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/iphone-18-pro-benchmark-boosted-by-giving-it-a-cold-drink-9590620",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-09-24T16:34:18.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Register",
    "slug": "the-register",
    "url": "https://www.theregister.com/offbeat/2026/09/24/iphone-18-pro-benchmark-boosted-by-giving-it-a-cold-drink/5298918"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A recent experiment by software developer Matt Birchler demonstrates how a cold beverage can enhance the performance of the iPhone 18 Pro. Birchler ran the new iPhone 18 Pro, alongside a 17 Pro and an M4 Pro MacBook Pro, through a benchmarking tool in an audio transcription app. The 18 Pro showed a 50 percent performance increase over the 17 Pro, with a notable improvement in sustained performance due to its larger vapor chamber. Birchler discovered that placing a cold can of La Croix on the back of the phone helped it maintain a \"fair\" thermal state, resulting in consistent performance throughout the benchmark runs. While the vapor chamber's increased surface area aids heat dissipation, placing a cold beverage on the phone reduces thermal throttling and boosts performance. Birchler recommends using a cold drink to improve the iPhone 18 Pro's performance, even though the can looks a bit out of place.",
  "summary": "3x the vapor-chamber surface area can only do so much; luckily the fridge helped with sustained performance",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Register Science",
        "title": "iPhone 18 Pro benchmark boosted by giving it a cold drink",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/iphone-18-pro-benchmark-boosted-by-giving-it-a-cold-drink",
        "published": "2026-09-24T16:34:18.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}