"Strawberry in Soda" by Ashley Lee, from San Francisco, U.S.A.
Entrants were able to submit unedited macro photos shot on the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max straight from the camera, but photos edited through Apple's Photos app or third-party software were also accepted.
An international panel of expert judges, including Anand Varma, Apeksha Maker, Peter McKinnon, Paddy Chao, Yik Keat Lee, Arem Duplessis, Billy Sorrentino, Della Huff, Kaiann Drance, and Pamela Chen, reviewed the photos from around the world and selected 10 winning entries from China, Hungary, India, Italy, Spain, Thailand, and the United States.
The winning photos will be celebrated on Apple's website, Instagram account, and more. Apple has also said that winning photos may appear in the company's digital campaigns, such as in Apple Stores or on advertising billboards.
"A Drop of Freedom" by Daniel Olah, Budapest, Hungary
"Hidden Gem" by Jirasak Panpiansin, from Chaiyaphum City, Thailand
"The Cave" by Marco Colletta, Taranto, Italy
We've highlighted a few of the winning photos here and the full gallery can be viewed in Apple's full press release, including comments on each image from the photographer and judges.
Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below.
Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent.
Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
Wednesday December 3, 2025 10:33 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....
Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by Joe Rossignol
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs.
On his blog Daring Fireball,...
Monday December 1, 2025 4:37 pm PST by Juli Clover
We're getting closer to the launch of the final major iOS update of the year, with Apple set to release iOS 26.2 in December. We've had three betas so far and are expecting a fourth beta or a release candidate this week, so a launch could follow as soon as next week.
Past Launch Dates
Apple's past iOS x.2 updates from the last few years have all happened right around the middle of the...
Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone.
In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
A U.S. appeals court has upheld a temporary restraining order that prevents OpenAI and Jony Ive's new hardware venture from using the name "io" for products similar to those planned by AI audio startup iyO, Bloomberg Law reports.
iyO sued OpenAI earlier this year after the latter announced its partnership with Ive's new firm, arguing that OpenAI's planned "io" branding was too close to its...
The iPhone Air has recorded the steepest early resale value drop of any iPhone model in years, with new data showing that several configurations have lost almost 50% of their value within ten weeks of launch.
According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, Apple's latest lineup is showing a pronounced split in resale performance between the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air....
Thursday December 4, 2025 5:18 am PST by Tim Hardwick
iPhone 17 Pro models, it turns out, can't take photos in Night mode when Portrait mode is selected in the Camera app – a capability that's been available on Apple's Pro devices since the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020.
If you're an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max owner, try it for yourself: Open the Camera app with Photo selected in the carousel, then cover the rear lenses with your hand to...
This speaks more to the people who were judged in the contest than the quality of the camera itself (which is also very good). A good photographer can make masterpieces with just adequate tools while a bad one won’t be able to do the same no matter how nice the camera is.
This speaks more to the people who were judged in the contest than the quality of the camera itself (which is also very good). A good photographer can make masterpieces with just adequate tools while a bad one won’t be able to do the same no matter how nice the camera is.
Very true. And the best camera that you have, is the one that you have in your pocket. You can create the image you want your audience to see, based off your own creativity.
It is enough. If you feel youre missing out, get a basic dslr and dedicated macro lens. Your pics will exceed the quality of these by leaps and bounds.
The iphone 13 pro macro has (imo) pretty severe distortion along the edges and must be positioned so close to the subject that it casting a shadow with the phone and light problems are inevitable. A dedicated macro will be more uniform with no distortion, will likely allow for better magnification with some tweaks, will focus from farther away therefor avoiding light problems, and will overall be sharper and resolve better.
The iPhone 13 pro’s macro lens is very nifty, but it is just not a pro camera tool.
But it *is* very nifty!
It's a phone camera in your pocket. Of course it is not a pro camera tool. We recognize that but very few of us are pro photographers and still enjoy taking some amazing photos with a non-pro tool.
"Strawberry in Soda" by Ashley Lee, from San Francisco, U.S.A.
"A Drop of Freedom" by Daniel Olah, Budapest, Hungary
"Hidden Gem" by Jirasak Panpiansin, from Chaiyaphum City, Thailand
"The Cave" by Marco Colletta, Taranto, Italy
