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Verizon denies its AI bot leaked key iPhone 18 Pro details before the event [UPDATED]

A user got Verizon's bot to spill it all.

By Anam Hamid

Updated: Sep 09, 2026, 11:56 AM

Verizon

Apple

iPhone 18

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The bot could have been making stuff up. | Image by MacRumors

Update from Sep 09, 2026:

Verizon denies that its chatbot revealed confidential details about upcoming Apple products.

Claims that Verizon’s AI assistant leaked confidential Apple product details are entirely false. Consumer-facing AI chat tools dynamically reference publicly available web information; they have no access to internal systems or unreleased device information. Any answers regarding unreleased products represent web-scraped speculation, not actual company or product data.

George Koroneos, Verizon Public Relations, September 2026

The original story follows below:

Apple's Surprise and shine event may only be hours away, but that won't stop the internet from digging up every last detail before the official unveiling. Earlier today, a report said that the iPhone 18 Pro might cost less than expected, that the foldable iPhone will be called the iPhone Duo, and that it will offer Apple Pencil support. Some new details have now emerged, courtesy of Verizon.

Chatbot spills it all

MacRumors claims that a reader managed to coax the "Ask Verizon" bot inside the My Verizon app into spilling the beans on the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. And boy, did it spill.

Contrary to previous rumors, both Pro models are said to get a main camera with a variable aperture system. The lens will be able to adjust between f/1.4 and f/4.0 for natural bokeh and improved low-light performance. There will still be some differences between the two models, though.

For instance, only the iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a larger primary sensor along with "advanced" sensor-shift OIS for superior low-light video stabilization.

The Pro Max will get a 48MP telephoto camera with up to 10x optical zoom, while the Pro will only be able to zoom to 8x.

Only the iPhone 18 Pro Max will get bumped up to 16GB of RAM. The bot claims that starting prices will remain unchanged and that the devices will come in Dark Cherry, Titanium Gray, Titanium White, and Titanium Black.

Other claims include 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays for the Pro and Pro Max, respectively, a larger battery for the Pro Max, ProRAW and ProRes video support, and the A20 Pro chip across both models.

Which of these rumors do you wish were true?

90 Votes

Proceed with caution

Bots are known to hallucinate, and some of the info shared by the Ask Verizon assistant does seem made up. For instance, most reports point to a higher price tag. It would make little sense for Apple to upgrade the iPhone 18 Pro Max's RAM without raising the price, especially given that memory chip costs have reportedly surged by 400%.

The phones are expected to come in Dark Cherry, Silver, and Sky Blue, suggesting that the bot was parroting the Titanium finishes from the iPhone 15 Pro.

Here are some more recent rumors:

Last-minute chaos

Verizon's AI refused to tell us anything. | Image by PhoneArena

When my colleague Alan Friedman tried to probe My Verizon for information on the iPhone 18 Pro, it feigned complete ignorance. Whether Verizon forgot to set proper guardrails earlier or a clever user managed to jailbreak the bot isn't clear.

Either way, it's all part of the pre-launch frenzy, and a good reminder that nothing is official until Apple says it is.

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Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.

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