A video short highlights Apple’s playful use of James Bond homages in its keynote opening, with shots directly emulating ones from Skyfall …

Filmmaker Todd Vaziri had previously drawn attention to the heavy influence of a Mission Impossible movie on Apple’s 2018 event intro. This time he points to the very direct use of Skyfall shots in the introduction video to this year’s event.

Apple’s highly polished and cinematic Event videos frequently draw inspiration from big budget blockbusters. The 2026 introduction of iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo was no exception, with some references to James Bond films, particularly the opening shot of “Skyfall” (2012) when presenting former CEO Tim Cook, Bond walking from left to right in profile when introducing new CEO John Ternus, and the James Bond gunbarrel title sequence when referencing the new variable aperture featured on the iPhone 18 Pro.

He posted a video short to YouTube directly comparing the two.

It was a good spot, and a fun touch by Apple.

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• Certified refurbished Apple products 15% off at apple.com
• Official Apple Store on Amazon
• Discounted AirPods Pro 3
• Wireless CarPlay adapter
• 10-year AirTag battery case
• Logitech MX Master 4 for Mac

Via Daring Fireball