Amazon Nova 2 Pro vs Apple Foundation Models 3

Amazon · US  |  Apple · US · Updated June 2026

Quick verdict

Pick Amazon Nova 2 Pro for amazon's next-generation nova flagship - a 1m-token context window with selectable reasoning effort or deep aws bedrock integration for teams already building on aws. Pick Apple Foundation Models 3 for runs entirely on-device on iphone - no api call, no per-token cost, works offline or the 20b sparse 'core advanced' variant lifted on-device output quality from 23% to 46% user preference in apple's own testing versus the prior generation. On a tight budget at scale, Apple Foundation Models 3 is the value pick.

Amazon Nova 2 Pro (Amazon) and Apple Foundation Models 3 (Apple) are two of the models people most often weigh against each other in 2026. Amazon Nova 2 Pro is amazon's next-generation Nova flagship - 1M context, selectable reasoning effort, and deep Bedrock integration, replacing the retiring Nova Premier. Apple Foundation Models 3 is apple's on-device model family - genuinely small context and no API access, but private, offline, and free to run on every iPhone. They diverge most on price and context window — each quantified below from the models' real specs.

Key differences at a glance

Side-by-side specs

SpecAmazon Nova 2 ProApple Foundation Models 3
ProviderAmazon (US) Apple (US)
ReleasedDecember 2, 2025 June 2026
Context window1M (~1,500 pages) 4K (~6 pages)
Price (in/out)$2.19/$17.5 per 1M tokens Not published
Open weight?No — API only No — API only
Modalitiestext, image text, image
SWE-Bench VerifiedNot published Not published
MRCR v2 @ 1MNot published Not published

Who wins what

Amazon's next-generation Nova flagship - a 1M-token context window with selectable reasoning effort

Amazon Nova 2 Pro

Its 1M window holds about 244× more than Apple Foundation Models 3's 4K in a single prompt.

Deep AWS Bedrock integration for teams already building on AWS

Amazon Nova 2 Pro

Amazon's next-generation Nova flagship - 1M context, selectable reasoning effort, and deep Bedrock integration, replacing the retiring Nova Premier — and it carries the larger 1M context.

A companion real-time-voice model (Nova 2 Sonic) in the same family

Amazon Nova 2 Pro

Apple Foundation Models 3 is comparatively weak here — a genuinely small context window (about 4,096 tokens, shared between input and output) - far below cloud frontier models

Runs entirely on-device on iPhone - no API call, no per-token cost, works offline

Apple Foundation Models 3

Apple's on-device model family - genuinely small context and no API access, but private, offline, and free to run on every iPhone — and it is the newer of the two.

The 20B sparse 'Core Advanced' variant lifted on-device output quality from 23% to 46% user preference in Apple's own testing versus the prior generation

Apple Foundation Models 3

Apple Foundation Models 3 lists the 20B sparse 'Core Advanced' variant lifted on-device output quality from 23% to 46% user preference in Apple's own testing versus the prior generation among its strengths; Amazon Nova 2 Pro does not.

Deep integration with iOS apps via the Foundation Models framework, now open to third-party LLM providers too

Apple Foundation Models 3

Apple Foundation Models 3 lists deep integration with iOS apps via the Foundation Models framework, now open to third-party LLM providers too among its strengths; Amazon Nova 2 Pro does not.

Lowest cost at scale

Apple Foundation Models 3

Its weights are open, so at volume you pay for your own hardware instead of Amazon Nova 2 Pro's $2.19/$17.5 per 1M tokens.

Largest single-prompt input

Amazon Nova 2 Pro

Its 1M window is about 244× larger than Apple Foundation Models 3's 4K, fitting roughly 1,500 pages in one prompt.

Which should you pick?

A cost-sensitive startup shipping high volume

Apple Foundation Models 3

At Not published it undercuts Amazon Nova 2 Pro, and on millions of tokens that margin decides the monthly bill.

Someone analysing very long documents or codebases

Amazon Nova 2 Pro

Larger 1M window fits more in one prompt.

Anyone whose priority is amazon's next-generation nova flagship - a 1m-token context window with selectable reasoning effort

Amazon Nova 2 Pro

It is specifically built for that.

Anyone whose priority is runs entirely on-device on iphone - no api call, no per-token cost, works offline

Apple Foundation Models 3

That is its strongest area.

Amazon Nova 2 Pro: where it fits

Amazon's next-generation Nova flagship - 1M context, selectable reasoning effort, and deep Bedrock integration, replacing the retiring Nova Premier. Released December 2, 2025 by Amazon, it is built for amazon's next-generation Nova flagship - a 1M-token context window with selectable reasoning effort, deep AWS Bedrock integration for teams already building on AWS, a companion real-time-voice model (Nova 2 Sonic) in the same family, and replaces the original Nova Premier, which AWS is retiring in September 2026.

Its trade-offs are real: pricing shown reflects preview-tier rates and may change at general availability, amazon's Nova line has historically scored below independent-intelligence leaders like Claude, GPT, and Gemini, and a newer release with less real-world production track record than established flagships. At $2.19 in / $17.5 out per million tokens, it sits in the mid price band.

Apple Foundation Models 3: where it fits

Apple's on-device model family - genuinely small context and no API access, but private, offline, and free to run on every iPhone. Released June 2026 by Apple, it is built for runs entirely on-device on iPhone - no API call, no per-token cost, works offline, the 20B sparse 'Core Advanced' variant lifted on-device output quality from 23% to 46% user preference in Apple's own testing versus the prior generation, deep integration with iOS apps via the Foundation Models framework, now open to third-party LLM providers too, and zero marginal cost and strong privacy - nothing leaves the device.

Its trade-offs: a genuinely small context window (about 4,096 tokens, shared between input and output) - far below cloud frontier models, not comparable in raw capability to frontier cloud models - built for efficiency and privacy, not benchmark leadership, and no public API pricing since it isn't sold per-token - only usable within Apple's own platforms.

The bottom line for this matchup

Amazon Nova 2 Pro and Apple Foundation Models 3 overlap enough that the right pick depends on your specific job. Apple Foundation Models 3 costs less per token; Amazon Nova 2 Pro holds the larger context; and each leads in its own area — Amazon Nova 2 Pro for amazon's next-generation nova flagship - a 1m-token context window with selectable reasoning effort, Apple Foundation Models 3 for runs entirely on-device on iphone - no api call, no per-token cost, works offline. Rather than crowning one, run the same hard task through both once and let the results decide.

Want both Amazon Nova 2 Pro and Apple Foundation Models 3 without two subscriptions? LumiChats gives you these plus 40+ models under one ₹69/day pass (about $1/day) — draft with one, cross-check with the other.

See pricing

Frequently asked questions

Is Amazon Nova 2 Pro or Apple Foundation Models 3 better for coding?

Public SWE-Bench figures are not available for either model, so the honest test is your own repository — run an identical real bug through both. By design, Amazon Nova 2 Pro leans toward amazon's next-generation nova flagship - a 1m-token context window with selectable reasoning effort while Apple Foundation Models 3 leans toward runs entirely on-device on iphone - no api call, no per-token cost, works offline, and that positioning usually predicts which feels better on your codebase.

Which is cheaper, Amazon Nova 2 Pro or Apple Foundation Models 3?

Apple Foundation Models 3 is cheaper — $2.19/$17.5 per 1M tokens vs Not published.

Which has the bigger context window?

Amazon Nova 2 Pro — 1M vs 4K, about 244× larger. Useful only if the model actually reasons over the full window, which not all do.

Can I use both Amazon Nova 2 Pro and Apple Foundation Models 3 together?

Yes — a multi-model platform like LumiChats gives you Amazon Nova 2 Pro, Apple Foundation Models 3 and 40+ others under one ₹69/day pass (about $1/day), so you can draft with one and cross-check with the other instead of buying two subscriptions.

Which is newer, Amazon Nova 2 Pro or Apple Foundation Models 3?

Apple Foundation Models 3 — released June 2026, about 6 months after Amazon Nova 2 Pro.

Related comparisons

Specifications and benchmarks reflect publicly reported figures as of June 2026 and may change as providers release updates. Always verify on your own workload.