Apple Unveils Foldable iPhone Duo and Pricier iPhone 18 Pro at First Event Under Ternus

Apple on Wednesday, September 9, unveiled its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, and the iPhone 18 Pro lineup at an event packed with device upgrades, giving an early view of how incoming CEO John Ternus plans to shape the company in the age of AI.

Below are the main takeaways from the event.

DUO: APPLE’S BOLD NEW BET

The Duo represents the most significant redesign of the iPhone line in years. The passport-shaped device unfolds to reveal a 7.6-inch display and also carries a 5.4-inch outer screen. Its spacious main screen allows people to keep two apps open at the same time.

The device runs on Apple’s A20 Pro chip, which is built using a 2-nanometer process. Apple said the chip, when paired with a vapor-chamber cooling system, is designed to boost on-device AI performance, graphics processing, and battery efficiency. The Duo also includes Apple’s latest C2 modem.

The Duo supports Apple Pencil and uses Touch ID integrated into the side button. Apple said it is the thinnest iPhone when open. Pricing starts at $1,999, roughly $100 more than Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold8 and Google’s Pixel 11 Pro Fold at comparable base storage levels.

The Duo is available with up to 2 terabytes of storage, a capacity not offered on rival foldable models. Pre-orders begin October 16, and the device goes on sale October 23.

PRO MODELS GET MORE EXPENSIVE WITH THE 18 SERIES

Apple raised the price of its Pro models by $100, putting the iPhone 18 Pro at $1,199 and the iPhone 18 Pro Max at $1,299. The increases were driven by a surge in memory chip costs.

Both phones are powered by Apple’s new A20 Pro chip. They also feature a fresh 48-megapixel main camera with a variable aperture system that automatically adapts to lighting conditions while giving users more control over depth of field and low-light photography.

Apple also introduced Apple Reference Image, a photo-authentication standard, and added support for SynthID to flag AI-generated or edited images. Those features will not be available in the European Union or China.

APPLE INTELLIGENCE PUTS PRIVACY FIRST

In his first Apple event as CEO, Ternus cast privacy as Apple’s key differentiator in the AI era. He described the iPhone as an “intelligent personal hub” that runs AI services on-device whenever possible, with Siri playing a central role.

The Cupertino, California company said cloud-based processing is used only when additional computing power is needed, with privacy protections extended through its Private Cloud Compute system.

Siri AI, meanwhile, will work with more than 300,000 apps at launch and can execute actions across Apple and third-party applications.

Apple also unveiled the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4, featuring a redesigned health-sensing system and the new S11 chip. The Series 12 starts at $399, while the Ultra 4 starts at $799.

New capabilities include a Readiness score, more frequent heart-rate monitoring, health insights powered by Apple Intelligence, and audio-intelligence tools such as Live Rewind and Siri Recap.

Apple launched a new generation of AirPods starting at $129, marking the first time active noise cancellation has arrived on its entry-level earbuds.

A $149 version adds wireless charging and on-stem volume controls, letting users swipe up or down on the stem to adjust volume.