The tech giant also introduced the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, AirPods 5, Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4.
CEO John Ternus made his big debut, unveiling the iPhone 18 Pro, Airpods 5 and Apple Watch Series 12 before getting to the Duo, the company’s first foldable iPhone. Apple showcased a new set of colors for the iPhone 18, which comes in glacier and burgundy, following in the success of last year’s electric Cosmic Orange colourway. Some announcements represent substantial additions to Apple’s ecosystem. Others involve Apple adopting ideas competitors have offered for years. Here’s everything the company announced — and how new it really is.
The biggest reveal was the iPhone Duo, Apple’s first foldable smartphone. Its book-style design places a 5.4-inch display on the outside and unfolds to reveal a 7.6-inch inner screen, effectively turning the phone into a compact tablet. The larger display supports side-by-side apps and tablet-style multitasking. Support for Apple Pencil with USB-C will arrive later in 2026 — another first for an iPhone. Apple also brought back Touch ID, placing the fingerprint sensor in the power button instead of using Face ID. The iPhone Duo uses Apple’s A20 Pro processor and starts at approximately $2,000 for 256GB of storage. It comes in white and dark blue, with shipments expected to begin in October.
Samsung released the original Galaxy Fold in 2019, and manufacturers including Google, Motorola, Huawei, Honor, Oppo and Xiaomi have since produced folding phones. Samsung has even moved beyond book-style devices to a three-panel Galaxy Z TriFold. The first Galaxy Fold already combined an exterior screen, tablet-size folding display and multi-app interface.
Stylus support and fingerprint readers mounted in side buttons have also appeared on other folding devices. The Duo’s significance is less about inventing the foldable than bringing the format to Apple’s iPhone lineup. Apple’s real test will be whether it has improved the category’s persistent weaknesses: visible display creases, fragile inner screens, dust resistance and bulky hinges.
Apple’s conventional flagship phones received less dramatic visual changes. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max resemble their predecessors, but now come in black, silver, glacier and burgundy.
Inside is the A20 Pro, Apple’s first iPhone processor manufactured using a 2-nanometer process. It contains a six-core CPU, seven-core GPU and two 16-core Neural Engines. Apple says the GPU is up to 40 percent faster than the A19 Pro. A larger vapor chamber is designed to keep the processor cool during games and demanding AI tasks.
Battery life also increased. Apple rates the iPhone 18 Pro for up to 36 hours of video playback and the Pro Max for up to 45 hours. Both support faster wired charging, with the Pro reaching 50 percent in approximately 15 minutes. Prices increased by $100: The Pro starts at $1,199, while the Pro Max starts at $1,299. Preorders begin Sept. 12, with sales starting Sept. 18. Apple detailed the phones, pricing and availability in its announcement.