Tech

Apple Goes Foldable: iPhone Duo Headlines the Biggest iPhone Event in Years

By Omar aka Crypt0 · Sep 12, 2026

Apple's September 9 'Surprise and Shine' event, the first major product launch led by new CEO John Ternus after Tim Cook stepped down in April, delivered the company's biggest hardware shakeup in years. Headlining the show was the iPhone Duo, Apple's first foldable phone, joined by the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, AirPods 5, and iOS 27, which arrives for all users on Monday, September 14.

The iPhone Duo is a book style foldable with a 5.4 inch outer display and a 7.6 inch inner Super Retina XDR display, the largest screen ever on an iPhone. Both displays carry a special nano texture finish that minimizes glare, and when fully open, Apple says the Duo is the thinnest iPhone ever made. The device is dust tight with an IP68 rating, unlocks with a side button Touch ID sensor or an Apple Watch, and runs on the new A20 Pro chip with two built in batteries for all day life. It ships in 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB capacities, works with the 79 dollar Apple Pencil, and starts at 1,999 dollars. Advance orders open October 16, with the launch following on October 23.

The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max carry Apple's first 2 nanometer smartphone chip, the A20 Pro, alongside a 48 megapixel Fusion main camera with a physical variable aperture, manual aperture and shutter speed controls, and a new Apple Reference Image feature that verifies photo authenticity. The Pro Max claims up to 45 hours of battery life, which Apple calls the longest battery life in an iPhone, and both models use Apple's custom built C2 modem for 5G. Prices are up 100 dollars, Apple discontinued the iPhone 17 Pro line, and advance orders for the 18 Pro models opened today, September 12 at 5:00 a.m. Pacific, with the launch set for September 18.

The wearables got serious upgrades too. Apple Watch Series 12 brings the S11 chip, upgraded health sensors, ceramic models, eight new health and fitness features, and three new Audio Intelligence features. The Apple Watch Ultra 4 stretches battery life to two days with upgraded health tracking. AirPods 5 add improved noise cancellation, now standard, richer sound, and better durability. On the software side, iOS 27 arrives September 14, with fine print revealing daily usage limits for Siri AI and a paid expanded access tier for heavier use.

For readers shopping this fall, the lineup offers a real fork in the road: the Duo turns a pocket phone into a pocket tablet, while the 18 Pro doubles down on camera control and battery life. Apple's foldable entry, years after Samsung's, also resets the premium phone race, and the first 2nm iPhone chip sets the performance bar every Android maker now has to clear.

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