John Ternus wasted little time making his mark as Apple's new CEO, unveiling the first foldable iPhone Wednesday as the company looks to reignite demand for its top-seller. Dubbed the iPhone Duo, it carries a starting price of $1,999 and arrives in stores Oct. 23. On LinkedIn, the Duo's design won praise as "incredibly cool," but some noted Samsung has already established itself in the foldable market. But the burning question looming over the launch is the price. Forrester analyst Dipanjan Chatterjee said, "Foldables still represent a minuscule share of the smartphone market. The test of Apple's ambition will be whether it can expand that niche into a meaningful new segment."
Apple’s “Surprise and Shine” event delivered one of its biggest product moments in years with the arrival of the iPhone Duo, Apple’s first foldable iPhone.
Apple also introduced the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, focusing on performance, battery life and camera innovation, including the new A20 Pro chip, improved thermal management and variable aperture photography. Meanwhile, updates to Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 leaned heavily into health, with more accurate sensors, a refreshed Health app, Readiness scoring and Health Age insights.
A notable new capability for Apple Watch is “Audio Intelligence”, which brings lightweight audio recall and conversation summaries to Apple Watch, while Apple’s broader AI story continues through iOS 27, Apple Intelligence and Siri AI.
Perhaps most symbolically, the event marked John Ternus’s first major product launch as Apple CEO — a carefully timed transition moment alongside the unveiling of Apple’s long-awaited foldable.
The headline may be the iPhone Duo, but the bigger story is Apple continuing to strengthen the link between hardware, software, services and privacy.
📲 Apple just entered the foldable era.
Apple’s September 9 event wasn’t just another product refresh.
It marked a potentially important shift in the company’s hardware strategy.
Here’s what Apple unveiled:
📖 iPhone Duo — Apple’s first foldable iPhone
A new foldable form factor with a 7.6-inch inner display and 5.4-inch outer display, powered by the A20 Pro chip.
📱 iPhone 18 Pro & Pro Max
• A20 Pro chip
• 48MP Fusion Main camera with variable aperture
• New camera controls
• Improved battery life and sustained performance
⌚ Apple Watch Series 12
A new Health Sensing System, enhanced health insights, S11 chip and deeper AI capabilities.
🏔️ Apple Watch Ultra 4
More advanced health and fitness capabilities, improved GPS and up to 45 hours of outdoor workout tracking.
🎧 AirPods 5
Open-ear Active Noise Cancellation, Adaptive EQ, hands-free Siri AI and Live Translation.
But for me, the iPhone Duo is the headline.
Apple entering foldables could significantly reshape the premium smartphone market.
And the bigger strategy is clear:
Apple is not just launching new devices.
It is building a more intelligent, interconnected personal technology ecosystem.
Foldables.
AI.
Health.
Spatial experiences.
Seamless connectivity.
Meet the new iPhone Duo.
I'm at Apple Park, where Apple just showed its first folding iPhone. It starts at $1,999, preorders open October 16, and it goes on sale October 23.
At first glance, it seems like Apple's solved all the problems of foldable phones:
The crease. Apple built a matte, nano-texture finish over the folding screen that it says makes the crease nearly invisible and gets rid of the plasticky feel. The hinge also physically supports the middle of the display so it lies flat when open.
The real OH WOW moment for me: the new camera tricks on the Duo:
-Flip it around, and the outer screen becomes your viewfinder, so you take selfies with the 48-megapixel rear cameras instead of the weak front one.
-The person you're photographing sees themselves on the back and can fix the shot before you take it. Animations play on that screen to get kids looking at the lens. Tap once, set it down, and it takes the photo itself when everyone's in position. Fold it halfway, and it's its own tripod.
A few other things from the room:
📱 iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: better cameras, the longest battery life on an iPhone, and $100 more than last year. There is no regular iPhone 18. The cheapest new iPhone today is $1,199. Preorders Saturday, September 12; in stores September 18.
📸 Reference Image: the 18 Pro now signs a photo at the sensor so you can prove it's real and unedited. As someone who spends a lot of time on fake photos and video, this one got my attention.
⌚ Apple Watch Series 12 ($399) and Ultra 4 ($799): heart rate checked every five seconds, a daily "readiness" score, and a feature called Siri Recap that takes notes on your conversations. Expect a privacy conversation about that one. Preorders today, available September 18.
🎧 AirPods 5 add noise-cancelling at the same $129 price. Preorders today, available September 18.
John Ternus: just eight days into the job, his first keynote, and he stuck the landing like he's been doing it forever.
Apple’s September 2026 Event: Everything Apple Launched in Cupertino
Apple’s September 9 event was one of the company’s biggest product launches in years. Held at Apple Park in Cupertino under the “Surprise and Shine” theme, the event marked the first major product keynote for new Apple CEO John Ternus — and delivered a dramatic change to the iPhone lineup.
The headline was impossible to miss: Apple finally entered the foldable-phone market with the iPhone Duo.
But the foldable iPhone was only part of the story. Apple also introduced the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4, and AirPods 5, while confirming the arrival of iOS 27 and the next generation of Apple Intelligence features.
Here is everything Apple announced.
iPhone Duo: Apple Finally Makes a Foldable iPhone
The biggest announcement of the night was undoubtedly the iPhone Duo, Apple's first foldable iPhone.
Rather than simply shrinking an existing iPhone into a folding form factor, Apple has redesigned the device around two displays. When closed, the Duo has a 5.4-inch outer Super Retina XDR display. Open it up and users get a 7.6-inch inner display, giving the phone a much larger canvas for productivity, gaming, video, and multitasking.
Apple says the inner screen is 50 percent larger than the display on the iPhone 18 Pro Max, while the external display provides 90 percent of the screen area of the iPhone 18 Pro.
Both displays support ProMotion, Always-On functionality and up to 3,000 nits of outdoor brightness. Apple has also designed the displays with the same aspect ratio so that content transitions naturally between the folded and unfolded configurations.
A new approach to authentication
One of the most interesting changes is what Apple has done with biometric authentication.
Instead of Face ID, the iPhone Duo uses Touch ID integrated into the side button. Apple says this allows authentication whether the device is open or closed.
The inner display also hides a new FaceTime camera when it isn't being used, allowing Apple to reduce the visual interruption on the large folding screen.
A20 Pro powers the Duo
Inside the iPhone Duo is Apple's new A20 Pro chip.
Apple has paired the processor with a custom vapor-chamber thermal system and a dual-battery architecture. The goal is to deliver flagship-level performance despite the challenges of fitting powerful hardware into an extremely thin foldable design.
The phone also includes Apple's latest C2 modem.
Camera Control gets smarter
The iPhone Duo retains Apple's Camera Control button, but Apple is taking the concept further with a new Siri Camera mode.
The feature allows Siri to use what the camera sees as context, potentially letting the assistant answer questions about objects or scenes in front of the user and take actions based on that information.
The folding design also creates new possibilities for taking photographs and videos, including hands-free positioning of the phone.
Apple Pencil support
For the first time, Apple's foldable iPhone also supports Apple Pencil, turning the large internal screen into a more productive canvas.
The device comes in star white and night sky.
Price and availability
The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 in the United States for 256GB.
Storage options extend all the way to 2TB.
Pre-orders begin October 16, with the first availability scheduled for October 23 in more than 70 countries and regions.
The price makes the Duo Apple's most expensive iPhone by a considerable margin — but it also represents the company's entry into one of the most closely watched categories in smartphones.
iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max
Alongside the foldable Duo, Apple unveiled its traditional flagship models: the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
Both devices are powered by the A20 Pro and run iOS 27, with Apple's new AI capabilities integrated throughout the experience.
The biggest hardware improvement is the camera system.
Variable aperture finally comes to iPhone
The main camera is now a 48-megapixel Fusion camera with variable aperture.
That gives photographers greater control over how much light enters the lens and how images are rendered — something that has been standard on many dedicated cameras but has historically been less flexible on smartphones.
Apple has also added new Pro Controls to the Camera app, giving users more direct control over the photographic experience.
The iPhone 18 Pro Max also receives Apple's biggest battery-life improvement ever for an iPhone, helped by improvements in Apple silicon and a larger battery.
New finishes
The iPhone 18 Pro models come in four finishes:
Black
Silver
Glacier
Burgundy
Storage ranges from 256GB to 2TB.
Pricing
The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199.
The iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at $1,299.
Pre-orders begin September 12, with retail availability starting September 18.
Apple Intelligence and Siri AI
Artificial intelligence was not a separate hardware launch at the event, but it is arguably the technology connecting almost every new product Apple announced.
The company's next-generation Apple Intelligence features are arriving alongside its new operating systems.
Apple is positioning the iPhone as an “intelligent personal hub,” with AI designed around personal context while maintaining Apple's emphasis on privacy.
The company says most processing can take place on-device, while more demanding requests can use Private Cloud Compute.
Siri becomes much more capable
The next generation of Siri — referred to by Apple as Siri AI — is designed to understand personal context, perform actions across apps and answer more complex requests.
Apple says Siri AI will work with more than 300,000 apps at launch.
Siri also gains deeper visual capabilities, including the new Camera mode on the iPhone Duo.
However, there is an important regional caveat for European users. Apple previously announced that Siri AI would not initially be available on iOS and iPadOS in the EU because of regulatory issues surrounding the Digital Markets Act.
iOS 27
Apple confirmed that iOS 27 will arrive as a free update on September 14.
The new software brings the next generation of Apple Intelligence, including Siri AI and additional intelligent capabilities throughout Apple's ecosystem.
Apple is also expanding its health and fitness intelligence.
The redesigned Health app uses Apple Intelligence to surface more useful information from a user's health data, including trends across sleep, fitness, vitals, readiness and cycle tracking.
Apple's broader software family also moves to version 27:
iOS 27
iPadOS 27
macOS 27
watchOS 27
tvOS 27
visionOS 27
Apple says developers can now submit apps built against the latest operating-system SDKs.
Apple Watch Series 12
Apple also introduced the Apple Watch Series 12, with the biggest focus on health sensing.
The watch uses a new Health Sensing System and Apple's S11 chip.
Apple says Series 12 provides its most accurate heart-rate sensing in a wearable and can measure heart rate every five seconds throughout the day. It also increases the frequency of heart-rate-variability measurements.
The new Readiness feature
One of the biggest software additions is Readiness.
Rather than simply recording what happened during a workout, the feature attempts to determine how prepared a user is for the day by considering factors such as:
Recent activity
Training load
Vital signs
Sleep
Recovery data
The goal is to turn Apple Watch from a device that primarily reports health information into something that provides more actionable context.
Apple is also introducing new daytime and overnight vital views.
New materials and finishes
Series 12 is available in aluminum and titanium configurations, as well as a new ceramic option.
Aluminum models receive Ceramic Shield 2, which Apple says is 60 percent tougher than the previous Ion-X glass.
Pre-orders begin immediately, with availability from September 18.
Apple Watch Ultra 4
For athletes and outdoor users, Apple introduced the Apple Watch Ultra 4.
It also features the new Health Sensing System and S11 chip.
The Ultra 4 adds:
Higher-frequency heart-rate measurements
Higher-frequency HRV measurements
Readiness
Improved GPS
Faster charging
Longer battery life
New Apple Intelligence capabilities
Apple says the Ultra 4 can provide up to 45 hours of outdoor workout tracking.
The watch is offered in natural titanium and black titanium.
The starting price is $799, with pre-orders beginning September 9 and availability starting September 18.
AirPods 5
Apple's other major hardware announcement was AirPods 5.
The new earbuds bring Active Noise Cancellation to Apple's most affordable AirPods.
Apple says the open-ear ANC system can remove up to 50 percent more external noise than AirPods 4 with ANC.
The new AirPods also feature:
A new multiport acoustic architecture
Next-generation Adaptive EQ
Improved Transparency mode
Conversation Awareness
Siri AI integration
Head gestures for interacting with Siri
Live Translation
Improved dust, sweat and water resistance
The combination of AirPods and Apple Intelligence is particularly significant because Apple is turning the earbuds into another interface for its AI system.
Users can interact with Siri without taking their phone out of their pocket, while Live Translation can help people communicate across languages.
AirPods 5 pricing
The standard AirPods 5 start at $129.
A version with a Wireless Charging Case costs $149.
The upgraded model also introduces volume control directly on the stem, allowing users to swipe up or down to change the volume.
Battery life reaches up to five hours with ANC on a single charge, while the case extends total ANC listening time to 22 hours.
Both versions are available to pre-order now, with retail availability from September 18.
What Apple Did Not Launch
Despite the enormous number of announcements, Apple did not unveil everything that had been rumored ahead of the event.
Notably absent from the keynote were:
A standard iPhone 18
New Macs
New iPads
A new Apple TV
A new Vision Pro
The event was heavily concentrated around the iPhone, Apple Watch, AirPods and Apple's artificial-intelligence strategy.
Apple Is Betting on AI and Premium Hardware
The September 2026 event represents an important moment for Apple for another reason: it is the first major product launch under John Ternus, who became Apple's CEO after Tim Cook.
And the product strategy is revealing.
Apple is not simply adding faster processors to existing products. The company is using AI, new form factors and health technology to create new reasons for customers to upgrade.
The iPhone Duo is the clearest example. Apple has entered foldables years after Samsung and other competitors, but it is doing so with a product designed to fit directly into Apple's existing ecosystem of apps, Apple Pencil, Siri, Apple Intelligence and accessories.
The iPhone 18 Pro takes a different approach: it refines the traditional smartphone with a more sophisticated camera system, variable aperture, stronger battery life and the A20 Pro.
The Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 turn increasingly toward health intelligence and recovery.
And AirPods 5 show Apple extending AI beyond the screen, using earbuds as an always-available interface for Siri and translation.
Apple September 2026 Launches at a Glance
| Product | Starting price (U.S.) | Pre-orders | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone Duo | $1,999 | Oct. 16 | Oct. 23 |
| iPhone 18 Pro | $1,199 | Sept. 12 | Sept. 18 |
| iPhone 18 Pro Max | $1,299 | Sept. 12 | Sept. 18 |
| Apple Watch Series 12 | — | Sept. 9 | Sept. 18 |
| Apple Watch Ultra 4 | $799 | Sept. 9 | Sept. 18 |
| AirPods 5 | $129 | Sept. 9 | Sept. 18 |
| AirPods 5 + Wireless Charging Case | $149 | Sept. 9 | Sept. 18 |
Apple's September 2026 event was far more than a routine iPhone refresh.
The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max deliver the expected annual performance, camera and battery improvements, but the real headline is the iPhone Duo — Apple's first foldable iPhone and the company's most significant change to the iPhone form factor in years.
At the same time, Apple is making AI the connective tissue across its products. Siri AI is becoming more capable, Apple Intelligence is moving deeper into everyday apps, Apple Watch is becoming more proactive about health and recovery, and AirPods are gaining AI-powered translation and hands-free interaction.
The result is a product lineup that is simultaneously more premium, more AI-focused and more ambitious.
For Apple, the message from Cupertino was clear: the next era of the iPhone isn't just about making the phone better — it's about changing what the phone can be.
Apple unveiled the iPhone Duo, its first folding phone, priced at $1,999. The device features advanced screen and hinge technology and the largest display of any iPhone https://t.co/Bcj6s38h9v pic.twitter.com/PB6azsmm0X
— Reuters (@Reuters) September 10, 2026