Apple Unveils First Foldable iPhone Duo Alongside iPhone 18 Pro and New Wearables

The Duo is similar in size to a passport when closed, with a 5.4-inch outer display that Apple says covers about 90% of the screen area of the iPhone 18 Pro, and opens to a 7.6-inch Super Retina XDR inner display. It supports Apple Pencil and touch, can be unlocked with Apple Watch, and uses Grade 5 titanium, rigid inserts and a magnetic hinge. SiliconANGLE reported Apple calls it the 'largest display ever on an iPhone' while still fitting in a pocket. It can run apps side by side, act like a laptop when half-folded, or stand as a tent display. Chinese outlet 量子位 reported the hinge uses a zirconium-based amorphous titanium alloy, or liquid metal, and that AI assisted its design. Apple said the device has two batteries and can charge to 50% in 20 minutes, with 44 hours of video playback on the outer screen and 31 hours on the inner screen, according to 量子位. It has a 48MP main camera and a 48MP ultrawide camera, but no dedicated telephoto lens. The phone includes Touch ID on the side and the A20 Pro chip, the same 2nm processor in the iPhone 18 Pro line, plus Apple's C2 modem with mmWave 5G support. New Apple Chief Executive John Ternus said, 'iPhone Duo is the most transformational change to iPhone since the original.'

The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max use the A20 Pro chip, with a 6-core CPU, 7-core GPU and 32-core neural engine, according to 少数派. Apple said the chip's memory bandwidth increased 50%, while a new vapor chamber and packaging inspired by its M-series silicon improved sustained performance by 40% over the iPhone 17 line. The eSIM-only models can deliver up to 36 hours of video playback on the iPhone 18 Pro and 45 hours on the Pro Max, with wired charging to 50% in about 15 minutes. The camera system includes a 48MP Fusion main camera with variable aperture, a 48MP ultrawide and a 48MP telephoto with up to 40x digital zoom. The Dynamic Island is smaller and can display three live activities. 少数派 reported Chinese prices start at 9,999 yuan for the iPhone 18 Pro and 10,999 yuan for the Pro Max, both 1,000 yuan higher than the previous generation. The standard iPhone and iPhone Air 2 did not appear at the event, according to 量子位, which reported they are expected around March.

Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 add a new Health Sensing system and S11 chip. 少数派 reported the watches can read heart rate every five seconds in the background, 60 times more frequently than prior models, and measure heart-rate variability every five minutes, 24 times more often. The watches add a Readiness index and a Health app feature called Health Age. They also introduce Audio Intelligence, which uses on-device AI to recognize sirens, alarms, doorbells and crying babies; Live Rewind, which transcribes the previous 15 seconds after a double press of the digital crown; and Siri Recap, which uses ambient listening to generate summaries of conversations. TechCrunch reported these listening features raise consent and legal questions, because Apple is not saving audio but text transcripts could be difficult to authenticate or verify in court. Apple says some features will not be available in mainland China until Apple Intelligence launches there.

AirPods 5 move active noise cancellation to the standard open-ear model. 少数派 reported Apple claims ANC is up to 1.5 times stronger than the AirPods 4 with ANC, and the new model has a redesigned acoustic architecture, IP57 dust and water resistance, and up to four hours of ANC listening on a charge, or 20 hours with the case. A wireless charging case version adds volume control by sliding the stem and extends battery life to five hours with ANC and 22 hours with the case. Both versions are priced at 999 yuan and 1,149 yuan and are scheduled for release on Sept. 18.

Ahead of the event, Samsung posted a YouTube video welcoming Apple to the foldable club, according to Android Authority. The ad highlighted the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and called it 'the world's lightest fold,' without directly naming Apple or the iPhone. Android Authority reported initial reports suggested the iPhone Ultra, as the foldable was rumored to be called, might cost more than base versions of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. Apple ultimately named the device the iPhone Duo, not iPhone Ultra. After the announcement, 9to5Mac reported that Apple launched developer resources for the Duo, including group labs on Sept. 16 and 17, Q&As on Photos & Camera, SwiftUI and UIKit on Sept. 23, worldwide workshops, an Xcode 27.1 beta, and documentation titled 'Designing for iPhone Duo' and 'Preparing your app for iPhone Duo.'

TechRadar reported that iPhone 18 Pro preorders open Saturday, Sept. 12, at 5 a.m. PT, 8 a.m. ET and 1 p.m. BST, while Duo preorders open Friday, Oct. 16, at the same times. The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 or £1,199, the Pro Max at $1,299 or £1,299, and the 256GB Duo at $1,999 or £1,999. Apple is offering trade-in rebates up to $1,200 or £885 on the Pro models and up to $1,144 or £855 on the Duo, along with leasing from $34.99 a month for the iPhone 18 Pro and $57.99 a month for the Duo. The Verge noted the iPhone Duo is not the first product called Duo; Apple previously used the name for the PowerBook Duo and MagSafe Duo, and Microsoft, Google and other companies have also sold Duo-branded products.

Editor's Summary

Apple's first foldable iPhone, the Duo, led a broad hardware refresh that also included the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, and AirPods 5. The launch moves Apple into the foldable market at $1,999, with developer support and October preorders, while its new Apple Watch listening features drew privacy and consent questions.