Apple unveils first foldable iPhone duo, iPhone 18 pro lineup in landmark event under new CEO

Apple has unveiled its first foldable iPhone, introduced the iPhone 18 Pro series, and refreshed its Apple Watch and AirPods lines, marking the company’s most significant product event in years—and the first major keynote under new CEO John Ternus.

The headline announcement was the iPhone Duo, Apple’s long-anticipated entry into the foldable smartphone market. Priced at $1,999 for the base 256GB model and climbing to $3,199 for a 2TB configuration, the Duo will begin shipping on October 23 following pre-orders on October 16 .

The Duo: Apple’s Foldable Bet

The iPhone Duo features a book-style folding design with a 7.6-inch inner display and a 5.4-inch outer screen . Apple claims it is the thinnest iPhone ever made when opened, with a titanium frame and a “custom polymer” screen designed for durability .

Notably, the Duo abandons Face ID in favour of a Touch ID sensor integrated into the power button—a design choice Apple likely made to reduce bulk and accommodate larger internal components . The device also supports Apple Pencil Pro input and introduces a foldable-optimised iOS 27 experience with Split View for running two apps side by side .

The Duo runs on the same A20 Pro chip as the new Pro models and features dual 48-megapixel rear cameras. Apple rates battery life at up to 44 hours of video playback using the outer display alone .

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max

The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max arrive with prices starting at $1,199 and $1,299 respectively—a $100 increase over their predecessors . Both models feature Apple’s new A20 Pro chip, built on a 2-nanometer process with a dual 16-core Neural Engine that Apple says doubles on-device AI processing power .

The camera system receives a significant upgrade with a 48-megapixel Fusion Main camera featuring variable aperture (f/1.48 to f/4.0), allowing users greater control over depth of field and low-light performance . The Dynamic Island has also been redesigned to display up to three Live Activities simultaneously .

Battery life sees the largest jump in iPhone history, with the Pro Max delivering up to 45 hours of video playback—six more hours than its predecessor . The phones come in black, silver, glacier, and burgundy finishes. Pre-orders begin September 12, with availability from September 18 .

Wearables and Audio

Apple also refreshed its wearable lineup with the Apple Watch Series 12 (799), both featuring a new Health Sensing System powered by the S11 chip . The system measures heart rate every five seconds and heart rate variability every five minutes, while introducing a “readiness” score that combines activity, training load, and sleep data into a daily 0-10 rating with personalised recommendations .

The Ultra 4 offers up to 45 hours of outdoor workout tracking, positioning it for athletes and outdoor enthusiasts .

AirPods 5 rounds out the hardware announcements, adding active noise cancellation to the open-ear design—Apple claims it removes up to 50 percent more external noise than the previous generation . The earbuds also feature Apple Intelligence-powered Live Translation and improved sound quality. Pricing starts at $129, with a wireless charging case version at $149. Both ship September 18 .

A New Era Under Ternus

The event carried particular significance as the first major product keynote for John Ternus, who became Apple CEO on September 1, succeeding Tim Cook after nearly 15 years . Cook transitioned to executive chairman following a planned leadership succession announced in April .

Ternus, 51, previously served as Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, overseeing the design of the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, AirPods, and Vision Pro . Born in 1975, he studied mechanical engineering at the University of Pennsylvania and joined Apple in 2001 as a product design engineer . He was known for his engineering perfectionism—during a 2024 commencement speech, he recalled arguing with a supplier over the number of grooves in screws for his first Apple product, insisting on 25 grooves instead of the supplier’s 35 .

His promotion marked a departure from the pattern set by Cook, who came from an operations background. Ternus’s hardware engineering pedigree signals Apple’s continued emphasis on product design and engineering as it navigates an increasingly AI-driven technology landscape .

With the Duo, Apple enters a foldable market already developed by Samsung, Google, and others—betting that its hardware design, software ecosystem, and brand loyalty can attract consumers willing to pay a premium for the new form factor .