Apple Event Recap: Foldable 'iPhone Duo', Next-Gen 18 Series, Air Pods 5, Revamped Siri & More

The much-anticipated iPhone was unveiled at the Apple 'Surprise and Shine' event, and its starting price was confirmed as $1,999. Customers in over 70 countries, including India and the US, can begin placing pre-orders for the tech giant's inaugural foldable on Oct. 16.

Official retail sales and widespread availability are slated to commence a week later, on Oct. 23, with the device offered in up to 2TB storage capacities and two mirror-polished titanium finishes: star white and night sky.

Read more: iPhone Duo Launched: Check Price, Features, Pre-Order Dates Of Apple's First Foldable

The iPhone Duo offers up to 24 hours of battery life when both displays are used equally. Its two separate batteries, one on each side of the device, operate as a single battery system.

Apple claims up to 31 hours of video playback on the inner display and up to 44 hours on the outer display.

The iPhone Duo is eSIM-only worldwide. It supports fast charging, reaching up to 50% in around 20 minutes. A five-minute charge can provide up to five hours of video playback on the outer display.

The iPhone Duo got a new FaceTime camera on the inner display that works when the phone is fully open or propped up on a surface. It also supports Dual Capture, allowing users to record scenes from both the front and rear cameras simultaneously.

The outer display features a 12MP Center Stage front camera, while the rear camera setup includes a 48MP Fusion ultrawide camera carried over from the iPhone 18 Pro.

The foldable design enables hands-free photography features, including 4K Dolby Vision HDR time-lapse recording. Users can also preview selfies on the outer display before taking a shot.

A new Smart Take feature tracks the scene and automatically captures a photo when everyone is ready, eliminating the need for a timer. The display can also play animations to help get a child's attention towards the camera.

Duo FaceTime allows another person nearby to join a video call through the outer display.

The iPhone Duo will start at $1,999 for 256GB of storage, with configurations available up to 2TB.

Preorders begin Oct. 16, with the iPhone Duo going on sale from Oct. 23. Apple also said it will offer trade-in deals.

The iPhone Duo features Apple's new C2 cellular modem, which is up to 50% faster than the previous-generation C1X and uses up to 15% less battery. The C2 also adds 5G mmWave support in the US.

Apple says the iPhone Duo delivers up to 35% higher sustained performance than the iPhone 17 Pro.

The foldable uses a multi-layer display structure with carbon fibre support plates, a titanium plate and precision components designed to keep the display flat and durable. A new nano-texture finish reduces glare and reflections.

The iPhone Duo also gets a new StandBy mode with widgets for music, calendar and weather.

The iPhone Duo features a 7.6-inch Super Retina XDR inner display, which Apple says is 50% larger than the iPhone 18 Pro Max display. Its 5.4-inch outer display offers 90% of the screen area of the iPhone 18 Pro.

The foldable iPhone supports running two apps simultaneously, while users can also launch the same app twice and pair apps for quick access later.

Touch ID is integrated into the side button, while the device can also be unlocked using an Apple Watch. It comes in Star White and Night Sky, with IP68 water and dust resistance.

Apple Pencil support for both displays is coming later this year.

Apple announced its first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, featuring an outer and inner display designed for both landscape and portrait use.

The device has a titanium frame with a precision-machined, polished finish. When unfolded, Apple says it is the thinnest iPhone ever, with key components packed into the camera plateau.

The software automatically transitions between the outer and inner displays as the device is opened and closed. Apple has also redesigned iOS for the foldable form factor, including a vertically oriented Home Screen dock and a more compact status bar.

The iPhone Duo also moves essential controls to the side for easier access and can automatically reorient the interface as the device is folded or rotated.

Apple is introducing new Audio Intelligence features for the Apple Watch, using its built-in microphones to process sounds and conversations.

The Apple Watch will use Sound Recognition to identify sounds such as alarms, doorbells and a crying baby, with the feature aimed in part at users who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Apple is also introducing Siri Recap, which can help users remember key moments from daily conversations. A new Live Rewind feature lets users go back 15 seconds and view a transcription of what was just said.

Apple said audio intelligence features are processed privately, with recordings not stored or accessible. Speaker identities are not identified and syncing is end-to-end encrypted.

Apple announced a new Health Sensing System for the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4, designed to improve health data captured from the wrist.

The system features more electrodes for improved skin readings, ring-shaped photodiodes for more efficient light capture and redesigned LEDs for continuous tracking.

Apple is also introducing a Readiness score, which provides a single measure of how prepared users are for the day and updates throughout the day.

Apple announced the AirPods 5 with upgraded Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), offering 50% more noise reduction than the previous generation.

The new AirPods can automatically switch between listening modes based on feedback from the surrounding environment. The Transparency mode is also designed to let important external sounds, including announcements, pass through while audio is playing.

The AirPods 5 will be available for preorder from September 18 at a starting price of $129, with an advanced version retailing for $149.

Apple is introducing a system known as 'Apple Reference Image' that identifies AI-generated or altered photos by adding a digital signature to images when they are captured. An original reference version is saved alongside the editable photo in the Photos app, allowing users to verify what was actually captured.

The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at $1,299. Preorders begin Sept. 12, with sales starting Sept. 18.

Users can now change the aperture of the iPhone 18 Pro's 48-MP primary camera using a variable aperture, which changes the game when it comes to controlling depth of field and ligthing of the footage captured.

Apple is adding Pro Controls to the Camera app on the iPhone 18 Pro, allowing users to manually adjust settings such as shutter speed and ISO without a third-party app.

The controls also work for video, giving users more control over shutter speed for a cinematic look.

The iPhone 18 Pro also automatically adjusts while taking photos. Users who prefer manual control can adjust the aperture and shutter speed themselves through Pro Controls.

The iPhone 18 Pro is smaller than its previous iteration but offers battery life of up to 24 hours per charge, according to Apple.

The iPhone 18 Pro Max delivers up to 30 hours of battery life, which Apple describes as the biggest increase in battery life ever offered on an iPhone.

Wireless charging has also been upgraded, with both models able to reach 50% charge in 15 minutes.

Apple has unveiled its new A20 Pro chip for the iPhone 18 Pro lineup, built using a 2-nanometre process and featuring a six-core CPU, seven-core GPU and 32-core Neural Engine.

The company says the chip delivers a 50% increase in memory bandwidth and 40% faster graphics performance. Apple has also redesigned the silicon package and connected it directly to the device's vapour chamber to improve thermal performance during intensive workloads.

The A20 Pro can run large language models on-device and features two neural engines with 32 cores in total. Apple says it also has the widest memory interface ever shipped in an iPhone.

Apple is opening its Apple Intelligence push with a revamped Siri, highlighting its ability to understand users’ personal context across apps such as Mail and Messages.

The company says Siri can take actions within apps, including third-party apps, allowing users to complete multiple tasks through a single request. Siri is also integrated into the iPhone camera, where users can ask questions or perform actions such as adding multiple events to their calendar.

Apple says users can have richer conversations with Siri through voice or typing across the iPhone, as well as through a new dedicated Siri app on the home screen.

The new Siri is powered by Apple’s most advanced on-device model yet, enabling more expressive voices. Users can choose from multiple voice options and customise the pace and expressiveness of Siri’s responses.

The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max will be available in deep black, silver, “glacier” and burgundy, with colour-matched back glass. Both models are powered by Apple’s new A20 Pro chip and are claimed to offer the longest battery life ever seen on an iPhone.

Apple CEO John Ternus stressed privacy and personal context as key pillars of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max experience.

Speaking at Apple Park, Ternus described a new “intelligent personal hub” as sitting at the intersection of broad new capabilities and a deep understanding of users’ personal context.

Ternus contrasted Apple’s approach with AI systems that send users’ personal data to external servers, saying: “They move it to their servers and ask it to trust them.”

He said Apple Intelligence is designed to run on-device, while Private Cloud Compute extends Apple’s privacy protections when cloud processing is required.

“It’s personal intelligence that is actually personal,” Ternus said.

Apple is also highlighting a more capable and personalised Siri, alongside features including live translation and new health capabilities.

Apple's online store has gone offline ahead of today's "Surprise and Shine" event, a familiar signal that new products are close to launch. The keynote begins at 10 am Pacific Time, or 10:30 pm IST, marking the first major event under new CEO John Ternus, who took over the role on Sept. 1.

Read More: Apple Store Down Ahead Of 'Surprise And Shine' Event As iPhone 18 Pro Launch Nears

The foldable device could also become Apple's most expensive iPhone yet. IDC projects an average selling price above $2,550, or roughly Rs 2.1 lakh, with top storage variants potentially crossing $3,000, or around Rs 2.5 lakh.

Read More: iPhone Ultra Could Cost Over Rs 2 Lakh: Why Apple's Foldable May Come At A Premium

In 2020, Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook returned from a trip to Asia with a renewed interest in foldable phones as a potential new product category.

During visits to China and other parts of the region, Cook saw consumers increasingly using foldable devices from Samsung Electronics Co., Huawei Technologies Co. and other smartphone makers. Coincidentally, the firm's development team had been studying this technology for years before the former CEO spotted the opportunity.

Read More: Apple's $2,000-Plus Foldable iPhone Was A Decade In The Making

Reports suggest that Apple will introduce only its premium models in September, while the standard iPhone 18, iPhone 18e and a second-generation iPhone Air could arrive in spring 2027. Here is everything that is expected from the three premium iPhones: 

iPhone 18 Series Launch Today: Expected Price, Camera, Display, Battery And Other Details

While Apple has not confirmed the models or their specifications, reports and leaks have pointed to 10 major upgrades across performance, cameras, battery, display, connectivity and design.

These include a new A20 chip, variable-aperture main camera, improved telephoto camera and stacked camera sensor, among others.

Read More: Apple Event 2026: 10 Biggest iPhone 18 Pro Upgrades Expected To Be Announced

Apple is also expected to adapt iOS 27 for the larger foldable display. Reports have pointed to improved app scaling, multitasking features and support for side-by-side apps similar to those available on the iPad.

The software could also include display modes designed for different folding angles, although Apple has not confirmed any foldable-specific features.

Read More: Thinnest iPhone Ever? Five Key Things Speculated About Apple's 'Passport-Sized' Foldable

Apple's watchOS 27 is expected to be unveiled alongside the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 at the company's "Surprise and Shine" event, and a new leak suggests the update could bring a long-requested upgrade to the Workout app's strength-training capabilities.

Read More: Apple Watch Could Soon Track Every Set, Rep And Weight In Your Workout

With the announcement of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, consumers are likely to anticipate a price cut in their existing iPhone models which would be older by comparison, such as the iPhone 17 series. 

This may not be the case this time, due to key factors as enumerated below:

Apple Event 2026: Three Reasons Why An iPhone 17 Price Cut Is Highly Unlikely Today

Apple is expected to introduce the A20 Pro chip alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max at its September 9 "Surprise and Shine" event.

The chip is tipped to be the first Apple smartphone processor manufactured on TSMC's 2nm process, a shift expected to bring meaningful improvements in speed, efficiency and AI performance compared to the current A19 Pro.

Read More: More Power, Less Heat: Why A20 Pro-Powered iPhone 18 Pro May Steal The Show At Apple Event

Apple's 'Surprise And Shine' event livestream will begin at 10:30 PM IST on Sept. 9 as per the firm's India website.

Tune into the livestream using the link below:

The book-style device is expected to feature a large internal display and could start at around $2,000, making it one of the most expensive mainstream iPhones ever.

Gurman's latest report, released ahead of Apple's “Surprise and Shine” event, says the iPhone Duo could start with 256GB of storage. A top-end version is reportedly expected to cost close to $3,000 and offer as much as 2TB of storage.

Read More:  'iPhone Duo': Name, Price, Features Of Apple's First Foldable 'Leaked' Ahead Of Launch

According to MacWorld, citing a source familiar with Apple's plans, the iPhone Duo (formerly thought to be the iPhone Ultra) could adopt a book-style folding design. When unfolded, the device is expected to offer a landscape-oriented display roughly comparable in size to an iPad mini.

MacWorld reported that the phone could feature a 7.7- to 7.8-inch inner display and a 5.3- to 5.5-inch outer screen, along with four cameras.

The foldable design could also come with some compromises. MacWorld expects the device to lack Face ID because of differences in the front-facing camera setup between its folded and unfolded states.

Read More: Foldable iPhone To 18 Pro Max: Six Key Apple Launches Expected At Today's Event