Apple Launches iPhone 18 Pro and First Foldable Duo

Apple unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, introducing a mechanical variable aperture camera system. The main lens uses six laser-cut blades to adjust between four settings, ranging from f/1.48 for low light to f/4.0 for increased depth of field. The devices are powered by the A20 Pro chip, which the company claims is 40 percent faster than the A19 Pro, and feature next-gen vapour cooling and 60W fast charging.

The Pro models feature a new hardware design that embeds the Face ID module beneath the display. To enable infrared light transmission, engineers reduced pixel density over the module by half and increased pixel brightness to compensate. This change reduces the size of the Dynamic Island, allowing the Pro Max's 6.9-inch display to support three Live activities. Analysis by iFixit confirmed the reduced pixel density via microscopy.

Alongside the Pro series, Apple introduced the iPhone Duo, its first foldable smartphone, while opting not to launch an entry-level iPhone 18. The iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at ₹1,79,900, a 20 percent price increase over its predecessor. To support the new hardware, Apple released version 2.4 of the Final Cut Camera app for iOS 27, adding shutter and aperture priority modes.

Following the September 14 launch of iOS 27, Apple released the iOS 27.0.1 update on September 28. This update addressed critical bugs including unexpected restarts after failed Face ID authentication, touchscreen responsiveness issues, and camera color artifacts occurring at f/1.48 aperture during 2x zoom.