Apple Launches First Foldable iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro

At its Surprise and Shine event on September 9, 2026, Apple Inc. unveiled the iPhone Duo, its first foldable smartphone, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. The event served as the public debut for new CEO John Ternus, who succeeded Tim Cook on September 1. The iPhone Duo features a book-style design with a 5.4-inch outer display and a 7.6-inch inner screen, starting at $1,999. It supports Apple Pencil and multitasking but omits Face ID and a telephoto lens, utilizing a side-mounted Touch ID instead.

The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max introduce the A20 Pro chip, the company's first processor built on a 2nm process, and a first-for-iPhone 48MP main camera with a mechanical variable aperture. These models start at $1,199 and $1,299, respectively, reflecting a $100 price increase attributed to a global memory chip shortage. Apple also introduced the Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4, and AirPods 5, while delaying the base iPhone 18 models until spring 2027.

Software updates include iOS 27, launching September 14, which features a rebuilt, LLM-powered Siri AI developed in collaboration with Google. While the hardware was praised for its build quality, Samsung Mobile US launched a social media campaign mocking the iPhone Duo as reheating leftovers. Apple's new strategy focuses on premiumization to maintain revenue amid a shrinking global smartphone market.