Apple's tech event, held at its Cupertino, California, headquarters on Sept. 9, was entitled "Surprise and Shine."
While the tech behemoth may not have surprised followers, it appeared to shine. Many tech analysts were wowed by the new foldable iPhone Duo, even though rumors of its debut had circulated online and among outlets days before the event.
While hosting his first major tech event for Apple, new CEO John Ternus, who took over the role Sept. 1 from longtime CEO Tim Cook, stressed how the tech giant's design prowess would help the iPhone Duo win over consumers.
The passport-sized iPhone Duo fits comfortably in your pocket and palm of your hand, he said.
"Others have created foldables that just feel like two phones awkwardly stuck together," Ternus added. "We brought together thoughtful design with breakthrough engineering in a way only Apple can. The result is a series of remarkable innovations that we believe will redefine the experience of using a foldable phone."
The iPhone Duo was unveiled Sept. 9, 2026 by Apple.
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The star of the event was Apple's new foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo. When describing the Duo, Molly Anderson, Apple's vice president of industrial design, said the phone was "unlike any iPhone you've experienced before."
"It's entirely new, and at the same time, remarkably familiar. A similar size to your passport, it feels familiar to hold and comfortable to use with one hand," Anderson said. "Its distinctive asymmetric shape, with two rounded corners, invites you to open it."
For the record, competitors have beaten Apple to market, with Samsung's Galaxy Fold devices first selling in the United States in 2019.
But Apple prides itself on dominating by design. The device has a 5.4-inch outer display and, when opened, reveals a 7.6-inch inner display, making it the largest iPhone screen to date. The iPhone Duo will be available in different memory capacities from 256 GB to 2 terabytes. It will initially be available in two colors: Star White and Night Sky.
The passport-sized and -shaped Duo has rounded edges and opens into a horizontal 7.6-inch diagonal screen that can also be viewed vertically. A smaller single screen is on the front of the phone when the device is folded.
You can use the iPhone Duo in many ways, thanks to its dual camera system, which, like the iPhone 17, has both the ultra-wide and main back cameras coming in at 48 megapixels. Its camera has "zero-shutter lag," which supports 4K 120 video and captures time lapses in 4K and Dolby Vision HDR.
The Duo has speakers on the top and bottom and can sit PC-style, be propped up like a tent and be held fully open like an iPad. The inner display also has a FaceTime camera for video chatting when the phone is opened or propped up. When opened to the full display, you can use different apps on each screen and run them side by side, or combine them for one larger viewing display.
Tried to show any signs of a crease and you can't see it. Only from a specific angle is there a hint. Can sort of feel it but barely.
Very good execution on the hinge / crease. pic.twitter.com/ZpdeAymIas
— Ben Bajarin (@BenBajarin) September 9, 2026
Like the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models, the Duo uses the new A20 Pro chip, which performs quickly, especially when running AI-powered features. The device has two built-in batteries, which together deliver all-day battery life.
Apple stressed the iPhone Duo's durability, its titanium makeup and the 100-plus components used to create the hinge. According to Apple, the Duo is crafted from "grade-five titanium" that offers incredible spring, and the central structural plane is reinforced with support ribs for "added stiffness."
Ben Bajarin, with market research firm Creative Strategies, got some hands-on time after the presentation. Bajarin held up the device in a video to "show any signs of a crease," in a post on X. "Very good execution on the hinge/crease," he said.
"The new foldable iPhone Duo is sick. No seam. Ultra thin. 50% larger screen than Pro Max," Gene Munster, a co-founder at Deepwater Asset Management, said in a post on X. "My take: They're going to sell more than I thought before seeing it. I was thinking it would account for 5% of iPhone revenue in FY27. Now I think likely going to be 10%."
You can preorder the iPhone Duo starting Oct. 16; however, the new phone won't officially hit shelves until the week after, on Oct. 23. The iPhone Duo's price starts at $1,999, with storage capacities ranging from 256 GB to 2 TB.
Apple said it designed "some amazing accessories" for the iPhone Duo, including an integrated kickstand and a two-part case that wraps around each half to protect against drops and everyday wear.
Apple did not show an entire line of new iPhones, but it did debut the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max smartphones.
The new phones will be available for pre-order Sept. 12 and will hit stores Sept. 18. The iPhone 18 Pro, which has a 6.3-inch display, will start at $1,199 for the 256 GB model; the Pro Max, which has a 6.9-inch display, will start at $1,299 for the 256 GB model. Colors include Black, Burgundy, Glacier and Silver.
With the iPhone 17 Pro, Apple caught customers' eyes with a Cosmic Orange color. "With the stunning new Burgundy, Apple has done it again," said Nabila Popal, senior director for tech market research firm IDC, in a statement. "This is by far my all-time favorite color from Apple, and IMO this might be an even bigger driver than the 'Hermes' orange. I am super curious to see what nickname this fetches from Chinese consumers."
The new iPhone 18 Pro models are powered by a new A20 Pro smartphone processing chip, designed to handle an expected higher use of artificial intelligence across iPhone apps. The iPhone 18 Pro models also promise longer battery life — 36 hours of video playback for the iPhone Pro and 45 hours for the iPhone Pro Max.
The iPhone 18 Pro's new 48-megapixel Fusion main camera has a physical aperture made of six laser-cut blades thinner than a human hair, Apple said. The aperture adjusts automatically between well-lit and night mode images.
"Being able to change the aperture provides more control for light intake and depth of field," said Kaiann Drance, Apple's vice president of iPhone marketing. "When you're in a darker environment, the aperture opens to let in around 50% more light."
The iPhone 18 Pro was unveiled by Apple on Sept. 9, 2026.
The tech juggernaut unveiled two new Apple Watch products: the Apple Watch Ultra 4 and Apple Watch Series 12. Apple has also partnered with luxury brand Hermès to release watches with custom faces and bands.
Here are the details on the new products:
Apple Watch Series 12 (starts at $399). Its new Health Sensing System promises improved accuracy for higher-frequency heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV) measurements. Available in dark bronze, black, light gold and space gray aluminum; radiant gold and natural titanium; and pearl white and night blue. Available for pre-order Sept. 9, with in-store availability beginning Sept. 18
Apple Watch Ultra 4 (starts at $799) delivers extended battery life for outdoor and adventure activity — up to 45 hours — and what Apple touts as the most accurate on-device GPS. The watch also uses the new Health Sensing System. Available in natural and black titanium. Pre-orders start Sept. 9, with in-store availability beginning Sept. 18.
Both models can also use Apple Intelligence and its Audio Intelligence features to summarize a recent conversation. If you turn on Siri's Recap feature, you will find an automatically generated title and summary of key points.
Similarly, you can also rewind the previous 15 seconds of a conversation. Tap the watch's Digital Crown twice to hear the clip. You can ask Siri to provide context or save it to the Siri App to review later.
Apple's new AirPods 5 ($129) come with active noise cancellation; the $149 model adds a wireless charging case. Both are available for pre-order now; in-store availability begins Sept. 18.
The company said in its presentation that they have "a new multi-port acoustic architecture and next-generation adaptive EQ AirPods 5 deliver richer, more detailed sound across a wider range of ear geometries."
Some additional features will come on board with Siri AI, which will be in iOS 27 (out Sept. 14). Using With Siri Interactions on AirPods, users can nod their head to indicate "yes" or "no" answers. AirPods will also use Apple Intelligence to live translate selected languages.
The pricing of the iPhone Duo and Apple's other new devices was reasonable and below what many tech soothsayers had predicted.
The iPhone Duo's starting price came in below the expected $2,499, and the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models' price tags were $100 higher than the previous models at launch, said Tom Mainelli, group vice president for tech market research firm IDC, in a statement. (Note: Apple did raise prices on its current phones due to rising demand for memory and storage chips. For instance, an iPhone 17 now starts at $899, up from $799, while an iPhone 16 is $799, up from $699, MacRumors and Macworld reported.)
Apple's ability to keep prices relatively in check was "impressive," Mainelli said. And Apple talked a lot about AI, but its Siri AI will remain in beta beyond the release of iOS 27, which arrives Sept. 14.
With artificial intelligence becoming a hot-button issue, "Apple slow-rolling Siri AI may prove to be the right call long term," he said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Apple unveils new foldable iPhone Duo, plus iPhone 18 Pro models