The iPhone Duo was the centerpiece of Apple’s September event, which also introduced the iPhone 18 Pro lineup, new Apple Watch models, AirPods 5 and expanded artificial intelligence features
CUPERTINO, California — Apple officially entered the foldable smartphone market on Wednesday, unveiling the iPhone Duo, the company’s first foldable iPhone and one of the most significant redesigns of its flagship product in years.
The new device was the biggest announcement at Apple’s September 9 event at the Steve Jobs Theater and marked the first major product presentation led by John Ternus as Apple CEO.
The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 in the United States and will be available with 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB of storage in two colors, Star White and Night Sky. Preorders begin October 16, with availability starting October 23.
Apple’s first iPhone that unfolds into a larger screen
The iPhone Duo is roughly the size and shape of a passport when closed.
It features a 5.4-inch outer Super Retina XDR display for conventional smartphone use. Opening the device reveals a 7.6-inch foldable inner display, the largest screen ever offered on an iPhone.
Apple says the Duo is also the company’s thinnest iPhone when opened.
The larger screen is designed for entertainment, gaming and productivity. Users can run multiple app windows simultaneously, and Apple demonstrated applications including video calls and messaging on the expanded display.
The inner screen also features a nano-texture finish designed to reduce glare, reflections and the visibility of the crease.
Apple says support for the Apple Pencil with USB-C will arrive later this year, bringing another feature traditionally associated with the iPad to the iPhone.
Apple redesigns iOS for the foldable format
The hardware is only part of the change.
Apple has adapted iOS 27 to take advantage of the Duo’s two displays, allowing content to transition between the external and internal screens and giving users more options for multitasking.
Both screens use the same aspect ratio, which Apple says allows content to scale proportionally when users open or close the device.
The displays also support ProMotion, Always-On technology and peak outdoor brightness of 3,000 nits.
A20 Pro powers Apple’s new foldable
Inside the Duo is Apple’s new A20 Pro chip, the same processor used in the new iPhone 18 Pro lineup.
Apple says the chip uses a 2-nanometer manufacturing process and delivers major improvements in CPU, graphics and artificial intelligence performance.
Because a foldable phone presents additional challenges for heat and battery placement, Apple developed a new thermal-management system with a custom vapor chamber and a dual-battery architecture.
The company also introduced its C2 cellular modem and N1 wireless networking chip, supporting Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread.
Cameras take advantage of the folding design
The Duo includes a 48-megapixel Fusion Main camera and a 48-megapixel Fusion Ultra Wide camera.
The main camera also provides an optical-quality 2x telephoto option.
Because the device can remain partially folded, users can position it without a separate stand for certain photos, videos and video calls.
Apple also placed a FaceTime camera beneath the inner display. The camera remains hidden when it is not being used, leaving the larger screen uninterrupted.
Apple Intelligence and a new Siri take center stage
Artificial intelligence was another major focus of the event.
Apple positioned the iPhone as a personal AI platform built around privacy, emphasizing that Apple Intelligence performs processing directly on the device whenever possible.
The company also presented an upgraded Siri AI, which Apple says will work with hundreds of thousands of apps at launch.
Siri AI begins rolling out in beta with iOS 27 on September 14 for supported devices set to English, with additional languages, including Portuguese and Spanish, expected in October.
iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max also arrive with higher prices
Apple also unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at $1,299, representing a $100 increase from the starting prices of the previous generation.
Both phones feature the A20 Pro chip and expanded AI capabilities.
Apple also introduced a new Apple Reference Image standard designed to help verify the authenticity of photographs and distinguish them from AI-generated or manipulated images. The feature will not initially be available in the European Union or China.
New Apple Watches put an even greater focus on health
Apple also unveiled the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4.
The company positioned the new watches as major health-focused upgrades, with redesigned sensors that collect heart-rate measurements more frequently and power new fitness and recovery features.
Apple says the new hardware and sensors provide its most accurate heart-rate tracking yet in an Apple wearable.
AirPods 5 start at $129
The new AirPods 5 were another announcement from the event.
The entry-level version starts at $129 and includes active noise cancellation, bringing the feature to Apple’s lower-priced AirPods line.
A $149 version adds wireless charging and on-stem volume controls, allowing users to adjust the volume by swiping directly on the earbud.
The iPhone Duo becomes the biggest announcement
Of everything Apple introduced Wednesday, the iPhone Duo represents the most significant change to the company’s core product.
Apple is entering a category where Samsung, Huawei and other manufacturers have already spent years developing foldable devices. Foldables, however, still account for only a small percentage of the global smartphone market.
Apple’s arrival could change that.
IDC expects foldable smartphone shipments to grow nearly 30% in 2026, while analysts cited by Reuters expect Apple could capture 40% of the foldable market by the end of 2027.
The $1,999 starting price also makes the Duo one of the most expensive iPhones Apple has ever released, but it comes in below some pre-event estimates that suggested Apple’s first foldable could cost more than $2,500.
For Apple, the Duo represents more than another annual iPhone update. It introduces an entirely new form factor to a product that generated $209.6 billion, slightly more than half of the company’s sales in its most recent fiscal year.
Source: Apple, Reuters and Associated Press
