Apple Debuts Foldable iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro at John Ternus's First Event as CEO

Apple used its "Surprise and Shine" event on Wednesday to introduce its first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4, and AirPods 5.

It was also the first September keynote led by John Ternus, who became Apple's chief executive on September 1, succeeding Tim Cook. The prerecorded presentation ran for just over an hour and streamed on Apple's website, on YouTube, and in the company's TV app.

A cinematic handoff to a new CEO

The keynote opened not with a product but a cinematic series of events with a cameo. After a cinematic sequence that traveled up the California coast and followed a car into a tunnel, the camera landed on Cook, who waved off the idea that he would be presenting. "That's your guy. That's your opener," he said, pointing the way to Ternus.

It was a notable moment because Apple's September events have been fronted by Cook for more than a decade. Cook stepped down as CEO on September 1 and moved into the role of executive chairman, an arrangement Apple's board approved earlier in the year and announced in April.

Ternus, who joined Apple in 2001 and spent years running hardware engineering, took over the top job, with Johny Srouji stepping into an expanded role over hardware.

The video did not change the title, since that transition was already official. What it did was introduce Ternus to a mass audience as the public face of Apple's next era, and it did so on the same day the company revealed its most significant new iPhone in years.

iPhone Duo: Apple's first foldable

The iPhone Duo is a book style foldable that opens from a compact phone into a display Apple says is the largest ever fitted to an iPhone.

Closed, it runs on a 5.4 inch outer screen. Opened, it reveals a 7.6 inch inner Super Retina XDR panel with a nano texture finish that Apple says reduces glare and minimizes the visible crease. Both displays carry a 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate, Always On functionality, and up to 3,000 nits of peak outdoor brightness.

Apple says the opened Duo is the thinnest iPhone it has ever made. The frame and hinge are Grade 5 titanium, and Ceramic Shield covers the front and back. The device swaps Face ID for a Touch ID sensor in the side button, and it can also be unlocked with an Apple Watch.

Inside is the new A20 Pro chip, paired with Apple's in house C2 modem, which the company says is faster and more efficient than the C1X. A dual battery system, with one cell in each half, is rated at up to 24 hours of typical use. The Duo is eSIM only worldwide and carries an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance.

For photography, the Duo uses a 48MP Dual Fusion system, combining a 48MP main camera and a 48MP ultra wide. There is no dedicated telephoto lens and no variable aperture, both of which remain exclusive to the Pro models. The outer display enables a set of foldable specific camera features, including a live preview for the person being photographed and the ability to show both cameras during a FaceTime call. Notably, the Duo does not include an Action button, and Apple Pencil support, limited to the USB-C model, is due later in the year.

The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 for 256GB and comes in two finishes, Star White and Night Sky. Preorders begin October 16, with the phone going on sale October 23.

iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max

The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max keep the familiar slab shape but move to the A20 Pro, which Apple is billing as the first smartphone chip built on a 2nm process. Apple also redesigned the internal vapor chamber, which the company says roughly triples the cooling surface area for sustained performance.

The headline camera change is a variable aperture main lens, which uses physical aperture blades and now appears on both Pro models rather than the larger one alone. The update arrives with manual aperture and shutter speed controls, new texture and grain options in Photographic Styles, and a feature Apple calls Apple Reference Image, aimed at verifying photo authenticity. The Dynamic Island has been slimmed down and can now display up to three Live Activities at once.

Battery life is a selling point on the larger model. Apple says the iPhone 18 Pro Max delivers the longest battery life of any iPhone, rated at up to 45 hours of video playback. The Pro models come in four new colors, with reports pointing to shades including Burgundy and Glacier.

Pricing rises $100 year over year, with the iPhone 18 Pro starting at $1,199 and the iPhone 18 Pro Max at $1,299, both at 256GB.

Buyers who want 1TB of storage will pay considerably more.

Preorders open Saturday, September 12 at 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time, with both models launching September 18.

Apple has discontinued the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.

There is no standard iPhone 18 this fall. Apple is holding the more affordable models until spring 2027, breaking the single September launch it has run for years.

Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4

The Apple Watch Series 12 moves to the S11 chip and adds an upgraded health sensing system, along with new finishes that include ceramic. The Apple Watch Ultra 4 gains a two day battery life and the same health tracking improvements.

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Across both models, Apple introduced a set of new health and fitness capabilities, including more accurate heart rate sensing, high frequency heart rate tracking, daytime heart rate variability data, and a readiness score meant to help users decide whether to train or recover. The two watches also debut a trio of features Apple is grouping under the name Audio Intelligence, plus a wave of new bands.

The Series 12 starts at $399 and the Ultra 4 at $799.

Both are available to preorder now.

AirPods 5

AirPods 5 bring stronger Active Noise Cancellation and improved audio quality. In a change to how Apple tiers the lineup, ANC is now standard across both variants, while the more expensive version instead reserves wireless charging for its case.

Software and the new Siri

Apple confirmed that iOS 27 will be released to all users on Monday, September 14, and seeded release candidate builds of iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS Golden Gate, watchOS 27, visionOS 27, and tvOS 27 to developers.

The software centerpiece is the revamped, Apple Intelligence powered Siri, which the company introduced at WWDC in June. In the fine print, Apple noted that the new assistant carries daily usage limits, with expanded access available for a fee.

Everything else worth noting

Apple made several quieter announcements alongside the hardware. The company raised prices on the iPhone 16, iPhone 17, iPhone Air, and iPhone 17e, citing higher memory and storage costs. It extended free satellite access for iPhone 14, 15, and 16 owners, and introduced an AppleCare One family plan covering up to six people.

Not everything rumored made the cut. Apple did not announce new Macs, iPads, or a long anticipated home hub at the event, leaving the door open for a second launch later in the fall.

Preorders for the Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4, and AirPods 5 are live now.

The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max follow on September 12 ahead of a September 18 release, and the iPhone Duo arrives last, with preorders on October 16 and a launch on October 23.