Apple has entered the increasingly competitive foldable smartphone market with the launch of the iPhone Duo, a major redesign that marks one of the company’s most significant changes to the iPhone line in years.
The unveiling came alongside the new iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, as well as updated Apple Watch and AirPods models, giving investors and consumers an early indication of how newly appointed Chief Executive John Ternus plans to position Apple in an increasingly artificial intelligence-driven technology industry.
The iPhone Duo is Apple’s most ambitious new smartphone design in years. Built around a book-style, passport-shaped design, the device opens to reveal a 7.6-inch display, while a 5.4-inch outer screen allows it to be used when folded.
Apple said the larger internal display is designed to improve multitasking, allowing users to keep two applications open simultaneously.
At the heart of the device is Apple's new A20 Pro chip, manufactured using a 2-nanometre process. The company said the processor, combined with a vapor-chamber cooling system, is designed to deliver improvements in on-device artificial intelligence, graphics performance and battery efficiency.
The Duo also comes with Apple's latest C2 modem, support for Apple Pencil and Touch ID built into the side button.
Apple described the device as its thinnest iPhone when fully opened, underscoring the company's attempt to combine the large-screen experience of a tablet with the portability of a conventional smartphone.
But that innovation comes at a premium.
The iPhone Duo will start at $1,999, approximately $100 more than comparable base-storage versions of Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold8 and Google's Pixel 11 Pro Fold.
Apple is, however, offering as much as 2 terabytes of storage, giving the Duo a capacity that is not available on the competing foldable models.
Pre-orders for the device will begin on October 16, with sales scheduled to start on October 23.
Pro models become more expensive
Apple also increased the price of its flagship Pro smartphones, with the iPhone 18 Pro starting at $1,199 and the iPhone 18 Pro Max at $1,299.
The $100 increase comes as memory chip costs rise, adding pressure to the company's premium hardware business.
Both Pro models are powered by the A20 Pro processor and feature a new 48-megapixel main camera equipped with a variable-aperture system.
The technology automatically adjusts the camera's aperture according to lighting conditions and gives users greater control over depth of field and low-light photography.
Apple also introduced Apple Reference Image, a photo-authentication standard intended to provide greater information about the origins and authenticity of images.
The company added support for SynthID, a technology designed to help identify images generated or edited using artificial intelligence.
Those image-related features, however, will not be available in the European Union or China, according to Apple.
AI and privacy take centre stage
For Ternus, the event also provided an opportunity to define Apple's approach to artificial intelligence.
In his first Apple product event as chief executive, Ternus positioned privacy as a central advantage for the company as technology firms compete to build increasingly powerful AI systems into consumer devices.
He described the iPhone as an "intelligent personal hub", with Apple seeking to perform AI processing directly on users' devices whenever possible rather than relying entirely on cloud-based systems.
Apple said cloud processing would be used only when additional computing power is required, with privacy protections provided through its Private Cloud Compute system.
Siri is also set for a more prominent role in Apple's AI strategy.
The company said its AI-powered Siri will work with more than 300,000 applications at launch and will be capable of carrying out actions across both Apple's own applications and third-party software.
The broader strategy reflects Apple's attempt to make AI a practical part of everyday device use rather than presenting it solely as a behind-the-scenes technology.
Apple Watch gets health and AI upgrades
Apple also unveiled the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4, both featuring a redesigned health-sensing system and the new S11 chip.
The Apple Watch Series 12 will start at $399, while the Ultra 4 will begin at $799.
Among the new features is a Readiness score, designed to provide users with an indication of their preparedness for activity based on health and fitness data.
The company also announced more frequent heart-rate monitoring, health insights powered by Apple Intelligence and new audio intelligence features, including Live Rewind and Siri Recap.
The additions reinforce Apple's growing emphasis on health monitoring and AI-assisted personal services as part of its broader ecosystem strategy.
AirPods bring noise cancellation to entry-level range
Apple rounded out the hardware announcements with a new generation of AirPods, starting at $129.
For the first time, active noise cancellation will be available on Apple's entry-level earbuds, bringing a feature previously associated with more expensive models into the lower end of the AirPods range.
A $149 version adds wireless charging and volume controls integrated into the stem. Users will be able to adjust the volume by swiping up or down on the stem.
Taken together, the product announcements show Apple pursuing several fronts at once: entering the foldable smartphone market, increasing the capabilities and prices of its premium iPhones, and embedding artificial intelligence more deeply across its hardware ecosystem.
The iPhone Duo, in particular, represents a significant strategic bet. At $1,999, Apple is asking consumers to pay a premium for a new form factor at a time when rivals have already spent years refining foldable devices.
The success of the Duo could therefore become an important early test of Ternus' leadership and Apple's ability to translate its enormous ecosystem, hardware expertise and privacy-focused AI strategy into the next phase of the smartphone market.