The 2026 hardware event held at the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park marked the end of months of leaks. It was also a transition in leadership: John Ternus stepped onto the stage as Apple’s CEO for the first time, a week after Tim Cook moved to executive chairman following 15 years in the top role.
Apple Intelligence is woven deep into the company’s ecosystem, and Ternus made sure viewers were aware of that fact. There was a great deal to tie it into. The headline act was the iPhone Duo, Apple’s first foldable phone, along with the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, new AirPods, and two new watches.
This rundown covers everything Apple announced, its prices, and the dates for getting it.
The iPhone Duo is finally real
The keynote ended with Apple’s biggest surprise in years: the iPhone Duo, its first foldable phone. Ternus took direct aim at rivals such as Samsung and Motorola, describing their foldables as “two phones stuck together.”.
Apple says the Duo opens to an 7.6-inch inner display and calls it the slimmest iPhone ever made. When closed, it reveals a 5.4-inch outer display that gives just 90 percent of the iPhone 18 Pro’s screen real estate. The two displays use the same shape, so what you see on one carries over smoothly to the other. A rough surface finish is meant to reduce glare and make the fold line less noticeable.
When folded, its dimensions match those of a passport, complete with rounded edges and a single continuous border.
Both the Duo and the Pro models use the same A20 Pro chip inside. The Duo comes with two batteries that Apple claims can provide up to 44 hours of video playback when just the outer display is active. The folding design supports several camera-focused functions, such as Smart Take, an on-device AI feature that captures a photo when it spots subjects posing, and Duo FaceTime, which allows a person standing nearby to join a video call via the outer display and camera.
iOS 27 has been adapted for the device. Controls move to the side of the screen to preserve vertical space, and Split View lets two apps run side by side on an iPhone for the first time.
Apple is selling the iPhone Duo in two colors: Star White and Night Sky. The base price sits at $1,999. People can place their orders starting Oct. 16, with delivery beginning Oct. 23.
iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max get a price hike
The Pro line from Apple comes with something the company calls its “most advanced camera system yet.”. At the center of it sits a 48-megapixel Fusion Main camera that can change its opening size, a first for the iPhone. Six “laser-cut blades” move between four different settings to control how much of the scene stays sharp and how light behaves. A new sensor aims to make low-light shots better and give more detail when several people appear together.
A new “Pro controls” interface lets photographers manually adjust aperture, shutter speed, and white balance, with an onscreen histogram for checking exposure. An API also lets external developers access the aperture range. The phones introduce Apple Reference Image, a feature that captures signed sensor data processed through Apple’s Private Cloud Compute to create an unalterable reference photo alongside the main image. In plainer terms, it is a digital negative that confirms what was in the original shot versus the edited one.
The two devices both depend on the A20 Pro processor, which is made using a 2-nanometer manufacturing method. It carries a 6-core CPU, a 7-core GPU, and a 16-core Neural Engine. According to Apple, its AI processing capacity doubles that of the earlier A19 Pro model. The Dynamic Island has also been altered so that it can show up to three Live Activities simultaneously.
Battery life sees a notable jump, especially on the Pro Max. Apple says it can deliver up to 45 hours of video playback in eSIM-only configuration, what Apple calls the largest battery-life increase in iPhone history. The phones also introduce Apple’s next-generation C2 cellular modem, which the company says delivers faster uploads than its predecessor while using 15 percent less power.
The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max come in black, silver, glacier, and a “dangerously chic” burgundy. Cosmic Orange is gone. Both phones get a $100 price hike, starting at $1,199 and $1,299, respectively. Pre-orders begin Sept. 12, with availability starting Sept. 18.
AirPods 5 improve noise cancellation and add translation
The 5th-generation AirPods are here with Active Noise Cancellation. Apple says the feature removes up to 50 percent more external noise than AirPods 4 with ANC. A new multiport acoustic architecture and an updated Adaptive EQ are designed to improve sound quality.
The intelligence built into Apple’s Live Translation can turn spoken conversation into a voice speaking in another language, so listeners can understand what is being said even when they do not share the same tongue.
The standard AirPods 5 are priced at $129. A version with a wireless charging case, longer battery life, and on-stem volume control is priced at $149. Both are available for pre-order now and will ship on Sept. 18.
Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 get new health sensors
The company refreshed its watch lineup at both ends, and each model now carries the same Health Sensing System. Apple claims this system delivers the most accurate heart rate sensing of any wearable.
Both models run on the new S11 chip, which keeps a constant watch on your pulse every 5 seconds all through the day.
The hard numbers at a glance
- iPhone Duo: $1,999, Star White and Night Sky. Pre-orders Oct. 16, ships Oct. 23.
- iPhone 18 Pro: starts at $1,199. Pre-orders Sept. 12, available Sept. 18.
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: starts at $1,299. Pre-orders Sept. 12, available Sept. 18.
- iPhone 18 Pro Max battery: up to 45 hours of video playback in eSIM-only configuration.
- iPhone Duo battery: up to 44 hours of video playback on the outer display alone.
- AirPods 5: $129; with wireless charging case, $149. Ships Sept. 18.
- New colors: black, silver, glacier, burgundy. Cosmic Orange discontinued.
What to make of Ternus’s first keynote
Proving that Apple can still surprise was Ternus’s clear mission. The iPhone Duo delivers on that promise. It represents a genuine new shape, costing more than usual yet presented as a real camera and multitasking device rather than a simple curiosity.
The Pro handsets opt for a more cautious approach. The variable aperture and manual controls represent real upgrades for photographers, while the battery improvements mark what Apple describes as its largest ever. The $100 price increase is the sort of move that will put brand loyalty to the test.
Both the AirPods and Watch updates are modest improvements rather than major ones. The noise cancellation is better and the heart rate sensing is more accurate, and those are positive changes, yet they do not carry enough weight to move the market on their own.
Whether the Duo can win over doubters remains the real issue. Ternus took his shots at Samsung and Motorola, but the foldable market has been around for years. More than just thin and clever will be needed from Apple’s version.
It might just be.
Source: mashable.com
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.