Apple has unveiled the Duo, its first foldable phone and the most dramatic redesign of the company’s flagship device in years.
Shaped like a passport with softly rounded edges, the Duo opens to reveal a broad horizontal display that can also be used vertically.
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When closed, the device features a smaller single screen on its front. Apple said the Duo becomes its thinnest phone when fully opened.
The launch marked the first major iPhone event led by new CEO John Ternus and represents Apple’s most significant change to its flagship product since the physical home button disappeared with the iPhone X in 2017.
Former CEO Tim Cook formally passed the presentation to Mr Ternus through a video on how to begin the event. The clip ended with a close-up of Mr Cook saying, “Not me. That’s your guy,” while pointing back toward Mr Ternus.
Mr Ternus presented the iPhone as a privacy-focused personal AI hub, contrasting Apple’s approach with companies he said wanted to gather and retain users’ personal information.
“Honestly, trust only goes so far when your data is no longer yours to control,” he said. “That’s why Apple Intelligence runs on device whenever it can.”
John Ternus took over from Tim Cook as the CEO of Apple
Lilian Rincon, Apple’s executive responsible for iPhone AI products after joining the company from Google earlier this year, outlined an upgraded Siri assistant that will work with 300,000 apps when it launches.
Apple executives also introduced the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, the newest additions to its familiar smartphone range and devices that retain a conventional, non-folding design.
The iPhone 18 Pro will start at $1,199, while the Pro Max will begin at $1,299 — a $100 increase over the starting prices of the 17 Pro and Pro Max.
The company also announced a tool designed to respond to mounting concerns about images generated or altered by artificial intelligence.
Apple said its new “Apple Reference Image” standard will help verify the authenticity of pictures captured with the iPhone 18 Pro cameras. The phones will also support SynthID, an emerging system for identifying images created or modified using AI.
Apple Reference Image will not be offered in the EU or China.
The iPhone 18 Pro will be powered by the new A20 Pro chip, which includes upgrades intended to help advanced AI models operate directly on the handset.
“Apple Intelligence and Siri are front and centre. Apple is using its biggest strength, the sheer scale of its hardware base, to make AI an integral part of the everyday experience across devices,” PP Foresight analyst Paolo Pescatore said. Shares fell about 1% during the presentation.
Apple said a new AirPods model would debut at $129 with noise cancellation, marking the first time the feature has been included in its budget earbuds. A $149 model will add features including wireless charging and volume controls built into the stem, allowing users to raise or lower the sound by swiping up or down.
The company also unveiled the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4, describing both as substantial upgrades centered on health and fitness.
The watches feature a redesigned sensor system that measures heart rate more often and supports new tools for assessing recovery and fitness.
Apple said new silicon and enhanced sensors would provide what it called the most accurate heart-rate tracking yet available in a wearable.
Analysts believe that the iPhone Duo could cost more than $2,000 (over €1,700)
Premium pricing challenge
Mr Ternus previously led Apple’s hardware division but has generally maintained a low public profile, appearing mainly at a limited number of product launches and in connection with sustainability projects.
His next challenge will be convincing Apple customers that they need a foldable phone that analysts estimate could sell for more than $2,000.
Samsung Electronics and Huawei Technologies have marketed folding phones since 2019, but the category has largely remained a niche product for technology enthusiasts.
Even at a premium price, however, analyst firms including International Data Corporation expect Apple to sell every foldable iPhone it can manufacture and capture 40% of the lucrative segment by the end of next year.
The event was also expected to signal a significant shift in Apple’s annual product calendar.
Analysts predicted that Apple would unveil new watches while delaying updates to its more affordable iPhone models until next spring. For now, the company is expected to concentrate on the foldable phone and the iPhone Pro and Pro Max ranges.
The strategy is intended to even out Apple’s yearly sales pattern, which typically produces a sharp revenue surge during the year-end holiday quarter in the US and Europe.
