On September 9, Apple used its Surprise and Shine event to finally show the device the company has been circling for years: a foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, the first major launch under John Ternus since he succeeded Tim Cook. Alongside it came the iPhone 18 Pro line, Apple Watch and AirPods updates, all framed around an idea of the phone as a personal intelligence hub. It is a moment where a company known for refinement chooses to fold its flagship in half, and the story of the coming weeks will be whether that gamble feels as natural in daily hands as it looks on stage.
Apple Unveils Foldable iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro Series, Watch Series 12 and AirPods 5 at Surprise and Shine Event
The first foldable iPhone, from Rs 2,99,900, on sale October 23
Mark
Why does the Duo matter beyond being a foldable?
Mimi
It's Apple's first, and it arrives under a new CEO, John Ternus, in his first big iPhone launch. It starts at Rs 2,99,900, well above the Pro Max at Rs 1,79,900.
Mark
What's the design bet?
Mimi
A passport-like shape: 5.4 inches closed, 7.6 inside. iOS 27 was redesigned to adapt as the phone opens and closes.
Luke
Careful with the numbers, though. The 31 and 44 hours of video, and the 50 per cent charge in 20 minutes, are Apple's claims. Nothing here is independently tested.
Mark
And the crease?
Mimi
A nano-texture finish is meant to reduce its visibility. Reduce, not remove.
Luke
Right, and how well that works in real use is unknown until reviewers have the phone.
Mark
What ties the event together?
Mimi
Siri AI and Apple Intelligence. Siri gets personal context and onscreen awareness, and it reaches the Watch and AirPods too.
Luke
Worth noting the reporting describes features, not how well they perform. Same for the Watch's Readiness score and the audio features; Apple says no recordings are stored, and that's a company statement.
Mark
Anything still pending?
Mimi
Apple Pencil support on the Duo is promised for later this year, not at launch.
Il Polso
- Apple's first foldable iPhone arrives at Rs 2,99,900, a premium price that puts the Duo's fate squarely on whether buyers see it as a leap or a luxury.
- A 7.6-inch inner screen and a crease-reducing nano-texture finish promise a tablet-sized experience, yet the fold itself remains the question every reviewer will press.
- The iPhone 18 Pro's variable aperture gives users manual control over depth for the first time, pushing the camera toward the territory of dedicated cameras.
- Pre-orders for the Duo open October 16 and sales follow October 23, while the Pro models already ship September 18.
- Siri AI, Apple Intelligence and the redesigned iOS 27 must adapt cleanly to a device that changes shape, and Apple Pencil support on both displays is still weeks away.
On September 9, Apple used its Surprise and Shine event to finally show the device the company has been circling for years: a foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, the first major launch under John Ternus since he succeeded Tim Cook. Alongside it came the iPhone 18 Pro line, Apple Watch and AirPods updates, all framed around an idea of the phone as a personal intelligence hub. It is a moment where a company known for refinement chooses to fold its flagship in half, and the story of the coming weeks will be whether that gamble feels as natural in daily hands as it looks on stage.
Apple closed its Surprise and Shine event on September 9 with the announcement many had expected for years: a foldable iPhone, called the iPhone Duo. It was the first major iPhone launch under John Ternus, who took over as CEO from Tim Cook, and he described the phone as a "personal intelligence hub," giving much of the evening to Apple Intelligence and a new Siri AI.
The Duo opens like a passport, from a 5.4-inch outer display into a 7.6-inch inner screen that Apple says is 50 per cent larger than the iPhone 18 Pro Max's. When unfolded it is the thinnest iPhone yet. It starts at Rs 2,99,900, with pre-orders on October 16 and sales on October 23. Inside are the A20 Pro chip, a vapour chamber and a dual-battery design, and the cameras include a 48MP Fusion Main and a Smart Take feature that captures the photo once subjects are framed. iOS 27 is redesigned to adapt as the phone opens, closes or is held at different angles.
The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max bring the biggest camera change: a variable aperture that users can set automatically or manually across four settings, the first time iPhone owners control aperture. The Pro starts at Rs 1,64,900 and the Pro Max at Rs 1,79,900, with sales from September 18.
Apple also updated the Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 with a Health Sensing System and a daily Readiness score, and the AirPods 5 with stronger noise cancellation and Live Translation. Everything now turns on whether the Duo can make its folding design feel ordinary in someone's pocket.
Apple closed its Surprise and Shine event on September 9 with the announcement it had been expected to make for years: a foldable iPhone, called the iPhone Duo. It was the first major iPhone launch for John Ternus as Apple's CEO, after he took over from Tim Cook. Ternus described the iPhone as a "personal intelligence hub," and much of the evening was given to Apple Intelligence and a new Siri AI.
The Duo takes a passport-like approach to folding. A 5.4-inch outer display opens into a 7.6-inch inner screen, which Apple says is 50 per cent larger than the screen on the iPhone 18 Pro Max, and which makes this the thinnest iPhone ever when unfolded. Both Super Retina XDR displays support ProMotion, Always-On and up to 3,000 nits of outdoor brightness. A nano-texture finish on the inner display is meant to cut glare, reflections and the visibility of the crease, and the inner FaceTime camera sits beneath the display. The phone comes in star white and night sky, starts at Rs 2,99,900, opens for pre-order on October 16 and goes on sale October 23.
The build uses Grade 5 titanium, Ceramic Shield on the back and Ceramic Shield 2 on the front, with an IP68 rating and Touch ID in the side button. Inside are the A20 Pro chip, a custom vapour chamber and a dual-battery design. Apple claims up to 31 hours of video playback on the inner display and 44 hours on the outer one, with a 50 per cent charge in about 20 minutes. It is eSIM-only worldwide, with Apple's C2 modem, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread. The cameras are a 48MP Fusion Main with integrated 2x telephoto and a 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide, recording 4K at 120 fps with Dolby Vision. A feature called Smart Take uses on-device AI to capture a photo once subjects are properly framed. iOS 27 has been redesigned to adapt as the phone opens, closes or is held at different angles, with Split View and savable app pairs. Apple Pencil with USB-C support will arrive on both displays later this year.
The iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max get the bigger camera upgrade: a variable aperture on the 48MP Fusion Main camera, the first time iPhone users can control aperture. It adjusts automatically or can be set manually to one of four settings. Pro Controls add aperture, shutter speed and white balance adjustments plus a histogram, and Photographic Styles gain texture and grain controls. Cinematic effects can be applied after recording at up to 60 fps, and Audio Mix can now isolate music as well as voices. Apple Reference Image creates a signed reference version of a photo to help show whether it has been edited. The Dynamic Island is smaller and can show three Live Activities at once.
Both Pro models run the A20 Pro, built on a 2nm process with a six-core CPU, seven-core GPU and dual 16-core Neural Engine. Apple says memory bandwidth is 50 per cent higher than the A19 Pro and the GPU up to 40 per cent faster, helped by a vapour chamber with three times the surface area. Video playback reaches 36 hours on the Pro and 45 on the Pro Max, and five minutes of wired charging gives about seven hours. They come in black, silver, glacier and a new burgundy. The Pro starts at Rs 1,64,900 and the Pro Max at Rs 1,79,900, with pre-orders from September 12 and sales from September 18.
The Apple Watch Series 12 (from Rs 56,900) and Ultra 4 (from Rs 1,09,900) share the S11 chip and a new Health Sensing System. Heart rate is measured every five seconds, HRV up to 24 times more often, and a Readiness score from zero to 10 draws on activity, training load, vitals and sleep. Audio Intelligence adds Live Rewind, which shows a text snippet of the last 15 seconds of conversation, and Siri Recap; Apple says no audio recordings are created or stored. The Series 12 offers up to 24 hours of battery and adds ceramic versions. The Ultra 4 offers up to 50 hours, or 84 in Low Power Mode, and Extended Workout modes of 25 and 45 hours. Both ship September 18.
AirPods 5 bring Active Noise Cancellation to both models, with up to 50 per cent more noise reduction than AirPods 4 with ANC. They add Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, hands-free Siri AI including head gestures, and Live Translation. They cost Rs 14,900, or Rs 17,900 with the Wireless Charging Case, which adds a swipe volume control; both arrive September 18.
On software, iOS 27 brings Siri AI with personal context, onscreen awareness and a Camera mode, plus Spatial Reframing, Extend, an upgraded Clean Up, photorealistic Image Playground and Safari's Notify Me. Free satellite features are extended another year for eligible iPhone 14, 15 and 16 users activated before midnight PT on September 9. The next marker is September 12, when pre-orders open, with the Duo following on October 16.
Citazioni salienti
The iPhone is a "personal intelligence hub."— John Ternus, Apple CEO
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