Apple unveils first foldable iPhone Duo at $1,999, new iPhone 18 Pro cameras

Apple on Wednesday unveiled its first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, at its fall "Surprise and Sunshine" event, the company's first under newly appointed CEO John Ternus. The event also brought the iPhone 18 Pro lineup, new Apple Watches, and AirPods, though Apple did not detail pricing or availability for the wearables and audio products in the announcement covered here.

The iPhone Duo is Apple's long-anticipated entry into the foldable market. Unfolded, it shows a 7.6-inch Retina display, while its outer screen measures 5.4 inches. Apple said the device was "Inspired by the versatility of iPad." The inner display hides its camera under the panel, giving users an all-screen look. Apple rates the Duo for up to 31 hours of video playback on the inner display and up to 44 hours on the outer one.

The Duo carries a 48-megapixel fusion main camera and a 48-megapixel ultrawide with 2x optical zoom. As with rival foldables, users can shoot rear-camera selfies and preview them on the outer display. The hinge is machined from Grade 5 aluminum and packs more than 100 specially engineered components meant to keep opening and closing smooth. The phone starts at $1,999 with 256GB of storage and comes in two colors. Pre-orders open October 16, with the device reaching stores October 23.

Alongside the foldable, Apple refreshed its Pro handsets. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max keep the prior design, with the upgrade concentrated in the camera: a 48-megapixel sensor with a variable aperture controlled by six thin blades, a system Apple expects to improve low-light shots and speed up shooting. New Pro controls expose white balance, shutter speed, aperture, and a histogram, and expanded Photographic Styles add texture and grain controls. The camera records 4K video in Dolby HDR Vision and can apply cinematic effects after capture.

The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 and the Pro Max at $1,299, $100 more than last year's models. Pre-orders open Saturday, and both ship September 18.

The event marked a transition point for Apple, with Ternus presiding over his first fall launch after taking the CEO role. The foldable Duo positions Apple to compete directly in a category Samsung and others have dominated for years, and its $1,999 price puts it at the premium end of that market. The always-listening Apple Watch teased in the event's coverage and the new AirPods were part of the day's announcements, but details on those products were not available in the reporting reviewed here.

What remains unclear is how the under-display camera and the multi-component hinge hold up in daily use, and whether the Duo's battery claims match real-world results. Apple has not said when the new Apple Watch and AirPods models will ship or what they will cost.