Summary
A ten-minute walkthrough of Apple's September announcements, covering the iPhone Duo — Apple's first foldable — alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. The presenter's flight to the event was cancelled, so this is assembled from Apple's published material rather than hands-on, and it should be read as a specification summary rather than a review. Two structural decisions matter more than the hardware: Apple shipped a foldable, and for the first time launched Pro models with no base iPhone alongside them.
- The iPhone Duo is Apple's first foldable — a passport-style fold rather than a book fold. Folded it is only slightly thicker than the 18 Pro Max; unfolded it is the thinnest iPhone ever made, thinner than the iPhone Air. The crease is described as barely visible, which the presenter attributes to Samsung being the rumoured panel supplier.
- The Duo has no Face ID. Authentication is Touch ID in the power button — a notable step backwards at the price, and the presenter's main complaint. Volume buttons sit on the top edge, which he expects will mean smudged cameras.
- For the first time Apple launched Pro models with no base iPhone 18 beside them; the standard model is said to be coming next year. That is a change in Apple's release structure rather than a spec, and worth watching.
- On the 18 Pro and Pro Max the Dynamic Island is much smaller, because Face ID has moved under the display. The Duo carries Apple's first under-display camera, on the inner screen.
- The Duo's inner display is the largest ever on an iPhone, matte, 120Hz ProMotion, and supports the Apple Pencil — putting it closer to a small iPad than to a phone. Content moves between outer and inner screens as it is opened and closed.
- Camera hardware: both lines carry four cameras. The main 48MP sensor is essentially unchanged from the 17 Pro Max. The real upgrade is a physically adjustable aperture on the main wide camera that opens and closes like a lens, controlling light and depth of field — described as the biggest iPhone camera change in four years.
- New camera behaviour: the Duo's outer screen works as a viewfinder for selfies on the main camera; smart take fires automatically when you settle into a pose; Duo FaceTime shows both parties on the inner screen while displaying the caller on the outer one so a third person can see. Two new photographic styles, texture and grain, and a Pro Controls mode with focus tracking that re-locks onto a subject leaving and re-entering frame.
- Battery is the biggest generational jump Apple has posted: 18 Pro Max video playback goes from 39 to 45 hours, up 15%. The Duo claims up to 44 hours on the outer display or 31 on the inner. 0-50% in 15 minutes on the Pro Max, 20 on the Duo, and MagSafe survives despite the thinness. The gain comes from efficiency, not larger cells — the A20 Pro chip is 40% faster than the 17 Pro Max.
- Multitasking arrives on iPhone, but only on the Duo: split screen limited to two apps where Samsung allows three, plus a vertical dock and a standby mode when the device is tented.
- Pricing: iPhone 18 Pro from $1,199, Pro Max from $1,299 — $100 more than last year for a phone that looks and feels the same. The Duo runs $1,999 to $3,199 for 2TB. iOS 27 is available now.
Why it matters
Apple has finally shipped a foldable, four years or so after the category was established by Samsung, and has done what it usually does — arrived late with the crease and the hinge better solved, while giving up something rivals kept. Dropping Face ID for a fingerprint sensor on a $1,999 phone is the concession, and it is a real one.
The structural note is more useful to the Handbook than the specifications: Apple launched Pro models with no base iPhone alongside them for the first time, and pushed the Pro Max up another $100 for a device that is externally unchanged. Read together with a $3,199 top-end price, that is a company moving its volume line and its halo line further apart.
Treat all figures as Apple's own claims. Nothing here is measured — the presenter did not attend and has not handled the devices, so battery, charging and camera performance are manufacturer numbers awaiting independent testing.
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