Apple's big reveal: foldable iPhone Duo, camera upgrades, and more
Apple's fall event featured the debut of its first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, along with the iPhone 18 Pro lineup and new Apple Watch models. The company also introduced AirPods 5 with improved noise cancellation and a photo authenticity feature called Apple Reference Image. The event was led by new CEO John Ternus.
The iPhone Duo's hinge uses Grade 5 aluminum and over 100 specially engineered parts, delivering up to 31 hours of video playback on its inner screen. Its 48-megapixel cameras allow rear-camera selfies with previews on the outer display. The iPhone 18 Pro models feature a variable aperture driven by six thin blades, manual controls for white balance and shutter speed, and 4K Dolby HDR Vision recording.
The Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 introduce "Live Rewind" and "Siri Recap" to summarize conversation snippets, plus "Sound Recognition" for alerting users to sirens or crying. AirPods 5 cut background noise by 50% more, expand Siri integration, and add stem-based volume control. The Pro Max price rose by $100, while the foldable starts at $1,999 with pre-orders opening October 16.
The foldable's premium pricing may restrict its appeal to early adopters, yet it could signal a broader industry shift toward flexible displays. Enhanced camera controls may attract professional photographers, while the watch's audio features could improve daily life for the hard of hearing. However, automatic conversation capture and summarization may raise privacy concerns. The new CEO's leadership could also shape Apple's competitive strategy against AI-focused wearables.