Apple Event September 2026: Foldable iPhone Duo, No Regular iPhone 18
On 9 September 2026 Apple announced iPhone Duo, its first foldable, from $1,999. It did not announce a regular iPhone 18.
This article records every product Apple priced, the CEO change the keynote did not mention, and the Duo and 18 Pro specs Apple published.
It covers the product table, John Ternus, iPhone Duo, then iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.
Everything Apple announced
| Product | Price | On sale |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone Duo | From $1,999 | 23 October |
| iPhone 18 Pro | From $1,199 | 18 September |
| iPhone 18 Pro Max | From $1,299 | 18 September |
| AirPods 5 | $129, or $149 with wireless charging case | 18 September |
| Apple Watch Series 12 | From $399 | 18 September |
| Apple Watch Ultra 4 | From $799 | 18 September |
Pre-orders open 16 October for iPhone Duo and 12 September for the rest.
Apple has a new CEO
The keynote never mentioned it.
- Apple announced in April that Tim Cook would become Executive Chairman and John Ternus CEO, effective 1 September 2026.
- Ternus had been CEO eight days.
- He joined Apple in 2001 and ran hardware engineering.
- This was his first keynote as CEO.
iPhone Duo: Apple's first foldable
Screens and design
The inner display is 7.6 inches and the outer display is 5.4 inches. Apple says the inner display is 50% larger than iPhone 18 Pro Max. Apple's press release adds ProMotion, Always On and 3000 nits peak outdoor brightness.
The frame is Grade 5 titanium, with Ceramic Shield 2 on the front and an IP68 rating. The hinge has over 100 precision components.
A nano-texture finish, Apple says, "minimizes crease visibility". Apple did not say the crease is gone.
Apple did not publish a fold-cycle rating or a drop-test figure. Apple's spec page lists the weight at 254 grams and the thickness at 5.2 mm when open and 11.3 mm when folded.
Cameras and unlocking
The rear camera has two lenses: a 48MP Fusion Main with an optical-quality 2x Telephoto in the same lens, plus a 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide. There is no separate telephoto and no variable aperture, which the cheaper iPhone 18 Pro has.
Five features need two screens:
- Dual Capture shares front and rear feeds at once on FaceTime.
- Duo FaceTime puts a second person on the outer display.
- Duo Preview lets the subject see themselves while you shoot.
- Kid Cue plays animations to get a child looking.
- Smart Take fires automatically when everyone is posed.
Touch ID is in the side button and works open or closed. There is no Face ID. Apple Pencil arrives later this year.
Chip, battery and price
The chip is A20 Pro, which Apple says gives up to 35% higher sustained performance than iPhone 17 Pro. iPhone Duo is eSIM only worldwide.
Apple says 24 hours per charge using both screens.
Prices are $1,999 for 256GB, $2,199 for 512GB, $2,599 for 1TB and $3,199 for 2TB. The finishes are Star White and Night Sky.
iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max
iPhone 18 Pro is $1,199 and iPhone 18 Pro Max is $1,299, both from 256GB. Press coverage notes this is $100 more than last year's Pro. Colours are Black, Silver, Glacier and Burgundy.
- The A20 Pro is 2nm, with a six-core CPU and a seven-core GPU Apple says is up to 40% faster. A second Neural Engine has 32 cores.
- The 48MP Fusion Main has a variable aperture of six blades and lets in about 50% more light.
- Apple Reference Image signs photo data at capture. Private Cloud Compute makes an unalterable copy. Apple will support SynthID.
- iPhone Handoff puts one number across two iPhones. Apple says AirDrop is up to 80% faster.
On trade-in, Apple's stage claim and its press release differ. On stage Apple said up to $1,200 off. In writing the credit is $175 to $885. Check the actual offer.
Is there an iPhone 18?
No. Apple announced only iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, and gave no explanation. There is no confirmed iPhone 18 release date.
- Reports from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and the Weibo leaker Digital Chat Station point to spring 2027 for iPhone 18, 18e and Air 2.
- One account claims the Air 2 could replace the base iPhone 18. MacRumors calls that a sketchy rumour from an account of unknown origin.
- 9to5Mac suggests Apple may be avoiding an overcrowded autumn line-up.
- Apple has never confirmed a two-cycle strategy.
The cheapest iPhone announced this autumn is the $1,199 iPhone 18 Pro.
Apple Watch and AirPods
Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4
Apple Watch Series 12 is $399 and Ultra 4 is $799, both unchanged.
- A ceramic Series 12 exists. Apple gave no price on stage. Mark Gurman reported $899.
- Apple says the Watch has "the most accurate heart rate sensing in a wearable", based on Apple's own study against unnamed wearables, with no third party cited.
- Heart rate is now read every 5 seconds.
- Ultra 4 gets 45 hours in a new Max Extended Workout mode.
- The Health app adds a Readiness score and Health Age later this year.
AirPods 5
AirPods 5 cost $129, or $149 with a wireless charging case. Apple says they have 50% more noise reduction than the previous generation and calls it the best ANC in an open-ear design, a comparison limited to open-ear designs. Battery life is 4 hours with ANC and 20 hours with the case.
Apple Intelligence and Siri AI
The pitch
Apple's argument is that personal AI should run on your device where possible. "Apple Intelligence runs on-device whenever it can."
- Siri AI is a new Siri. Apple says it handles over 2.5 billion requests a day, working with over 300,000 apps.
- On the Watch, Audio Intelligence adds Sound Recognition, Live Rewind and Siri Recap, which uses ambient listening to take notes.
- Apple says these features "do not create or store audio recordings".
The limits Apple published
- Apple's press release states: "Siri AI will not be initially available in the EU on iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS."
- Certain features that rely on server-side models carry daily usage limits. On stage Apple said increased access comes with "most iCloud+ plans".
- A widely shared report said China is also excluded. Apple never mentioned China.
- Every performance figure at this event came from Apple's own testing. No independent lab is cited.
What people said
Praise
- Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and iJustine posted enthusiastically.
- Ars Technica called it "undeniably the most capable iPhone ever, as well as the most expensive" and could not spot a crease on the demo units.
- Gizmodo said Apple may have made the most desirable foldable ever created.
Criticism
- In The Verge staff reactions, Jennifer Tuohy called it ideal for her and too expensive in the same breath, and Nathan Edwards said he will not give up his telephoto lens.
- Users posted about the missing Face ID and the price outside the US.
- Samsung replied publicly to Apple's remark about rival foldables.
Reaction leaned positive on the hardware, with criticism focused on price, the camera and Face ID.
Who should buy what
| If you | Buy | Why |
|---|---|---|
| want the big screen and multitasking | iPhone Duo | the extra screen is the point |
| care most about the camera | iPhone 18 Pro | it has the variable aperture the Duo lacks |
| want Face ID or a physical SIM | iPhone 18 Pro | the Duo is Touch ID and eSIM only |
| want the cheapest new thing | AirPods 5 | $129 with ANC now standard |
| own a recent Apple Watch | wait | prices held, the gain is new heart rate sensing |
| wanted a regular iPhone 18 | nothing this autumn | the cheapest iPhone announced is $1,199 |
Using AI on your Mac without the limits
Apple argued at this event that personal AI should run on your own device where it can.
It also published limits: Siri AI is not in the EU at launch on iOS, iPadOS and watchOS, and features that rely on server-side models carry daily usage limits, with more access tied to most iCloud+ plans.
If you want AI on your Mac that does not depend on one company's region list or usage cap, Elephas works alongside the Apple features you already have.
Use any model you want, on your Mac
Elephas is a Mac app that puts ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok and Perplexity in one place, so you pick the model that suits the task.
It works with those cloud models. It does not replace them.
It also has built-in local LLM models that run entirely on the Mac, so for the most sensitive work nothing leaves the machine.
Sensitive details are removed before anything is sent
Smart Redaction runs on your Mac. It spots names, dates, amounts, addresses and client details and swaps them for placeholders before a prompt goes to a cloud model.
The cloud model only sees the cleaned text. When the answer comes back, Elephas puts the real details back in, on your Mac.
Your data is:
- never used to train AI models
- never stored on a vendor's server
- never read by a third-party reviewer
Whichever phone you bought this autumn, your AI on the Mac can stay private and not tied to a single vendor.
FAQ
Is there an iPhone 18?
No, Apple announced only iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
What is the iPhone 18 release date?
There is no confirmed date; reports point to spring 2027.
Does the iPhone Duo have Face ID?
No, the iPhone Duo uses Touch ID.
How much is the iPhone Duo?
The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999.
Is Siri AI available in the EU?
No, Apple's press release says Siri AI will not be initially available in the EU on iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS.
Keep your AI chats private, on your own Mac
Elephas pairs with the AI model you already use, or runs fully offline with built-in local LLM models, and redacts sensitive data before it ever leaves your Mac.
