On September 9, 2026, Apple held its "Surprise and Shine" event in Cupertino: the company unveiled its first-ever foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo (starting at $1999), and named a new CEO - Tim Cook, who led Apple for almost fifteen years, became Executive Chairman on September 1, 2026, while John Ternus, former head of hardware engineering, took over as CEO.
Ternus told the audience that the iPhone should become an "intelligent personal hub" powered by on-device AI. Apple backed that claim with hardware: the iPhone Duo.
Key takeaways
- iPhone Duo is Apple's first foldable iPhone, priced from $1999 to $3199, on sale from October 23, 2026.
- iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are already on sale from September 18, 2026, starting at $1199 and $1299.
- The standard iPhone 18 (without "Pro") has been pushed to spring 2027 - the lineup is split into two releases for the first time.
- Apple has a new CEO for the first time in almost 15 years: John Ternus replaces Tim Cook.
- Our catalog already carries cases and screen/camera protection for iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max - from €12.09 to €49.
iPhone Duo: a folding flagship without a rush job
Apple resisted releasing a foldable phone for years while competitors - Samsung, Huawei, Honor - refined the format for nearly a decade. Once Cupertino finally committed, it went straight for the top of the market: iPhone Duo pricing starts at $1999 for the 256GB version and reaches $3199 for the top 2TB configuration. That makes it the most expensive iPhone ever.
For that money buyers get a 7.6-inch inner display - the largest iPhone screen ever made, roughly 50% bigger in area than the iPhone 18 Pro Max. The screen has a nanotexture coating that cuts glare and gives the surface a matte feel. The outer display covers more than 90% of the front panel, nearly matching a regular smartphone - solving the main complaint about earlier folding phones: a cramped, narrow outer screen.
The body is built from aerospace-grade titanium, and iPhone Duo is the thinnest iPhone ever made. The hinge uses variable torque - the phone resists opening differently at different angles - plus a magnetic array that snaps the halves shut.
One unusual choice: a fingerprint sensor instead of face recognition. Touch ID is built into the side button, and Face ID is absent from iPhone Duo entirely. For a flagship iPhone, that's almost a provocative move - Apple last bet on Touch ID over seven years ago. On stage, the company explained that in a folding design, Touch ID proved simpler and more reliable for unlocking than duplicating a set of Face ID cameras across both halves. The phone can also be unlocked via Apple Watch.
Inside is the A20 Pro chip, built on a 2-nanometer process, paired with a vapor chamber cooling system three times larger than the one in iPhone 17 Pro. Without it, the thin folding body couldn't handle the processor's heat output. The battery is split: two cells, one in each half, work as a single system, delivering up to 44 hours of video using only the outer screen, or around 24 hours with mixed use.
Preorders for iPhone Duo open October 16, with sales starting October 23, 2026.
iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: big news overshadowed by their folding sibling
At the same event, Apple showed the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. In any other September, they would have grabbed every headline; this time their launch felt almost routine.
Both phones get the same 2nm A20 Pro chip and a triple-camera system with a 48-megapixel main module featuring a variable aperture - the aperture physically changes to improve shots in tricky lighting. iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1199, Pro Max at $1299. Preorders opened September 12, with sales starting September 18, 2026 - five weeks ahead of the folding model.
Another notable event headline was what didn't show up: a standard iPhone 18 without the "Pro" label. For the first time in a long while, Apple pushed its release to spring 2027, splitting the lineup's annual refresh into two parts. The industry is used to every iPhone model launching together in fall, and this shift breaks that established calendar.
Watches, earbuds, and the rest
Apple also showed the Apple Watch Series 12 (from $399) and Apple Watch Ultra 4 (from $799, up to two days of battery life). Plus AirPods 5: the standard version costs $129, the version with a wireless charging case is $149. Watches and earbuds ship September 18 alongside iPhone 18 Pro.
Event lineup at a glance
| Model | Starting price | Chip | Biometrics | On sale from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone Duo | $1999 | A20 Pro (2nm) | Touch ID | October 23, 2026 |
| iPhone 18 Pro | $1199 | A20 Pro (2nm) | Face ID | September 18, 2026 |
| iPhone 18 Pro Max | $1299 | A20 Pro (2nm) | Face ID | September 18, 2026 |
What this means for our catalog
While the headlines focus on hinges and folding screens, owners of the already-shipped iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max have a much more practical question: how to protect a new phone in its first week. Our catalog already carries cases for both models - Apple silicone MagSafe cases at €29, premium HC MagSafe IML designer cases at €49, and Camera Lens Protector Armor camera protection at €12.09-€12.34 depending on model and color. For iPhone Duo, no matching accessories exist yet - the format is too new, and suppliers are only starting to design cases for a folding body.
What this means for the market
iPhone Duo's production run is unlikely to be large - its price and format target enthusiasts and early adopters who want to own the first version. But until now, Apple was the only major manufacturer without a foldable device in its lineup, and that argument against Apple is gone: competitors' foldables will now be compared to a specific iPhone sitting on the shelf. Apple also rewrote its own calendar - the standard iPhone 18 moved to spring 2027, so a single fall launch for the whole lineup is no longer a given, even in Cupertino.
How much does iPhone Duo cost in the US?
iPhone Duo pricing starts at $1999 for the 256GB version and reaches $3199 for the top 2TB configuration - the most expensive iPhone ever released.
When does iPhone Duo go on sale?
Preorders for iPhone Duo open October 16, 2026, with sales starting October 23, 2026 - five weeks after iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.
How does iPhone Duo differ from iPhone 18 Pro Max?
iPhone Duo is a foldable phone with a 7.6-inch inner display, a titanium body, and Touch ID instead of Face ID; iPhone 18 Pro Max is a regular flagship with a 48MP camera and Face ID, $700 cheaper, and went on sale five weeks earlier, on September 18.
Why wasn't the standard iPhone 18 shown alongside the other models?
Apple pushed the standard iPhone 18 (without "Pro") to spring 2027 for the first time, splitting the lineup's annual update cycle into two parts.
Who leads Apple now?
Since September 1, 2026, John Ternus, formerly head of hardware engineering, has led Apple as CEO; Tim Cook, who ran the company for nearly fifteen years, became Executive Chairman.
