Apple launches iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and its first foldable iPhone Duo

Apple has unveiled its latest generation of iPhones, introducing the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max alongside the iPhone Duo, the company’s first foldable smartphone.

The September 9 launch represents one of Apple’s biggest changes to the iPhone lineup in years. While the iPhone 18 Pro models focus on cameras, performance, battery life and artificial intelligence, the iPhone Duo introduces an entirely new form factor built around two displays and a folding titanium design.

iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max

The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are powered by Apple’s new A20 Pro chip and introduce a redesigned thermal system using a next generation vapor chamber. Apple says the combination delivers the highest sustained performance it has achieved on an iPhone.

Both phones also feature a smaller Dynamic Island and run iOS 27, with support for Apple Intelligence and Apple’s new Siri AI.

Photography is one of the biggest areas of improvement. Apple has equipped the phones with a new 48MP Fusion Main camera featuring variable aperture, bringing adjustable aperture control to the iPhone for the first time.

The camera uses six blades to move between different apertures, automatically adjusting depth of field and light capture. Professional users can also manually select between four aperture settings in the Camera app. Apple says the new sensor improves low light photography and detail, while giving photographers greater control over depth of field.

Apple is offering both phones in black, silver, glacier and a new burgundy finish.

The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at $1,299. Both are available with 256GB, 512GB, 1TB or 2TB of storage. Preorders open September 12, with availability beginning September 18.

Apple enters the foldable phone market with iPhone Duo

The more significant addition to Apple’s smartphone lineup is the iPhone Duo.

It is Apple’s first foldable iPhone and introduces a 5.4 inch outer Super Retina XDR display paired with a 7.6 inch folding inner display. Apple says the outer screen provides 90 percent of the screen area of the iPhone 18 Pro, while opening the device reveals the largest display ever fitted to an iPhone. Apple

Both screens have the same aspect ratio, allowing content to scale proportionally as users move between them. They support ProMotion, Always On functionality and up to 3,000 nits of peak outdoor brightness.

Apple has also added a nano texture finish to the inner display to reduce glare, reflections and the visibility of the fold crease. The company says Apple Pencil with USB C support will arrive later this year.

Instead of Face ID, Touch ID is integrated into the side button. The phone can also be unlocked using an Apple Watch.

The folding mechanism uses a precision hinge made from more than 100 components, while the chassis is constructed from grade 5 titanium. Ceramic Shield protects the back, Ceramic Shield 2 covers the outer display, and the phone carries an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance.

A20 Pro powers Apple’s foldable

The iPhone Duo uses the same A20 Pro chip as the iPhone 18 Pro series.

Apple says its six core CPU is up to 20 percent faster than the A19 Pro, while its seven core GPU is up to 40 percent faster and more power efficient. A new Dual 16 core Neural Engine provides twice the compute performance for running AI models on the device.

The chip is manufactured using a 2 nanometre process and offers 50 percent more unified memory bandwidth. Apple has paired it with a custom vapor chamber to sustain performance during gaming, multitasking and AI workloads.

Cameras designed around the fold

The iPhone Duo has a 48MP Fusion Main camera with an optical quality 2x Telephoto and a 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide camera capable of macro photography.

The folding design enables several new shooting modes.

Duo Preview can display the camera preview on the outside screen so subjects can see how they are being framed. Users can also take selfies using the higher resolution rear cameras while previewing themselves on the outer display.

Smart Take uses on device AI to recognise when subjects are posing and automatically capture an image. Kid Cue displays Peanuts animations on the outer display to attract a child’s attention towards the camera.

The phone can also record 4K video at up to 120fps in Dolby Vision using its main camera.

iOS 27 adapts to a folding iPhone

Apple has redesigned parts of iOS 27 specifically for the Duo.

Opening the phone can display two Home Screen pages, while Split View allows two applications to run side by side. Users can open two windows of the same application, save app pairs and interact with Siri AI while continuing to use another app.

Apple says Netflix, Zoom and Slack are among the third party applications already adapting their interfaces for the larger folding display.

The Duo also gets Apple’s new Siri AI, which can use personal context, information displayed on screen and broader knowledge to answer questions and perform actions.

Dual batteries and eSIM only

Apple has placed a battery on each side of the iPhone Duo.

The company claims up to 31 hours of video playback using the inner screen and up to 44 hours using the outer display. When both screens are used equally, Apple estimates up to 24 hours of use per charge.

Fast charging can take the battery to 50 percent in around 20 minutes, while MagSafe or Qi2 wireless charging can reach 50 percent in around 30 minutes.

The Duo is also eSIM only worldwide. Apple’s N1 wireless chip provides Wi Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread, while the C2 cellular modem introduces AI assisted improvements to cellular connectivity.

The iPhone Duo will be available in star white and night sky, with prices starting at $1,999. Storage options range from 256GB through 512GB and 1TB to 2TB.

Unlike the iPhone 18 Pro models, buyers will have to wait longer for Apple’s foldable. Preorders begin October 16, with availability starting October 23.

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