Online Reporter
CUPERTINO. — Apple’s hotly anticipated ‘Surprise and Shine’ event has come and gone, leaving a foldable iPhone Duo, the iPhone 18 Pro, AirPods 5, and many new products in its wake.
The iPhone Duo is, of course, the biggest talking point — it’s Apple’s first foldable iPhone, and will “redefine what an iPhone can do, while still feeling natural and familiar,” according to the tech giant.
Elsewhere, Apple refreshed its wearable line-up with the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4; the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max got a variable aperture feature; and AirPods 5 are bringing new Audio Intelligence features to the table.
The iPhone Duo is its answer to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, combining a 5.4-inch outer screen with a 7.6-inch Super Retina XDR inner display and lots of neat software tricks.
Powered by the “desktop-class” A20 Pro chip, the iPhone Duo has a titanium frame that’s apparently been strengthened by ceramic fibres, and it’ll be available in two colours: ‘star white’ and ‘night sky’ (a dark blue).
Interestingly, the iPhone Duo also lacks a few key iPhone features, including Face ID, but it was undoubtedly the star of Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro launch.
Here are some of the five takeaways:
DUO, APPLE’S BOLD NEW BET
Duo marked the biggest redesign of the iPhone line in years. The passport-shaped device opens into a 7.6-inch display and features a 5.4-inch outer screen. The large display allows users to keep two apps open at the same time.
The device is powered by Apple’s A20 Pro chip, built on a 2-nanometer process. Apple said the chip, paired with a vapour-chamber cooling system, is designed to improve on-device AI performance, graphics processing and battery efficiency. Duo also includes Apple’s latest C2 modem.
Duo supports Apple Pencil and uses Touch ID integrated into the side button. Apple said it is the thinnest iPhone when open. Pricing starts at US$1,999, about $100 more than Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold8 and Google’s Pixel 11 Pro Fold at comparable base storage levels.
Duo offers up to two terabytes of storage, a capacity not available on the rival foldable models. The device goes on sale October 23.
PRO MODELS GET COSTLIER WITH NEW 18 SERIES
Apple gave its Pro Models a US$100 price bump, with the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max starting at US$1,199 and US$1,299, increases forced by a surge in memory chip costs.
Both the models are powered by Apple’s new A20 Pro chip. They feature a new 48-megapixel main camera with a variable aperture system that automatically adjusts to lighting conditions and allows users greater control over depth of field and low-light photography.
Apple also introduced Apple Reference Image, a photo-authentication standard and added support for SynthID to identify AI-generated or edited images. These feature will not be available in the European union or China.
APPLE INTELLIGENCE’S PRIVACY FOCUS
Ternus, in his first Apple event as CEO, framed privacy as Apple’s key differentiator in the AI era. He pitched the iPhone as an “intelligent personal hub” that ran AI services on-device whenever possible, with Siri playing a key role.
The Cupertino, California-based company said cloud-based processing is used only when additional computing power is required, with privacy protections extended through its Private Cloud Compute system.
Siri AI, meanwhile, will work with more than 300,000 apps at launch and can perform actions across Apple and third-party applications.
APPLE WATCH
The company launched the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4, featuring a redesigned health-sensing system and new USS11 chip. Series 12 starts at $399, while Ultra 4 starts at US$799.
New features include a Readiness score, more frequent heart-rate monitoring, health insights powered by Apple Intelligence and new audio intelligence tools such as Live Rewind and Siri Recap.
AIRPODS
Apple launched a new generation of AirPods starting at US$129, bringing active noise cancellation to its entry-level earbuds for the first time.
A US$149 version adds wireless charging and on-stem volume controls, allowing users to adjust volume by swiping up or down on the stem. —Reuters/TechRadar
