Apple on Wednesday unveiled its first foldable phone, called Duo, marking a major change to its flagship iPhone line and the first such launch under Chief Executive Officer (CEO) John Ternus.
The Duo has a passport-like shape with rounded edges. It opens into a wide horizontal screen that can also be used vertically, while a smaller single screen remains available on the front when the phone is folded. Apple said that the device becomes its thinnest phone when opened.
The launch marks the most noticeable change to the iPhone since Apple removed the physical home button with the iPhone X in 2017. The iPhone generated $209.6 billion in Apple’s most recent fiscal year, accounting for just over half of the company’s sales.
Ternus led the presentation after former CEO Tim Cook handed over the leadership role through a video. The video ended with Cook pointing toward Ternus and saying, “Not me. That’s your guy.”
Ternus presented the iPhone as a personal AI hub focused on privacy. He said that other companies wanted to collect and store personal data, adding, “Honestly, trust only goes so far when your data is no longer yours to control. That’s why Apple Intelligence runs on device whenever it can.”
Lilian Rincon, who oversees AI products at Apple after joining the company from Google earlier this year, also presented an updated Siri assistant. She said that Siri will work with 300,000 apps when it launches.
Apple also introduced the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, which retain the conventional phone design. The Pro starts at $1,199, while the Pro Max starts at $1,299, with both prices $100 higher than the starting prices of their iPhone 17 Pro counterparts.
The iPhone 18 Pro will use Apple’s A20 Pro chip, with improvements aimed at helping advanced AI models run directly on the device.
Apple also introduced “Apple Reference Image”, a feature designed to verify the authenticity of images captured with the iPhone 18 Pro cameras.
The company said that the phones will also support the emerging SynthID standard for identifying images created or edited with AI.
The company also announced a new AirPods version starting at $129 with noise cancellation. A $149 model will add wireless charging and on-stem volume controls that let users adjust volume by swiping up or down.
Apple introduced the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4, with health-focused upgrades including a redesigned sensor system that collects heart-rate data more frequently and supports features measuring recovery and fitness. The watches use new Apple silicon and improved sensors that Apple said provide its most accurate heart-rate tracking in a wearable.
The Duo will also test Apple’s ability to sell a foldable phone at a price analysts expect could exceed $2,000. Samsung Electronics and Huawei Technologies have sold foldable phones since 2019.
Analyst firms such as International Data Corporation expect Apple to sell every foldable iPhone it can produce and reach a 40% share of the segment by the end of next year.
The fragility of foldable phones, however, remain a primary concern.
