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Apple's first folding phone, the iPhone Duo, launches October 23rd priced above Google's Pixel 11 Pro Fold and Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8. It uses a passport-style design with matching inner and outer screen ratios, partial-fold app usability, and hardware aimed at minimizing the interior crease.
Apple has unveiled the iPhone Duo, a foldable device that reworks the traditional iPhone interface by orienting controls vertically instead of horizontally. The redesign reflects the physical shift to a foldable form factor, requiring interface elements to be rethought for the new screen shape.
Apple's fall event centered on the new foldable iPhone Duo and expanded Siri AI features but included no mention of a long-rumored standalone smart home display. Insiders had suggested Apple would finally launch an Echo Show-style device with facial recognition and flexible mounting options, but the Apple Home app received no stage time at all. Instead, the $1,999 iPhone Duo can be propped up to mimic some display functions, though it lacks the size, speakers, and dedicated purpose of true smart displays.
Apple introduced a new AppleCare One Family tier priced at $50 per month, covering eligible devices belonging to up to six people through Family Sharing. The plan includes standard AppleCare+ perks like free battery swaps and accidental damage repairs, but limits theft and loss claims to six per year across the whole group.
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, unveiled at its 'Surprise and shine' event, introduce a mechanical variable aperture camera with four selectable f-stops plus an automatic mode. Testing at Apple Park showed the feature can produce sharp starburst effects around bright light sources, a result of how the physical aperture blades converge when stopped down.
Apple detailed its A20 Pro chip, which will power the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and iPhone Duo. Built on a 2nm process, the chip features a six-core CPU with two new 'super cores' up to 20% faster than the A19 Pro, a redesigned seven-core GPU with 40% better graphics performance, and a dual Neural Engine offering twice the AI compute of its predecessor. Apple also boosted memory bandwidth by 50% and added neural accelerators to every CPU core.
A tech commentator argues that corporate AI adoption remains stuck because the technology still exposes its rough edges to users, unlike the iPhone, which succeeded by unifying existing technologies into one polished experience. The piece draws a parallel between Steve Jobs' 2007 iPhone unveiling and the current state of enterprise AI, suggesting the sector awaits a similar moment of integration and simplicity.
Apple unveiled two new AirPods 5 models at its Surprise and Shine event, bringing Active Noise Cancellation to its standard earbuds lineup starting at $129. The new models feature a redesigned acoustic architecture, deeper Siri AI integration, improved transparency mode, and better dust and water resistance rated IP57, up from IP54 on the AirPods 4.
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max introduce a mechanical variable aperture ranging from f/1.48 to f/4, alongside new manual controls for shutter speed, white balance, and focus built directly into the native camera app. These capabilities previously required third-party apps like Halide, but are now integrated natively.
The September 9, 2026 episode of 9to5Mac Daily summarizes the day's top Apple stories, notably coverage of the newly unveiled iPhone 18 Pro and a device referred to as the iPhone Duo. The episode is sponsored by task-management app Stuff and device-management platform iMazing, which is offering a 20% discount via a promo code.
Samsung reports that the proportion of iOS users switching to its new Galaxy Z Fold8 series is 1.6 times higher than for last year's Fold7 and Flip7, according to a company spokesperson. The disclosure comes days after Apple unveiled its first foldable iPhone, one of the first major launches under new CEO John Ternus. Samsung also said 30% of U.S. Z Flip8 buyers came from rival brands and highlighted an upgraded Smart Switch tool that lets iPhone users transfer data via QR code without installing an app.
Apple introduced the iPhone Duo, its debut foldable device, pairing a 7.6-inch inner Super Retina XDR display with a 5.4-inch outer screen. The inner panel uses a matte nano-texture coating that hides the fold crease and cuts glare, and reviewers noted a smooth hinge and a gradual blur animation when opening or closing the device. Pre-orders begin October 16, with a full launch on October 23 starting at $1,999 for 256GB.