GoKawiil
Tech News
At its annual iPhone event, Apple unveiled only premium models — the foldable iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max — skipping both a base iPhone 18 and a successor to last year's slim iPhone 17 Air. The Air had offered a lighter, cheaper middle option at $999 with fewer cameras and a smaller battery, but it won't return this cycle despite reportedly weak sales.
Apple's latest product event introduced hardware like the Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4, AirPods 5, iPhone 18 Pro models, and the foldable iPhone Duo, but not everything ships immediately. While the Watch and AirPods models arrive September 18 alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, the iPhone Duo won't ship until October 23, and several Apple Intelligence features—including expanded Siri AI language support—won't roll out until later in 2026.
Apple confirmed that not all products and features unveiled at its latest event will ship simultaneously. The Apple Watch Series 12, Watch Ultra 4 and AirPods 5 arrive Sept. 18, followed by the iPhone 18 Pro models on the same date, while the foldable iPhone Duo won't ship until Oct. 23. Software updates including iOS 27 land Sept. 14, but Siri AI remains a beta feature rolling out gradually, first in English, then in French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish by October.
After unveiling the iPhone Duo alongside the iPhone 18 Pro lineup, Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, and new AirPods at its 'Surprise and Shine' event, the company published a dedicated developer page for its first foldable phone. The resources include Group Labs on September 16-17, Q&A sessions on Photos & Camera, SwiftUI and UIKit on September 23, global hands-on workshops, and upcoming tools like an Xcode 27.1 beta and guides for designing resizable apps.
At its 'Surprise and Shine' event, Apple introduced its first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, priced around $2,000, which automatically adjusts its display based on orientation. The company also launched the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max at higher prices, alongside updates to iOS 27 and WatchOS 27, including a revamped Siri. This event also marked John Ternus' debut as CEO leading an Apple hardware launch.
Apple's 'Surprise and Shine' event introduced the company's first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, which automatically adjusts its display based on orientation and starts around $2,000. Alongside it, Apple raised prices on the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, which run the previously announced iOS 27 software, while John Ternus made his debut as CEO leading a product-design-heavy presentation.
Apple's Sept. 9 event under new CEO John Ternus introduced updated Apple Watches, the iPhone 18 Pro, and the company's first foldable device, the iPhone Duo, but left out a standard iPhone 18 model. Apple gave no explanation, though rumors point to an early 2027 release, with the iPhone 18 Pro and even the existing iPhone 17 seeing $100 price increases.
Apple Wallet is the iPhone (and Apple Watch) app that stores digital cards, IDs, boarding passes, tickets and loyalty cards, while Apple Pay is the payment service that actually processes transactions using cards saved in Wallet. Making a purchase in-store involves tapping an NFC terminal and double-pressing the side button, then confirming identity via Face ID, Touch ID or a PIN, whereas online purchases work much like PayPal by selecting a stored card and authenticating.
At its Cupertino event, Apple shifted from its previously cautious approach to AI, opening the keynote with a direct focus on artificial intelligence rather than vague talk of 'intelligence.' New CEO John Ternus framed the iPhone as an 'intelligent personal hub' that uses personal context—calendars, contacts, messages, and app activity—to power smarter, more relevant assistance across Apple's ecosystem.
Engadget's podcast hosts Devindra Hardawar and Karissa Bell discuss Apple's newly unveiled iPhone Duo, the company's first foldable phone, and how it compares to Samsung's earlier foldable designs. They also cover the iPhone 18 Pro, which introduces a variable aperture camera but is expected to draw less attention than the Duo this year.
During its September iPhone event, Apple showcased its upgraded Siri AI's ability to work with third-party apps, using the note-organizing app Stuff as a key example. Stuff lets users convert speech and handwritten notes into task lists with dates, and now integrates with Siri so users can create and manage lists through voice commands and camera scans.
Apple's upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max will include a Reference Image mode that uses the camera sensor to cryptographically sign captured photo data, producing an unalterable record of what the camera originally captured. Developers will get access to a Reference Image API on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS so third-party apps can eventually let users verify these signed images, though the feature won't ship at launch in the EU.