GoKawiil
Tech News
Apple will roll out iOS 27 to all users on September 15, with the first iOS 27.1 beta expected within about a week based on past release patterns. The company has confirmed iOS 27.1 will ship no later than October 23, timed to coincide with the launch of the new iPhone Duo, likely landing between October 19 and 21.
Apple quietly confirmed in a footnote to its iPhone 18 Pro announcement that existing iPhone 14, 15, and 16 users will keep free access to its satellite connectivity features for an extra year beyond the standard two-year trial. The extension applies automatically to anyone who activated their device before midnight PT on September 9 in a supported country, marking the third time Apple has prolonged this free trial.
Apple's event introduced a feature called Reference Image, which creates an unalterable digital record of a photo so users can check whether it's been altered with AI, alongside an AppleCare One Family plan and a new foldable device called iPhone Duo. The writer, a longtime Android user, says these announcements impressed them despite Android often introducing similar concepts first.
Samsung released a new commercial for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 starring a man named 'Tim Cook from Palmerston North,' timed to coincide with Apple's iPhone Duo announcement. The ad parodies Apple's cinematic product-launch style, with this Tim Cook declaring 'the future is here,' and includes a jab referencing Apple CEO Tim Cook's recently updated profile picture.
Apple's new CEO John Ternus and marketing chief Greg Joswiak told TechRadar and Tom's Guide that competitors like Samsung, Huawei and Xiaomi announced similarly proportioned foldable phones before Apple's iPhone Duo, due to shared suppliers leaking design details. Joswiak said Apple did manage to keep the phone's unique folding nano-texture display a secret through extra security measures.
Apple unveiled its first foldable, the iPhone Duo, at $2,230 (15,999 yuan) in China, a price that triggered immediate pushback from consumers comparing it to their local incomes and to cheaper domestic rivals. Xiaomi and Huawei had just launched competing foldables days earlier, the Xiaomi 18 Fold at 10,999 yuan and Huawei's trifold Mate XT2 at 19,999 yuan, intensifying the price comparisons. Despite the mixed local reaction, Apple shares rose more than 3% after the launch event.
Apple confirmed in a footnote to its iPhone 18 Pro press release that it is once again extending free access to its satellite features, this time covering iPhone 14, 15, and 16 users for an additional year. The offer applies to devices activated in supported countries before midnight PT on September 9, and includes Emergency SOS, Find My, Roadside Assistance, and Messages via satellite.
Apple released a condensed 95-second highlight video summarizing its 'Surprise and Shine' event, which ran nearly 80 minutes and introduced the foldable iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, and AirPods 5 with Active Noise Cancellation. Alongside the short recap, Apple posted individual segment videos for each product announcement on its YouTube channel.
Apple's iPhone 18 generation launches without a standard model, offering instead the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and a new folding iPhone Duo. The Pro models are up for preorder September 12 and ship September 18, while the Duo opens preorders October 16 ahead of an October 23 release. Rumors point to a cheaper standard iPhone, an 18e, and a second-generation Air arriving as early as spring 2027.
At Apple's keynote unveiling new iPhones, the standout for this writer wasn't the visually striking iPhone Duo but the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, both of which now include a variable aperture lens with manual control options. Apple also appears to be pairing this hardware change with computational photography to improve Portrait mode results, based on sample images shown at the event.
Apple's fall event, the first led by CEO John Ternus, introduced the foldable iPhone Duo and larger iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, but notably skipped a standard non-Pro iPhone 18. Analysts expect Apple to release a cheaper mainline iPhone in a separate spring event, similar to past SE launches. The entry price for new iPhones announced Wednesday rose to $1,199, while the iPhone 17 saw a $100 price hike to $899.
Apple's new CEO John Ternus introduced the iPhone Duo, the company's first foldable device, at a Cupertino launch event. The phone opens to a 7.6-inch screen and will launch October 23 at a price lower than analysts anticipated, while Apple also debuted an AI-driven Siri, a new A20 Pro chip, and a $100 price increase on the standard iPhone 18 Pro lineup.