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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 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 raised prices by $100 on every iPhone it sells, not just the newly announced iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max but also the iPhone 17, 17E, Air, and even the older iPhone 16. The base iPhone 17 now starts at $929, the highest launch price ever for a standard iPhone, while the iPhone 16 returns to its original $829 price point.
Apple has revised its trade-in payout tables just a month after last raising them, lowering the maximum credit offered for every returning iPhone model by as much as $120. At the same time, trade-in values rose across the entire iPad lineup and for nearly all Mac models except the Mac Pro, while Apple Watch and Android device values were mostly reduced or held steady. The updated figures, effective September 9, 2026, also add trade-in support for the new iPhone 17 line and iPhone Air.
Apple did not announce it, but after its iPhone Duo event the company raised prices by $100 across its lineup of previous-generation iPhones still for sale. The iPhone 16 returns to its original $799 launch price, the iPhone 17E now starts at $699, and the iPhone Air jumps to $1,099. AirPods pricing, including the AirPods Pro 3 at $249, was left unchanged.
Apple has extended its $100 price increase from the new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max to older, unchanged models. The iPhone 17 now starts at $899, the iPhone Air at $1099, the iPhone 17e at $699, and the iPhone 16 at $799, all up from their previous prices despite receiving no updates.
Apple's September event introduced the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the foldable iPhone Duo, but skipped the standard iPhone 18. Reports indicate the base model, along with an iPhone 18e and iPhone Air 2, will arrive in early 2027 instead, marking a shift to a twice-yearly release schedule.
After unveiling the iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro at its 'Surprise and shine' event, Apple raised prices by $100 on all previous-generation iPhones still sold. The iPhone 16 jumped from $699 to $799, the 17E from $599 to $699, the base iPhone 17 from $799 to $899, and the iPhone Air from $999 to $1,099.
A CNET reviewer says the Galaxy Z Fold 8 has become their favorite phone to use daily, citing its slim 4.5mm unfolded profile, 9.7mm folded thickness, and light 201-gram weight. The device lacks a telephoto camera and has an average 4,800-mAh battery, but its compact form factor and versatile display have made it stand out compared to past innovative designs like the Galaxy S25 Edge and iPhone Air.
Best Buy's Labor Day sale is offering unlocked iPhone Air models at $150 off, with open-box units discounted up to $359. Meanwhile, Amazon has cut iPhone 17 Pro prices by up to $285, and Apple's refurb store is briefly offering a 16GB/1TB M5 MacBook Air configuration for $240 off before stock likely runs out.
On his final day as Apple's chief executive, Tim Cook sent employees a memo praising incoming CEO John Ternus, the company's senior vice president of hardware engineering, calling him uniquely suited to build products that matter. Cook emphasized he isn't leaving Apple entirely, as he will stay on as executive chairman handling political relationships with figures like President Trump and Chinese officials.
Despite underwhelming sales, Apple's ultra-thin iPhone Air appears to have served as a testing ground for thinner designs and component choices that could enable a foldable iPhone. Analysts suggest Apple may debut a foldable device, speculatively called the iPhone Ultra, at its September event, with a second-generation Air possibly following in early 2027.