Apple Unveils New iPhone Models, Including the Foldable iPhone Duo

From the days of Steve Jobs taking the stage in a black turtleneck and New Balances to Tim Cook and now the new Apple CEO, John Ternus, Apple keynote events have become cultural events that are not limited to tech enthusiasts. Each year, when the brand unveils new iPhones, accompanying accessories like AirPods, and new iOS updates, everyone wants to see if it's time to upgrade to the latest phone. Most years, the upgrade is incremental, but in 2026, Apple is entering the foldable phone market with the all-new iPhone Duo.

New iPhones Unveiled Today

iPhone Duo

After years of competitors like Samsung releasing foldable smartphones, Apple has finally announced its foldable, the iPhone Duo. Rumored to be called the iPhone Ultra, the Duo has a 7.6-inch Super Retina display that is 50% larger than the iPhone 18 Pro Max display.

You’ll be able to operate the phone both in portrait and landscape modes, but when the device is not folded, you’ll use the 5.4-inch external display. It’s shaped asymmetrically on the outside with a titanium frame and a titanium plate underneath the folding display. There are also carbon-fiber support plates to reinforce the hinge.

To keep the “thinnest iPhone ever” durable, Apple employs a multi-layer laminated folding display with a stiff polymer layer to help with scratch resistance. The hinge mechanism and design of the structure of the phone were done to reduce visible creasing that is common in other foldable smartphones.

Instead of the visible camera cut-out we’ve become accustomed to on modern iPhones, the iPhone Duo will come with an under-display camera that is hidden. This will come with the sacrifice of no Face ID to unlock the phone. As for the back cameras, there are two 48MP Fusion cameras.

A feature that many have been missing since the Home Button was removed on the iPhone, Touch ID, is back for the foldable iPhone Duo. It’ll be integrated into the side button since Face ID is no longer an option. However, you can also use your Apple Watch to unlock the phone.

Battery life is… interesting. The Duo will feature two battery cells inside the device, but operate as one system. You’ll get 44 hours of video playback using the smaller 5.4-inch external display, and up to 24 hours when using both internal and external displays equally.

Having two screens also unlocks the ability to truly multitask on an iPhone. You’ll be able to run two different apps side-by-side or run multiple instances of the same app. If you partially fold the device, the content automatically will move away from the folding area.

The foldable iPhone Duo will start at $1,999 for the 256 GB model. Pre-orders begin October 16, 2026, and the phone releases on October 23.

iPhone 18 Pro/Pro Max

As expected, the numerical update to the iPhone was announced with the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.

Internally, the phone now carries the A20 Pro Chip, featuring a 6-core CPU and two new “super cores” that are up to 20% faster. The GPU comes with 7 cores, providing 40% faster graphics performance. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max also have better cooling than previous generations, thanks to a vapor chamber with three times the surface area of the iPhone 17 Pro’s.

Battery life is probably the most important metric to the average person buying an iPhone, and of course, the latest generation of iPhones increases the battery life. The 18 Pro will get up to 36 hours of battery life, while the 18 Pro Max will have up to 45 hours. According to Apple, this is the longest battery life of any iPhone.

The camera also received an overhaul, with the tri-camera setup featuring a 48MP fusion main camera with variable aperture. Manual control between four aperture settings is available on the 18 Pro and Pro, and Apple even introduced a new technology to authenticate your photos so you can defend an AI claim made against you. The new Apple Reference Image system signs data at the pixel level when you take a photo to verify the image was actually shot by a person on the phone.

Pre-Orders for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max begin on September 12, 2026, with the phones releasing on September 18. Both flagship models of the iPhone are getting a $100 price bump compared to last year’s models, with the 18 Pro starting at $1,199 for the 256 GB model and the Pro Max at $1,299 for the 256 GB model.

Nicholas Vlahos

Sneakerhead from South Florida who turned his passion into a career. When not writing for Sole Retriever, I enjoy watching films and discovering music. Follow me on Letterboxd @nickvlah For tips, reviews, or any shoes in a size 13, email nick@soleretriever.com