apple has officially entered the foldable smartphone market with the launch of its first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, at its major hardware event held at Apple Park in Cupertino, California. The company also unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4 and AirPods 5.
The launch marked an important moment for Apple as it was the first major iPhone event led by John Ternus as Chief Executive Officer after Tim Cook handed over the top role. Apple also broke with its traditional launch strategy by not introducing a standard iPhone model alongside the Pro lineup.
The iPhone Duo is the headline product of the event and features a 7.6-inch inner display when unfolded. The device comes with a titanium body and supports side-by-side multitasking, allowing users to run multiple applications simultaneously. Apple has also redesigned iOS to take advantage of the larger foldable display and added support for Apple Pencil.
Unlike recent iPhone models, the foldable device does not include Face ID. Instead, Apple has integrated Touch ID into the power button, helping save internal space. The iPhone Duo is also eSIM-only worldwide and uses a dual-battery system, with separate batteries positioned on both sides of the foldable device.
Apple says the foldable can deliver up to 31 hours of video playback on the inner display and up to 44 hours using the outer screen. The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 for the 256GB model and will be available in Star White and Night Sky finishes. Pre-orders begin October 16, with retail sales starting October 23. In India, the device is priced at Rs 2,99,900.
The iPhone 18 Pro starts at Rs 1,64,900 in India, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at Rs 1,79,900. Both models feature the new A20 Pro chip, improved battery performance and faster wireless charging.
Apple also introduced new Apple Watch models with enhanced health tracking and a Readiness Score, while AirPods 5 received upgraded Active Noise Cancellation and automatic mode switching.
