On September 9, 2026, Apple held its first major product event under new CEO John Ternus. The "Surprise and Shine" event introduced Apple's first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro series, Apple Watch Series 12, AirPods 5, and iOS 27.

This was Ternus's first event at the helm after taking over from Tim Cook, and it sent clear signals about Apple's direction in the AI age.

iPhone Duo: Apple's First Foldable

Apple's "one more thing" moment was the iPhone Duo, the long-rumored foldable iPhone. Passport-shaped with a vertical magnetic hinge. Closed, it has a 5.4-inch outer display. Opened, a 7.6-inch inner display.

Specifications:

• Inner display: 7.6-inch Retina, under-display camera
• Outer display: 5.4-inch
• Chip: A20 Pro (2nm process)
• Modem: Apple C2 (in-house)
• Cameras: 48MP main + 48MP ultrawide (rear), 12MP selfie (both sides)
• Storage: 256GB to 2TB
• Battery: 31 hours (inner display), 44 hours (outer display) video playback
• Frame: Titanium
• Durability: IP68 (dust and water resistant)
• Weight: 254 grams
• Display: Nanotexture finish (glare reduction)
• Biometrics: Touch ID in side button (no Face ID)

Apple says the Duo uses a "custom polymer" screen material for increased durability. The hinge is made from Grade 5 aluminum and comprises over 100 specially engineered components.

iOS 27 includes Duo-specific features: two apps side by side, video pinning, and "any orientation" usage. Netflix, Zoom, and Slack have already launched updates for the Duo.

Apple Pencil support arrives "later this year." The Duo works only with the $79 USB-C Apple Pencil, not the Apple Pencil Pro.

Pricing and availability:

• Starting: $1,999 (256GB)
• Top config: $3,199 (2TB)
• Colors: Star White, Night Sky
• Pre-orders: October 16
• Launch: October 23

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: A Camera Revolution

Apple skipped the base iPhone 18 at this event (likely coming early next year). The focus was on the Pro models. The design is nearly identical to the iPhone 17 Pro, but the biggest upgrade is in the camera system.

Specifications:

• Display: 6.3 inches (Pro) / 6.9 inches (Pro Max)
• Chip: A20 Pro with vapor chamber cooling
• Battery: 36 hours (Pro) / 45 hours (Pro Max) video playback
• Wireless charging: 50% in 15 minutes
• Main camera: 48MP with variable aperture (six-blade mechanical system)
• New Pro Controls: white balance, shutter speed, aperture, histogram
• Video: 4K Dolby HDR Vision, cinematic effects applied post-capture
• Dynamic Island: now shows up to 3 live activities simultaneously
• Colors: Black, Silver, Burgundy, Glacier

The variable aperture is a first for iPhone. Six thin blades mechanically adjust the opening. This improves low-light performance while increasing shooting speed. It enables real (not digital) bokeh effects.

Apple also introduced "Apple Reference Image," a watermarking technology that preserves an image as originally shot. Apple describes it as "a digital photo negative" for proving a photo's provenance.

Siri AI: The iPhone 18 Pro supports Apple's "most advanced" on-device AI model. Siri AI works with over 300,000 apps. Siri AI launches as a beta in English, with French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish coming in October.

Pricing and availability:

• iPhone 18 Pro: $1,199 ($100 more than last year)
• iPhone 18 Pro Max: $1,299 (new 2TB option)
• Pre-orders: Saturday, September 12
• Launch: September 18

Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4: Siri on Your Wrist

No major hardware redesign this year, but significant software updates.

New features:

• Audio Intelligence: Built-in microphones listen to and transcribe your surroundings
• Live Rewind: Shows the previous 15 seconds of a conversation as on-screen text (missed what the server said at a restaurant? Scroll back)
• Siri Recap: Summarizes key moments from daily conversations (meeting takeaways, parent-teacher notes, etc.)
• Sound Recognition: Detects sirens, alarms, doorbells, and babies crying, providing alerts for the hard of hearing

Apple states that audio is not stored, raw audio is inaccessible even to Apple, and transcriptions do not identify speakers. Audio recording features emit a chime when activated to notify people nearby.

Hardware upgrades:

• New health sensing system: Larger, more power-efficient green LEDs measure heart rate every 5 seconds
• Heart rate variability sampled every 5 minutes
• Series 12: 24-hour battery
• Ultra 4: Over 2 days of battery

Pricing:

• Apple Watch Series 12: $399 (ceramic option $899)
• Apple Watch Ultra 4: $799
• Pre-orders: today
• Launch: September 18

New ceramic case colors: Gray, Black, Light Gold, Bronze.

AirPods 5: ANC Comes to the Base Model

Apple's entry-level AirPods now feature Active Noise Cancellation, previously exclusive to Pro models.

Features:

• ANC: 50% more noise reduction than the previous generation
• Transparency mode: Improved natural ambient sound
• On-stem volume control (premium model, previously Pro-only)
• Siri AI directly on AirPods
• Live language translation
• Battery: Up to 5 hours with ANC (single charge), 22 hours total with case
• Two variants: $129 (standard) and $149 (wireless charging case + stem volume control)

The $149 version's case can also charge an Apple Watch.

Pricing and availability:

• AirPods 5: $129
• AirPods 5 (Wireless Charging Case): $149
• Pre-orders: today
• Launch: September 18

Revamped Health App

The Apple Health app has been redesigned with Apple Intelligence.

New tabs:

• Insights: Timely health summaries, personalized guidance, assessments
• Readiness Score: Daily readiness score (similar to Pixel Watch)
• Health Age: Overall health age calculation
• Longevity: Assess overall health across sleep, movement, heart health, and more

The revamped Health app rolls out later this year, starting in U.S. English.

iOS 27: Arriving September 14

Apple's major iOS 27 update is nearly here, with Siri AI as the headline feature — more conversational, more capable, and able to take actions across apps.

iOS 27 features:

• Siri AI (beta, English)
• Liquid Glass opacity adjustment
• New icon designs
• Extra-large widgets
• New volume settings for ringtones, alarms, timers, and alerts

iOS 27 launches September 14 for all compatible devices.

Key Takeaways

• CEO transition: This was the first product event after Tim Cook handed off to John Ternus. Ternus clarified Apple's AI-age vision.
• No base iPhone 18: The standard model was not included. Likely coming at a separate event early next year.
• No Vision Pro, iPad, or Mac mentions: Apple announced new desktop Macs in August.
• Memory shortage and pricing: The iPhone 18 Pro is $100 more than last year. Apple implied this is due to memory supply constraints.
• Apple Upgrade: Apple's leasing program, introduced in July, aims to make premium devices more accessible. The Duo's $3,199 2TB configuration is positioned for this program.

Timeline

Product	Pre-order	Launch	Starting Price
iPhone 18 Pro / Pro Max	Sep 12	Sep 18	$1,199 / $1,299
Apple Watch Series 12 / Ultra 4	Today	Sep 18	$399 / $799
AirPods 5	Today	Sep 18	$129 / $149
iPhone Duo	Oct 16	Oct 23	$1,999
iOS 27	—	Sep 14	Free

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Sources: Apple Newsroom, MacRumors, TechCrunch, The Verge, WIRED, Reuters (September 9, 2026)

Image credits: Wikimedia Commons (CC-licensed SVG vectors)