Apple announced three new flagship iPhones at its “Surprise and Shine” event on September 9, 2026: the iPhone 18 Pro, the iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the iPhone Duo, the company’s first foldable phone. Here’s what you need to know about each one. There was a rumor the folding phone could be called the iPhone Ultra to stay in line with the ultra name, but I think Duo works better. The 18s are more of a spec-bump update while the Duo is brand new. The first truly new iPhone in a long time.
iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max
The 18 Pro and Pro Max run on the new A20 Pro chip and, according to Apple, deliver the longest battery life ever in an iPhone. Both models come in deep black, silver, glacier, and burgundy with color-matched back glass, and are available in 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB configurations.
Pricing starts at $1,199 for the 18 Pro (up $100 from the 17 Pro) and $1,299 for the 18 Pro Max, both with 256GB of storage. Preorders will open on Saturday this year. September 12.
Camera
The headline feature on both Pro models is a new variable aperture main camera. Apple uses six laser-cut blades (each thinner than a human hair) made of a specialized polymer composite to build the aperture mechanism, which runs from f/1.48 to f/4.0. The aperture adjusts automatically based on the scene and in low light, it opens up to let in around 50% more light compared to a fixed aperture lens. This new variable aperture isn’t unique to the iPhone but given Apple dedication to quality photos this will be a signature features for those serious about iPhone photography.
The 48MP Fusion main sensor is new as well, and Apple says it delivers roughly 50% better low-light performance overall. On the video side, ProRes RAW, Apple Log 2, genlock, and 4K at 120fps all carry over from last year. New additions include Pro controls baked directly into the Camera app, so you can now adjust aperture, shutter speed, and white balance without a third-party app. Apple also introduced Apple Reference Image, a signed-pixel authenticity feature that verifies a photo was captured directly by the camera.
iPhone Duo
The iPhone Duo is Apple’s first foldable and probably the most significant hardware change the company has made to iPhone in years. It uses a passport-style book-fold design rather than a clamshell, so it folds in half widthwise rather than lengthwise.
Opened, the Duo measures 6.48 x 4.64 inches with a 7.6-inch inner display, the largest Apple has ever put on an iPhone and in iPad mini territory. This could easily be an iPad mini replacement. It’s also just 5.2mm thick, making it the thinnest iPhone ever. Closed, it collapses to 3.31 x 4.64 inches and 11mm thick. The whole thing weighs 254 grams and uses a titanium frame with Ceramic Shield 2 on the front the front and Ceramic Shield on the back.
Storage options mirror the Pro lineup: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB. The Duo comes in Night Sky and Star White, and is priced at $1,999.
On the camera side, the Duo does not include the full variable aperture system or the complete Pro camera feature set. Unlike the iPhone 18 Pro models, iPhone Duo does not offer ProRes recording; Apple’s specifications list HEVC and H.264 as its video recording formats. So you might have to make a choice, do you want a more feature-rich camera and recording set of the 18 Pro or the screen size and flexibility of the Duo.
The Duo runs on the A20 Pro chip so the power is there. Apple’s CEO John Ternus called it “the most significant change to iPhone since the original” at the event. I would agree with that.