Apple unveiled a wide range of new products at its ‘Surprise and Shine’ event, led by the launch of the company’s first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo. The technology giant also introduced the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, AirPods 5, Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4, while confirming the release of iOS 27 on September 14.

The September 9 event was also the first major Apple product launch led by chief executive John Ternus. The foldable iPhone was the biggest announcement, while the company also focused heavily on artificial intelligence, improved health tracking, battery life and camera upgrades across its new devices.

Apple Enters Foldable Phone Market With iPhone Duo

The iPhone Duo marks Apple’s first entry into the foldable smartphone category. The passport-shaped device features a 5.4-inch outer display and a 7.6-inch inner screen that opens flat.

Apple said the iPhone Duo is its thinnest iPhone yet. The device has been designed for multitasking, allowing users to work with two applications side by side, pin videos and use the phone in different orientations.

Some applications, including Netflix, Zoom and Slack, have already introduced updates to take advantage of the larger foldable display, according to details announced at the event.

The phone is powered by Apple’s A20 Pro processor and uses the company’s in-house C2 cellular modem. It also comes with a 48-megapixel camera and a nanotexture finish designed to reduce glare and reflections.

Apple said the iPhone Duo can deliver up to 31 hours of video playback when using the inner display and up to 44 hours when using the outer screen.

The foldable phone will also support the Apple Pencil later this year. It will be available in Star White and Night Sky, with prices starting at $1,999. Sales are scheduled to begin on October 23.

iPhone 18 Pro Series Gets Camera And Performance Upgrades

Apple also launched the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, positioning the new devices around improvements in photography, performance, artificial intelligence and battery life.

Both models are powered by the A20 Pro chip, built on 2-nanometre technology. The processor includes a six-core CPU with two high-performance cores and four efficiency cores, along with a seven-core GPU.

Apple said the GPU delivers up to 40 per cent higher graphics performance than the previous generation. The new Neural Engine is also designed to provide greater computing power for artificial intelligence tasks running on the device.

The Dynamic Island has been redesigned and can now display up to three Live Activities simultaneously.

One of the biggest changes to the Pro models is the camera system. Apple has introduced a new 48-megapixel Fusion main camera with a mechanical variable aperture.

The aperture can physically adjust to change the amount of light entering the camera. Apple said this can allow more light to enter in low-light conditions while also offering greater control over depth of field.

The new Pro Controls give users manual options to adjust settings including white balance and shutter speed, as well as control aperture settings.

Apple also introduced Apple Reference Image, a feature designed to record and securely preserve information about an image at the point of capture.

Battery Life And Charging See Major Improvements

Apple has claimed significant improvements in battery performance for its latest Pro iPhones.

The iPhone 18 Pro is claimed to offer up to 36 hours of video playback and up to 24 hours of mixed usage on a single charge. The iPhone 18 Pro Max is advertised to provide up to 45 hours of video playback and up to 30 hours of mixed usage.

The company has also increased wired charging speeds, saying the new devices can reach 50 per cent charge in around 15 minutes.

The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 for the 256GB version, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at $1,299 with the same storage capacity.

In India, the iPhone 18 Pro starts at Rs 1,64,900 and the iPhone 18 Pro Max at Rs 1,79,900. The phones will be available in Black, Silver, Glacier and Burgundy.

Pre-orders for the new Pro models begin on September 12, with general availability beginning on September 18.

AirPods 5 Bring Noise Cancellation To Base Model

Apple also expanded its AirPods line-up with the launch of AirPods 5, bringing Active Noise Cancellation to the company’s entry-level earbuds for the first time.

The base model is priced at $129 and is claimed to offer up to four hours of listening with Active Noise Cancellation enabled. The charging case provides up to 20 hours of total listening time.

Apple is also introducing a $149 version with volume controls on the stem, up to five hours of battery life with Active Noise Cancellation and a wireless charging case.

Both versions of the AirPods 5 will be available from September 18.

Apple Watch Series 12 Focuses On Health And AI

Apple also introduced the Apple Watch Series 12, featuring a new Health Sensing System and the S11 chip, with the company placing greater emphasis on heart-rate monitoring, heart rate variability and fitness data.

The new watch can measure heart rate every five seconds and provides more frequent heart rate variability readings. The data supports a new readiness score, designed to assess a user’s recent activity, training load, vitals and sleep to provide an indication of their capacity for the day ahead.

Apple is also redesigning the Health app on the iPhone and will introduce a Longevity tab with a Health Age feature later this year.

The S11 chip also enables new Audio Intelligence features, designed to help users remember key moments from conversations and remain alert to sounds such as sirens or doorbells.

With watchOS 27, Apple Intelligence will also bring Siri AI to the Apple Watch, with personal context and broader information capabilities.

“Apple Watch Series 12 is the most advanced health and fitness companion we’ve ever created,” said Kaiann Drance, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Apple Watch Product Marketing.

“With our new Health Sensing System and S11 chip, Apple Watch Series 12 gives you meaningful insights, like readiness, so you can better understand how to take on your day and care for your health, plus intelligence features that make everyday life easier.”

The Apple Watch Series 12 is available in 42mm and 46mm sizes and comes in several aluminium, titanium and ceramic finishes. Aluminium versions include dark bronze, black, light gold and space grey, while titanium models are available in radiant gold and natural titanium.

The ceramic versions will be offered in pearl white and night blue. Apple said the aluminium models also use Ceramic Shield 2, which it says is 60 per cent tougher than the Ion-X glass used on earlier aluminium models.

Watch Ultra 4 And iOS 27 Also Announced

Apple also unveiled the Apple Watch Ultra 4, with the company claiming that the device can last for more than two days on a single charge.

The Apple Watch Series 12 starts at $399, while the Apple Watch Ultra 4 starts at $799. Both are scheduled to become available from September 18.

Apple also confirmed that iOS 27 will be released on September 14. The update includes the new AI-powered Siri, which will initially be introduced as a beta feature for supported English-language devices.

The new version of Siri is designed to be more conversational and capable of taking actions across applications. Other changes in iOS 27 include new controls for the Liquid Glass interface, redesigned icons, larger widgets and additional volume settings for ringtones, alarms, timers and alerts.

The launches mark a major expansion of Apple’s product line-up, with the iPhone Duo opening a new foldable category for the company while the iPhone 18 Pro series, AirPods and Apple Watch models receive upgrades centred on artificial intelligence, cameras, battery life and health technology.

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