Apple unveiled its anticipated foldable device, named the iPhone Duo, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro during the September 9, 2026 keynote in Cupertino. The foldable handset starts at $2,000 with a 256GB capacity, supports the Apple Pencil, and is scheduled for an October release.
John Ternus Leads Apple Into a New Era at the Apple Park Keynote
Apple kicked off its annual September product showcase under new leadership, marking the first major keynote for CEO John Ternus following Tim Cook’s departure after a 15-year tenure. Reporting directly from the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, observers documented an eventful week that included campus runs for visiting journalists ahead of the hardware reveals. The gathering served as a stage to signal a transition toward fresh product designs, headlined by a device category the company has spent years developing. Apple organized a run around its campus on Tuesday afternoon, where journalists covered 4.79 km before preparing for the coverage of the new releases.
After a summer of rumors and beta versions (iOS 27), the September 9, 2026 event laid the groundwork for this technological autumn. Numerama was on-site at Apple Park to provide a live blog in French, with images and analysis while awaiting exclusive videos on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and X.
Pricing, Configurations, and Hardware Specifications for the iPhone Duo
After years of rumors and numerous last-minute pieces of information shared by Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, the exact configuration of the first folding iPhone has been revealed. Apple decided on the name iPhone Duo for the foldable iPhone and a starting price of $2,000 (approximately €1,720 excl. tax). Apple reportedly slightly trimmed its margins to maintain the $1,999 price for the 256GB version by absorbing additional memory costs, while storage capacities go up to 2TB for prices reaching $3,000.
Under the hood, the device integrates an Apple A20 Pro chip (2 nm) and an Apple C2 modem. On the photography side, the system features a 48-megapixel wide-angle camera and a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens. Equipped with a magnetic hinge, the terminal introduces a first for the brand by ensuring support for the Apple Pencil with an iPhone.
Staggered October Launch and Regional Rollout Strategy
The launch of this iPhone Duo is planned for early October, with a slight delay compared to the other announcements and a few weeks after the iPhone 18 Pro, recalling the launch strategy of the iPhone X in its time. The available colors include white and dark blue. While some rumors suggest availability only in the United States initially, exact details on the marketing regions have not been fully finalized by global official confirmations.
Accompanying Hardware Updates Across the Ecosystem
The keynote also unveiled other major novelties in the ecosystem. According to reported information, the iPhone 18 Pro will cost $100 more and will feature a smaller Dynamic Island capable of displaying three elements, as well as a camera with variable aperture and a better vapor chamber. The AirPods 5 benefit from improved noise cancellation. Finally, the Apple Watch Series 12 and the Apple Watch Ultra 4 integrate an AI mode capable of summarizing the day by recording everything that happens and performing local processing.
