Apple unveils its first foldable iPhone:Starting price ₹3 lakh; iPhone 18 Pro, Watch, and AirPods launched too

Apple unveiled its first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, on Wednesday, alongside new iPhone 18 Pro models, Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, and AirPods 5, at the company’s “Surprise and Shine” event. The foldable iPhone was the main announcement as Apple entered a market where rivals have offered foldable devices for several years. The company also announced upgrades to Siri, health tracking, cameras, cooling and connectivity across its devices. The iPhone Duo starts at around ₹3 lakh for the 256GB model, with storage options going up to 2TB which will cost around ₹4.49 lakh. Pre-orders open on Oct 16 and sales begin Oct 23. The event was the first major Apple product launch under new CEO John Ternus, who took over from Tim Cook on 1 September 2026. Cook made a surprise appearance at the start of the event before handing over to Ternus. iPhone Duo: Apple’s first foldable iPhone The iPhone Duo has a passport-style design with a 7.6-inch internal Super Retina XDR display and a 5.4-inch outer screen. Apple said the device provides a larger display while maintaining a pocket-friendly design. When unfolded, the Duo is the thinnest iPhone made by Apple, the company said. Components have been arranged around the camera area to help reduce its thickness. The inner display houses an under-display FaceTime camera, eliminating a notch or cutout. The phone also supports Apple Pencil, allowing users to use the stylus on the larger foldable display. The camera system includes a 48MP Fusion main camera with 2x telephoto, a 48MP ultra-wide camera and a 12MP Centre Stage front camera. The foldable also gets Touch ID through the side button and support for Apple Watch unlocking. The Duo has an IP68 rating, Ceramic Shield protection, and a reinforced internal structure. It comes in Star White and Night Sky finishes. The device is eSIM-only worldwide and does not have a physical SIM tray. Its two sides have separate batteries that work together to power the displays. Apple claims up to 31 hours of video playback on the inner screen and up to 44 hours on the outer display. iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max Apple introduced the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max with upgrades to performance, cameras, battery life and cooling. The phones are powered by the A20 Pro chip, which features redesigned “desktop-class” cores. Apple said the chip delivers faster AI performance and is built on a 2nm process, which it described as the first smartphone chip using TSMC’s latest manufacturing technology. The iPhone 18 Pro gets a 48MP Fusion main camera with a mechanical variable aperture. The system allows users to control light intake and depth of field for greater control over photos and videos. Apple has also increased the size of the vapor chamber used for cooling. The new system has three times the surface area of the cooling system in the iPhone 17 Pro and is designed to manage heat during gaming, 4K video recording, and intensive AI tasks. The Dynamic Island can now display up to three Live Activities simultaneously. Apple said the iPhone 18 Pro offers its longest battery life on an iPhone, while also highlighting improved power efficiency. The Pro models also offer faster charging and new camera features, including cinematic effects, manual controls, and Smart Focus Tracking for moving subjects. The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 for 256GB, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at $1,299 with 256GB storage. Pre-orders open Sept. 12 and sales begin Sept. 18. Siri gets AI upgrade Apple announced an AI-focused upgrade to Siri, giving the voice assistant a better understanding of personal context. Siri can use information from messages, calendars and emails to complete multi-step tasks. Apple said this will allow users to perform tasks without leaving the app they are using. The company is also emphasising privacy and security as it expands AI capabilities across its devices. iOS 27 allows one number across two iPhones Apple’s iOS 27 introduces “iPhone Handoff”, allowing users to switch between two iPhones while retaining the same phone number. Users can designate one iPhone as the main device and another as a companion device. Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 Apple unveiled the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 with a redesigned health-sensing system. The new setup uses a larger electrode area for clearer ECG readings and redesigned photodiodes for improved light capture. Larger, more efficient green LEDs are designed to provide more reliable all-day heart-rate tracking. Health Age measures long-term health Apple introduced “Health Age”, a feature designed to provide a broader measure of long-term health. It uses metrics including VO2 Max, sleep patterns and blood-test biomarkers to estimate a user’s health age and compare it with their biological age. AirPods 5 Apple unveiled AirPods 5 with an open-ear design and an improved fit intended to accommodate a wider range of ear shapes. The company said the earbuds offer 50% more active noise cancellation than AirPods 4 and deliver richer, more detailed sound. AirPods 5 start at ₹14,900, while the wireless charging version costs ₹17,900, based on an exchange rate of about ₹95.1 per dollar. Apple’s latest event expands its hardware lineup while adding new features across cameras, artificial intelligence, health tracking, and device connectivity. The iPhone Duo represents the biggest change to the iPhone lineup, while the Pro models and other devices focus on incremental hardware and software upgrades.