Apple Enters Foldable Market With $1,999 iPhone Duo Under New Leadership

Apple introduced its long-rumored entry into the foldable smartphone market on Wednesday, revealing the iPhone Duo during its first autumn product keynote under newly appointed chief executive John Ternus.

The $1,999 foldable device opens into a 7.6-inch Retina display equipped with an under-display front camera, paired with a 5.4-inch external cover screen. Built around a Grade 5 aluminum hinge containing more than 100 engineered parts, the handset carries dual 48-megapixel rear sensors and offers up to 44 hours of video battery life when using the outer screen. Preorders begin October 16 ahead of an October 23 retail rollout.

Alongside the foldable flagship, Apple increased prices across its high-end traditional phones, as reported by TechCrunch. The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 while the 18 Pro Max begins at $1,299, each up $100 compared to the previous generation. Both devices incorporate a 48-megapixel sensor with a six-blade variable mechanical aperture, pro-grade manual exposure controls, and post-capture cinematic editing in 4K Dolby Vision HDR.

Apple's wearable portfolio received updates aimed directly at ambient AI tracking. The Apple Watch Series 12, priced at $399, and the $499 Apple Watch Ultra 4 debut "Audio Intelligence" software. The system features a Live Rewind function that transcribes the preceding 15 seconds of spoken audio and a Siri Recap tool designed to summarize meetings and casual conversations. New sound detection alerts will also flag specific environmental noises like crying infants and emergency sirens.

In audio hardware, the entry-level AirPods 5 arrived at $129, or $149 with a wireless charging case. The earbuds borrow stem-based volume controls from the premium Pro line, provide up to five hours of continuous playback with active noise cancellation enabled, and cut ambient noise by an estimated 50 percent compared to the prior model.

The hardware lineup is paired with an AI-driven overhaul of Apple Health coming later this year. The updated interface introduces a Longevity tab, algorithmic readiness scoring, and a calculated "Health Age" based on sensor data gathered by the iPhone and Apple Watch.

Entering the foldable arena at a $2,000 baseline represents a significant test of consumer willingness to pay top dollar for unconventional form factors as upgrade cycles stretch. At the same time, embedding passive conversation monitoring across watch hardware shows Apple positioning its ecosystem against a rising crop of dedicated AI wearables.