Apple has unveiled its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, in a major product launch led by new chief executive John Ternus at the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, California.
The device opens into a 7.6in display, which Apple says is 80 per cent larger than that of the latest iPhone 18 Pro, while still being designed to fit into a pocket. It will also support the Apple Pencil, a feature previously associated with the iPad range.
Introducing the phone at the Steve Jobs Theatre, Mr Ternus ended the presentation with the words “actually there is one more thing”, echoing the phrase made famous by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.
The iPhone Duo will allow users to run two applications side by side or open two windows from the same website, potentially making tasks such as comparing products online easier. Apple is offering the device in star white and night sky finishes.
The foldable phone will be available to pre-order from September 12, with the iPhone Duo going on sale on October 23. Its Australian starting price is A$3,499, placing it well above the new conventional models.
Apple’s new iPhone 18 Pro range
Alongside the foldable handset, Apple introduced the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, with improvements to battery life, camera performance and processing power.
The Pro Max is capable of up to 45 hours of video playback, according to Apple, while both models offer faster charging. Their cameras include variable aperture controls, enhanced manual settings and smart focus tracking designed to keep a moving subject, such as a child playing football, in focus.
Apple has also highlighted new cinematic effects that can be applied to ordinary video recorded on the phones. The handsets will run iOS 27 and include the latest version of Apple Intelligence, including an upgraded Siri assistant with greater access to personal context and on-screen information.
The iPhone 18 Pro will start at A$2,099 in Australia, with the Pro Max priced from A$2,299. Both will be available from September 18, with pre-orders opening six days earlier. Apple has confirmed that the UK is among the markets included in the initial launch.
The presentation marked Mr Ternus’s first major iPhone event since taking over from Tim Cook on September 1. Apple announced in April that Mr Cook would become executive chairman, with Mr Ternus succeeding him as chief executive.
Apple is entering the foldable market several years after rivals including Samsung, Motorola and Google launched their own devices. The company has traditionally waited for emerging technologies to mature before introducing its own version, but foldable phones still account for only a small part of the wider smartphone market.
Forrester analyst Dipanjan Chatterjee said the launch reflected Apple’s established approach of allowing competitors to test a new category before entering it and attempting to reshape it.
He said the key question would be whether Apple could turn foldable phones from a niche product into a significant new segment, while Mr Ternus also faces the broader challenge of maintaining Apple’s growth as smartphones gradually become less central to consumers’ digital lives.
