Apple has made one of the biggest changes to the iPhone’s physical design in years, unveiling its first foldable model alongside a new pair of Pro flagships.
The iPhone Duo opens to reveal a 7.6-inch display and starts at £1,999 in the UK, while the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max focus on camera, battery and sustained-performance upgrades. All three use Apple’s new A20 Pro chip, but they target very different buyers.
For Apple, the Duo is the headline announcement. It takes the company into the foldable-phone market for the first time, while the 18 Pro models continue the more familiar flagship formula with significant upgrades of their own. The launch also comes just over a week after John Ternus took over as Apple CEO, making this his first major iPhone unveiling in the role.
iPhone Duo is Apple’s first foldable iPhone
Closed, the iPhone Duo uses a 5.4-inch Super Retina XDR outer display. Open it and there is a 7.6-inch folding Super Retina XDR panel, giving Apple its largest iPhone display so far. Apple’s technical specifications list ProMotion with adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz, Always-On display support and up to 3,000 nits of peak outdoor brightness on both screens.
The two displays share the same aspect ratio so content can scale more naturally as the device moves between its folded and unfolded states. The inner panel also uses a nano-texture finish intended to reduce glare, while Touch ID is built into the side button rather than Face ID.
A precision hinge supports the display when it is opened flat, and Apple is using grade 5 titanium for the frame and hinge cover. Apple Pencil with USB-C support is also listed for the Duo, adding another potential use for the larger inner display.
A20 Pro, dual batteries and a new approach to iOS
The iPhone Duo is powered by the same A20 Pro chip used in the new Pro models, paired with a vapour chamber and a dual-battery architecture. Apple quotes up to 44 hours of video playback when using the outer display and up to 31 hours when using the inner display.
Apple has also reworked iOS 27 for the folding format. Multitasking, StandBy and camera controls can take advantage of the larger inner display, while features such as Duo Preview allow the outer display to act as a live viewfinder for the person being photographed. As our recent iOS 27 Beta 7 coverage showed, Apple’s wider software release is already close to its public launch.
Siri AI is also part of the new software package, but Apple says the all-new assistant is rolling out in beta with iOS 27 rather than arriving as a finished feature. The iPhone Duo itself will be available with iOS 27.1 when it goes on sale in October.
Wireless connectivity is handled by Apple’s N1 chip with Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread support, while the C2 modem handles cellular connectivity. The Duo is also eSIM-only worldwide, with no physical SIM-card slot.
The cameras make use of the folding design
The Duo has a 48MP Dual Fusion camera system built around a 48MP Fusion Main camera and a 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide. Optical-quality zoom options extend to 2x, while the main camera can record Dolby Vision video at up to 4K and 120fps.
The folding design gives Apple some additional flexibility. Users can frame higher-quality selfies using the rear cameras while checking the composition on the outer display, prop the phone up for hands-free capture, or show a live preview to the subject on the opposite side of the handset.
iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max take a more familiar route
Alongside the Duo, Apple has introduced the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. The Pro uses a 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR display, while the Pro Max moves to 6.9 inches. Both retain ProMotion with refresh rates up to 120Hz. Full hardware details are listed in Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro technical specifications.
The biggest camera change is a new 48MP Fusion Main camera with variable aperture, giving the system more control over light and depth of field. Apple says six laser-cut aperture blades can change the opening automatically, while new Pro controls provide additional manual control in the Camera app.
The Pro models also include 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide and 48MP Fusion Telephoto cameras, and Apple has redesigned Dynamic Island so it can show more information at once, including up to three Live Activities.
Performance and battery are major parts of the Pro upgrade
A20 Pro is paired with a next-generation vapour chamber across both Pro models. Apple says the new cooling system has three times the surface area of the previous design and can deliver up to 40 per cent better sustained performance than iPhone 17 Pro.
Battery life is another major part of Apple’s pitch. In the UK, the iPhone 18 Pro Max is rated for up to 43 hours of video playback. Apple also says the iPhone 18 Pro can reach up to 50 per cent charge in around 15 minutes when used with a compatible 60W-capable adapter or higher.
Both Pro models also gain Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, Thread support and Apple’s C2 cellular modem, alongside iOS 27, Apple Intelligence and Siri AI, which is rolling out in beta.
iPhone Duo vs iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max
| Model | Display | Chip | Starting UK price | UK availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone Duo | 5.4-inch outer / 7.6-inch folding inner | A20 Pro | £1,999 | 23 October |
| iPhone 18 Pro | 6.3-inch | A20 Pro | £1,199 | 18 September |
| iPhone 18 Pro Max | 6.9-inch | A20 Pro | £1,299 | 18 September |
That makes the choice unusually clear. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max remain the conventional high-end iPhones, aimed at buyers who prioritise cameras, performance and battery life without changing the basic smartphone form factor.
The Duo is something different. Its attraction is not simply that it has a bigger screen, but that it can switch between a compact outer display and a tablet-like inner canvas. Whether that flexibility is worth the much higher price will depend on how useful owners find the folding format in everyday use.
UK price and release dates
The iPhone 18 Pro starts at £1,199 and the iPhone 18 Pro Max at £1,299, with 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB storage options. UK pre-orders open at 1pm on 12 September, ahead of availability on 18 September.
The iPhone Duo arrives later. It starts at £1,999 for 256GB, with 512GB, 1TB and 2TB versions also available. UK pre-orders open at 1pm on 16 October and general availability begins on 23 October. Apple will offer the Duo in Star White and Night Sky.
Tech Torque verdict
The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max look like substantial upgrades to Apple’s established flagship formula, particularly around sustained performance, battery life and the new variable-aperture camera.
But the iPhone Duo is the more significant announcement. Apple has waited until 2026 to enter the foldable market, and its first attempt is clearly positioned as an ultra-premium device rather than a mainstream replacement for the standard iPhone.
At £1,999, it will need to prove that the folding display, software adaptations and dual-screen camera features add enough everyday value to justify that price. On paper, though, it is the most substantial change to the shape of the iPhone line-up in years — and it gives Apple a very different flagship sitting above the familiar Pro models.
