It is official. Apple’s “Surprise and Shine” event has happened and the tech world will never be the same. Today — September 9, 2026 — Apple CEO John Ternus took the stage for his first keynote as CEO and announced three products that redefine what an iPhone can be. Here are the confirmed prices, confirmed specs, and everything you need to know about India pre-orders and availability.

iPhone Duo: Apple’s First Foldable iPhone — It’s Real, It’s Called Duo, It’s $1,999

The name everyone expected was “iPhone Ultra.” This morning, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman broke the news: Apple is unveiling a roughly $2,000 foldable called the iPhone Duo.

Apple announced the long-awaited foldable iPhone Duo at its “Surprise and shine” event. The foldable has a 7.6-inch inner display with an under-display FaceTime camera — a first ever on any iPhone — and a 5.4-inch outer display with a hole-punch camera cutout on the top-right corner.

The confirmed full specifications from Apple’s announcement:

• Outer display: 5.4 inches, Super Retina XDR, ProMotion 1–120Hz, Always On, up to 3,000 nits
• Inner display: 7.6 inches, Super Retina XDR, ProMotion, under-display FaceTime camera
• Chip: A20 Pro on TSMC 2nm — Apple’s most powerful chip ever
• Design: 4.5mm thin unfolded, titanium frame, Star White and Night Sky colours
• Cameras: Dual 48MP rear camera system, 12MP front camera
• Apple Pencil support: Yes — the first iPhone ever to support Apple Pencil
• Modem: Apple C2 — Apple’s second-generation in-house cellular modem

The iPhone Duo starts at $2,000 for the 256GB version and approaches $3,000 for a fully-equipped 2TB model — less than the $2,500 starting price predicted by some pundits. Apple sacrificed some profit margin to hit that $2,000 goal and boost demand.

Apple’s foldable iPhone Duo will be available to pre-order starting Friday, October 16 at 5 a.m. Pacific Time, and releases on Friday, October 23, in more than 70 countries and regions including India, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Singapore, and the UK.

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: Officially Announced

Apple announced the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max starting at $1,199 and $1,299 — $100 higher than the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max which launched at $1,099 and $1,199. Storage goes up to 512GB, 1TB, and for the first time on an iPhone, 2TB. Pre-orders open Saturday, September 12 at 5 a.m. PT. The phones ship Friday, September 18 in more than 65 countries and regions, with 20 more following on September 25.

Key confirmed upgrades on the iPhone 18 Pro:

• A20 Pro chip — first iPhone chip on TSMC’s 2nm process, 18% faster and 30% more power-efficient than A19 Pro
• Variable aperture main camera — adjusts between f/1.4 and f/2.8 optically, the most-requested camera upgrade from iPhone users
• Smaller Dynamic Island — now supports three Live Activities simultaneously instead of two
• Apple C2 modem — Apple’s next-generation in-house cellular chip
• Under-display Face ID — components moved below the screen for more usable display area
• 2TB storage option — a first on any iPhone
• iOS 27 — ships as a free update Monday, September 14, ahead of the hardware launch

Also Announced: Apple Watch Series 12, Ultra 4, AirPods 5

The full lineup announced also includes AirPods 5, Apple Watch Series 12, and Apple Watch Ultra 4, with Apple Intelligence and Siri AI threaded through nearly everything announced. AirPods 5 at $129 feature open-ear noise cancellation — a first for the standard AirPods line and a major upgrade over the previous generation’s passive isolation. Apple Watch Series 12 brings the new health sensor suite (including sleep apnea detection) to the mainstream Watch, while Ultra 4 extends battery life further and adds a ceramic case option.

India Pricing: What to Expect

Apple has not confirmed India pricing at time of publication — Indian prices will appear on Apple.com India when pre-orders open. Based on the US prices ($1,199 / $1,299 for Pro / Pro Max) and Apple’s India pricing patterns:

India pre-orders for iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max open Saturday, September 12 — set your Apple Store app notification now. iPhone Duo India pre-orders open October 16, with India availability from October 23.

Samsung’s Response: The Internet’s Favourite Moment of the Day

Samsung’s official US social account posted a string of jabs throughout the event, needling Apple over how long it took to enter the foldable category and mocking the accessory lineup. Hours before Apple’s presentation even started, Samsung had already released a commercial branded around welcoming Apple to the foldable market, leaning hard into claims that the Galaxy Z Fold Ultra is lighter and thinner than anything Apple was about to announce. The Samsung vs Apple foldable war has officially begun — and it already has a great first chapter.

The iPhone Duo vs Galaxy Z Fold Ultra: India’s New Premium Foldable Battle

For Indian buyers deciding between the two: the Galaxy Z Fold Ultra is available now and is ₹20,000 more expensive. The iPhone Duo arrives October 23, costs less, has a more powerful chip, and is the only iPhone that supports Apple Pencil. For Android users — no contest, the Z Fold Ultra. For anyone in the Apple ecosystem, there is now a genuinely excellent foldable iPhone option that will be available next month.

We will publish full reviews of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo as soon as review units arrive. Watch digitalidea.in for the most detailed India-specific coverage of both.

Published September 9, 2026 · Digital Idea Tech News · Updated with confirmed specs and prices as Apple’s event concluded. Pre-order links and India pricing will be added when Apple.com India goes live.