Apple unveiled its new foldable iPhone Duo on Wednesday, in a move that represents one of the biggest changes to the company's flagship product in years.
The iPhone Duo features a passport-inspired design with rounded edges and can be unfolded to reveal a wide horizontal screen, while also being usable in portrait mode. When folded, the phone displays a smaller screen on the front.
Apple confirmed that the phone, when unfolded, becomes the thinnest phone the company has ever produced, while its launch represents a radical shift in iPhone design, under the leadership of new CEO John Ternos, making it the biggest change to the phone since the removal of the home button with the launch of the iPhone X in 2017.
The iPhone is Apple's most important product, generating $209.6 billion in revenue, slightly more than half of the company's total sales, during the most recent fiscal year.
iPhone Duo specifications
Apple said the iPhone Duo features a 7.6-inch Super Retina XDR display, which is about 50% larger than the iPhone 18 Pro Max display.
The phone starts at Dh8499 and is powered by the A20 Pro processor, while it comes with a titanium body, with water and dust resistance according to the IP68 standard.
The phone also supports the use of Apple Pencil, and is available in white and dark blue, with storage options ranging from 256GB to 2TB.
iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max
Apple also unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, the latest additions to the iPhone Pro series, which come with a traditional non-folding design.
The iPhone 18 Pro 256GB starts at Dh5,099, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max 256GB starts at Dh5,499, according to Apple UAE.
Both phones are powered by the new A20 Pro chip, which offers improvements designed to enhance the performance of advanced AI models, allowing them to run directly on iPhones.
Longer battery life and faster charging
Apple announced significant improvements in battery life, with the iPhone 18 Pro offering up to 36 hours of video playback, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max offers up to 45 hours.
Both phones also support fast charging, reaching 50% battery capacity in 15 minutes. For the iPhone 18 Pro, 15 minutes of charging can provide approximately 6 hours of video playback.
A new standard for image verification
Apple has unveiled a new feature that addresses growing concerns about images being created or manipulated using artificial intelligence.
The company launched a new standard called "Apple Photo Standard" to verify the authenticity of photos taken with the new iPhone 18 Pro cameras. It also announced support for the emerging SynthID standard, which allows for the identification of photos created or edited using artificial intelligence.
Apple explained that the "Apple Standard Image" feature will not be available in the European Union or China.
Apple Watch Series 12: Artificial intelligence in conversations
Apple also unveiled the Apple Watch Series 12, which includes a range of new features under the name “Audio Intelligence,” relying on the built-in microphone, the S11 chip, and Apple Intelligence.
These features are designed to help the user remember what was said during conversations and to capture information that they may have missed.
The Siri Recap feature allows the watch to create a summary of the conversation after it ends, including a title, key points, and important information, and saves it within the Siri app for later reference. Users can choose when and where the feature is active, or disable it from the Control Center.
The “Live Rewind” feature allows the user, by double-pressing the digital crown, to retrieve what was said during the last 15 seconds and display it as text on the watch screen, with the option to ask Siri about the text or save it for later reference.
Apple confirmed that these features do not create or store audio recordings. The audio is processed by the S11 chip within a secure, isolated area and then immediately deleted. Furthermore, Siri Recap summaries and Live Rewind transcripts are end-to-end encrypted.
The watch also comes with a new health sensing system, which includes measuring heart rate every five seconds, along with more frequent measurements of heart rate variability (HRV).
Apple also added the “Readiness” feature, which gives the user a daily assessment of the body’s readiness, based on physical activity, sleep and vital signs.
The Apple Watch Series 12 starts at Dh1,599.
The “Siri Recap” and “Live Rewind” features are scheduled to be released experimentally later in 2026, initially in English, and requiring the use of an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence.
AirPods 5 with real-time translation feature
Apple also unveiled the AirPods 5 headphones, which cost Dh549 and include a range of new features, most notably support for real-time translation, in a move aimed at enhancing the headphones’ communication and translation capabilities during conversations.
According to Apple UAE, pre-orders will begin at 4pm local time on September 12, while the devices will be available starting September 18 in the country's markets.