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SALTZMAN: Hands-on with first foldable iPhone

And initial thoughts on other Apple products announced last week

Published Sep 12, 2026  •  Last updated Sep 12, 2026  •  5 minute read

Apple unveiled its new iPhone Duo, the first ever foldable iPhone, at the company's Surprise and Shine event in Cupertino, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026. Photo by Supplied /Apple

The tech world once again turned its eyes to Cupertino, Calif., last Wednesday for Apple’s most consequential hardware keynote in a decade – especially as newly minted CEO John Ternus took the stage for the first time in this role.

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Yours truly was on-hand for the festivities at Steve Jobs Theater, inside of Apple Park, for the much-hyped Surprise and Shine event.

Thankfully, the several leaks flooding social media leading up to the big day did not take away from the star of the show: the iPhone Duo, the first ever foldable iPhone.

When closed, the passport-shaped device has a 5.4-inch display (measured diagonally), which conveniently slips into a pocket or clutch purse but opens like a book to reveal a 7.6-inch display (just shy of the size of the latest iPad mini).

After spending some hands-on time with the iPhone Duo and other Apple products, the following are my initial impressions of the new gear.

The first foldable iPhone is a passport-sized 5.4-inch device, when closed – like a shorter and wider iPhone – but it opens like a book to reveal a 7.6-inch Super Retina XDR display – the largest display on an iPhone.

When opened, it’s also the thinnest iPhone to date, at 5.2 mm thick.

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Apps and content scale smoothly between modes and it magically carries over the view from the outer screen to the inside as you open it. It’s one of those things you need to see to appreciate; Apple really knows how to nail the interface.

Unlike many other foldable phones, there is virtually no crease between the twin displays of the opened iPhone Duo; the hinge is made up of about 100 components, says Apple. Plus the inner display uses a nano-texture finish to reduce glare and hide the fold. The under-display FaceTime camera stays hidden until needed.

Not only is a larger dual display more conducive for watching videos, playing games and reading ebooks, but there’s also split-screen multitasking, allowing you to see and run two apps at once, side by side, and even drag and drop content between them (like pressing and holding on a photo of your dog and then moving it over to iMessage to send a friend a sticker.

iPhone Duo also supports Apple Pencil (USB-C).

Apple says the inner display can yield up to 31 hours of video playback per battery charge, while the outer display can last up to 44 hours. Excited to test this in the field.

As for downsides, there’s no Face ID to unlock your phone, and so you’ll need to use the Touch ID sensor on the side (or unlock via an Apple Watch).

The price is also steep for many, as iPhone Duo starts at $2,999 for the 256GB model (also available in 512GB, 1TB and 2TB), with preorders starting Oct. 16, and available Oct. 23. Part of the reason for the high cost is the global memory shortage (largely caused by AI companies scooping up much of the inventory) coupled with the weakened Canadian dollar, as this product is $1,999 USD. Those interested in iPhone Duo may consider trading in an older iPhone for a credit and/or opting for a two-year plan via a carrier.

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While they look like the previous generation, much of the focus (pun intended) of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max is on photographic improvements, including a mechanical variable aperture on the main 48-megapixel Fusion camera. It consists of six physical, laser-cut blades (“thinner than a human hair”) to automatically adjust depth-of-field and exposure, essentially ushering in dSLR-grade creative control to a smartphone.

The photos reportedly taken with an iPhone 18 Pro were absolutely incredible.

Like iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro debuts the ultra-efficient 2nm A20 Pro chip. It yields up to 36 hours of video playback on the iPhone 18 Pro, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max reaches up to 45 hours, says Apple.

Helping achieve better battery performance in the Pro Max model is likely tied to a new vapour chamber cooling system – about three times larger than previous generations.

Aesthetically, the new colourways are Glacier, Black, Silver, and my favourite, Burgundy.

iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,749 for 256GB, while iPhone 18 Pro Max is $1,899 to start. Both can also be ordered with 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB storage capacities. Preorders begin Sept. 12 with availability on Sept. 18.

There are two main upgrades worth calling out in the new Apple Watch family.

One is improvements to its health-related sensors touching the skin, which includes a larger electrical electrode surface area and ring-arrayed photodiodes, enabling continuous background heart rate tracking every five seconds. Also aided by a speedy S11 chip, Apple says Series 12 watches offer the most accurate readings in a wearable – when tested against competitors.

A new daily Readiness Score evaluates your body’s physical capacity for the day – by analyzing recent physical activity, overall training load, overnight/daytime vitals (including higher-frequency Heart Rate Variability), and your sleep score – and then giving you actionable recommendations.

The other cool feature, which garnered applause from the crowd, is called Live Rewind. By double-pressing the Digital Crown, the watch instantly transcribes the last 15 seconds of spoken audio into text on your display without saving raw voice recordings or sharing to the cloud. For example, imagine sitting in a noisy restaurant when your server rapidly lists the evening specials before rushing off to another table. Live Rewind immediately brings up a text transcript, so you know what to order.

Built for extreme endurance, the Apple Watch Ultra 4 pairs the new S11 chip and precise Health Sensing System with up to 45 hours of outdoor workout battery life. Available in natural or black titanium, it features advanced readiness insights and satellite communications.

Apple Watch Series 12 starts at $549 for the 42mm aluminum GPS model. There’s also a 46mm aluminum (GPS) model, GPS + Cellular (aluminum), as well as titanium and ceramic finishes.

Apple Watch Ultra 4, on the other hand (wrist?) starts at $1,099, which comes standard with GPS + Cellular in a 49mm titanium case. Preorders are available now and with a release date of Sept. 18.

– Marc Saltzman is the host of the Tech It Out podcast and is the author of the book, Apple Watch For Dummies (Wiley)

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