Top Stories: Apple Event Recap With iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro, Apple Watch, and AirPods
Apple's long-awaited foldable iPhone Duo is here, but that wasn't all we saw at this week's event, as Apple also took the wraps off of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, and the AirPods 5. We'll have to wait a little over a month to get our hands on the foldable iPhone Duo, but the rest of the products will be out at the end of next week. And don't forget iOS 27, macOS Golden Gate, and other software updates that will be dropping on Monday! Top Stories Everything Apple Announced at This Week's Event We'll pull out the highlights below, but be sure to check out our recap video and complete index to all of our coverage of Apple's "Surprise and Shine" event that saw the introduction of several new iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods models. The event saw John Ternus taking the stage just days after officially becoming Apple CEO, making some of the bigger announcements of the day and handing off to other Apple executives to present the details. Apple Announces Foldable 'iPhone Duo' The star of Wednesday's show was a "one more thing" unveiling of the iPhone Duo, Apple's new compact foldable phone featuring a more traditional-sized screen on the outside but unfolding into a nearly iPad mini-sized screen on the inside. In addition to a refined hardware design, the iPhone Duo features numerous software refinements to deliver a user experience optimized for the new form factor. Pre-orders for the iPhone Duo begin on October 16, with a launch to follow on October 23, and in the meantime, check out our hands-on video from the event. Apple Announces iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max Apple this week also unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, which look very similar to the iPhone 17 Pro models but have several upgrades. As was widely rumored, both devices have a smaller Dynamic Island that can show up to three Live Activities at once. The A20 Pro chip in the iPhone 18 Pro models has a 6-core CPU, a 7-core GPU, and a 32-core Neural Engine, and thanks in part to a much larger vapor chamber cooling system, Apple says sustained performance is up to 40% faster compared to the A19 Pro chip. Other updates include new camera features such as a variable aperture on the Main camera, longer battery life, and new color options, all of which we discussed in our hands-on and early impressions video. Pre-orders for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max kicked off today, with a launch coming on September 18. Apple Announces Apple Watch Series 12 With S11 Chip, Upgraded Health Sensors and Ceramic Models The Apple Watch Series 12 was also introduced this week, featuring a new S11 chip, a similar redesigned health sensing system as on the Ultra 4, and new aluminum, titanium, and ceramic finishes. Series 12 comes in Space Gray, Black, Light Gold, and Dark Bronze aluminum finishes. The aluminum models gain Ceramic Shield, which Apple says makes their screens 60% tougher. Polished titanium models are also available in Radiant Gold and Natural, while ceramic models come in Pearl White and Night Blue. Pricing starts at $399, with pre-orders available now ahead of a September 18 launch. Apple Announces Apple Watch Ultra 4 With Two-Day Battery Life and Upgraded Health Tracking Apple this week announced the Apple Watch Ultra 4, which features a new S11 chip, a redesigned health sensing system, and a larger battery that Apple says delivers two days of battery life. With improved power efficiency, Ultra 4 offers up to 18 hours of workout tracking with full GPS and heart rate monitoring, or 45 hours in its maximum extended workout mode, according to Apple. Pre-orders are available now ahead of a September 18 launch, with prices starting at $799. AirPods 5 Announced With Improved Noise Cancellation, Audio Quality, and More Finally, Apple introduced AirPods 5, offering Active Noise Cancellation with its entry-level wireless earbuds at a starting price of $129. A $149 version with a Wireless Charging Case adds swipe-based volume controls on the stems and longer battery life. Apple says AirPods 5 remove up to 50% more external noise than AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation. They also boast a redesigned acoustic architecture and updated Adaptive EQ which promise richer, more detailed sound, and an improved Transparency mode that makes nearby voices and sounds more natural. AirPods 5 are available to pre-order now, with availability beginning Friday, September 18. MacRumors Newsletter Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view. So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!Tag: Top StoriesThis article, "Top Stories: Apple Event Recap With iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro, Apple Watch, and AirPods" first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
