Apple kicked off its Surprise and Shine event Wednesday with a cinematic passing of the torch as former CEO Tim Cook introduced his successor, John Ternus.
Ternus then praised the company’s crown jewel — the iPhone, which he called an “intelligent personal hub” superpowered by artificial intelligence — before unveiling a slew of new products, including the first folding iPhone, known as the iPhone Duo.
Other new and upgraded products included the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4 and AirPods 5. Plus, various Apple execs also showcased new software features coming soon in iOS 27 and the company’s other software platforms.
“iPhone sits at the center of an amazing ecosystem of intelligent features and experiences that work seamlessly across the products you use every day,” Ternus said, before name-checking the new AI-powered Siri and advanced features in the new Apple Watch and AirPods.
“Simply put, iPhone brings powerful AI capabilities together with your personal context on the device you have with you all the time,” Ternus continued. “So today, we’re going to take these experiences even further with the next generation of iPhone.”
Apple Surprise and Shine event: All the new products
Every big Apple launch turns basic product announcements into a master class in marketing. This year’s Surprise and Shine event puts new Apple CEO John Ternus in the spotlight. Former CEO Tim Cook‘s classic greeting of “Good morning” gave way to Ternus’ understated “Hello.”
Prior to taking over as CEO, Ternus teased an “incredible” product pipeline. And the Surprise and Shine event provided his first opportunity to back up those words with legitimately incredible new products.
Table of contents: Apple Surprise and Shine event announcements
- iPhone Duo: The foldable we’ve been waiting for
- iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: Serious upgrades
- Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4
- AirPods 5
We will update this post as the event unfolds.
iPhone Duo: The foldable we’ve been waiting for
Photo: Apple
The highlight of Apple’s Surprise and Shine event came at the end, a “one more thing” that’s been the subject of leaks and rumors for years: the iPhone Duo, the first folding iPhone.
The device pairs a 5.4-inch external screen with a 7.6-inch inner one. Apple emphasized that this is the largest iPhone display yet, while remaining thin enough to fit in a pocket when closed.
“iPhone Duo is the most transformational change to iPhone since the original,” said Ternus. “With an entirely new design and intuitive experiences, it shows what’s possible when hardware and software are engineered together and redefines what it means to use a foldable phone.”
He pitched it as a device that “helps you stay more immersed and productive wherever you go, whether you’re enjoying content, multitasking across apps, or gaming.”
The iPhone Duo runs on Apple’s new A20 Pro chip, based on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s 2nm node. It comes with a six-core CPU with two super cores. A seven-core GPU brings up to a 40% boost in graphics performance, Apple said.
Screenshot: Apple
In addition to the hardware, iOS 27 brings a range of features to take advantage of the iPhone Duo’s extra-large display, including Split View multitasking. Unfolded, the 7.6-inch screen seems perfect for watching movies or getting things done with two apps displayed side by side.
Apple showed off several ways the iPhone Duo could make everyday life more enjoyable, too. Selfies, video calls and streaming movies and TV shows all benefit from the device’s folding form factor.
Well aware of concerns about durability, Apple says the iPhone Duo’s titanium design, precision hinge, reinforced structure and IP68 water- and dust-resistance make the foldable rugged enough for everyday use.
The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 — less than pessimistic prelaunch predictions. Preorders begin October 16, with the devices hitting store shelves on October 23.
iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: Serious upgrades
Image: Apple
The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max bring substantial upgrades to Apple’s high-end devices.
“We made massive advancements in the most important areas: intelligence, performance, battery, and camera,” said Ternus as he introduced the new models.
The phones look much like the iPhone 17 Pro models, although this year’s design features color-matched glass panels on the back that more closely match the aluminum chassis. This year’s colors include deep black, glacier, silver and burgundy, the long-rumored “hero” color (previously rumored to be dark cherry) that replaces cosmic orange.
New variable-aperture camera
Photo: Apple
Both the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max come with a big camera upgrade: a new 48-megapixel Fusion main camera with variable aperture that makes it “most advanced camera we’ve ever made,” according to Kaiann Drance, Apple’s VP of iPhone marketing.
“To create variable aperture, we developed a system of six laser-cut blades, each thinner than a human hair,” Drance said. “The blades are made of a specialized polymer composite for the right balance of mass, flexibility and durability. There’s a new rotor mechanism to control movements and a custom-designed lens to ensure image quality at multiple apertures.”
The aperture adjusts automatically based on whatever picture you’re trying to capture.
New A20 Pro chip and vapor chamber design for better performance
Just like the iPhone Duo, the iPhone 18 Pro models run on the A20 Pro chip. Plus, a new design increases the size and effectiveness of the iPhone 18 Pro models’ vapor chamber, allowing heat to dissipate more efficiently.
Despite the performance boost from the A20 Pro, Apple says the iPhone 18 Pro delivers the same battery life as last year’s iPhone 17 Pro Max. And the iPhone 18 Pro Max gets an even bigger battery, delivering up to 36 hours of video playback.
The new phones also charge faster. iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max can charge to 50% in around 15 minutes, Apple said. And a five-minute charge can provide up to six hours of video playback.
Image: Apple
Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4
Image: Apple
Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 bring upgraded sensors and a more powerful Apple silicon processor. Apple says the new Health Sensing System enables advanced features that monitor and interpret your health throughout the day.
“These new capabilities start where Apple Watch touches your wrist: the advanced sensor array that helps you track your heart rate and rhythm, your sleep, advanced workout metrics and so much more, turning every moment of your day and night into meaningful insights,” said Deidre Caldbeck, Apple’s senior director of Apple Watch and health product marketing.
The hardware upgrades in the new Apple Watches include:
- Increased electrode surface area for better skin contact during ECG readings.
- Redesigned photodiodes, organized in a ring to capture light more efficiently for better optical sensing.
- Larger, more power-efficient green LEDs that “support accurate heart rate measurements all day, even during motion.”
“The new health sensing system delivers higher frequency, continuous heart rate data, which is a key indicator of your overall health,” said Caldbeck.
The new Apple Watches will take background heart rate readings every five seconds all day long (60x more frequent than previous models). Plus, they will measure heart rate variability, an indicator of how your body responds to stress and recovery, as often as every five minutes (24x more frequently).
The upgraded system means “Apple Watch has the most accurate heart rate sensing in a wearable,” Caldbeck said.
Despite the ongoing RAMageddon, Apple did not increase the price of either model. The Apple Watch Series 12 starts at $399. The Apple Watch Ultra 4 starts at $799. Preorders start today, and Apple says the devices will become available on September 18.
AirPods 5
Screengrab: Apple.
Apple just revealed AirPods 5, bringing upgraded open-ear active noise cancellation to its most affordable earbuds. Unlike with AirPods 4, even the base AirPods 5 come with ANC. Even better, Apple promises the new earbuds remove up to 50% more external noise than AirPods 4 with ANC.
The earbuds feature a new multiport acoustic architecture and next-generation Adaptive EQ for richer, more detailed sound, along with improved Transparency mode and Adaptive Audio.
AirPods 5 also add hands-free Siri AI capabilities, including head gestures for responding to Siri, while Live Translation lets users hear conversations translated into their preferred language.
AirPods 5 start at $129, while a version with a Wireless Charging Case costs $149. The more expensive model adds volume control through swiping on the stem and improves battery life to up to five hours with ANC enabled.
Preorders begin today, with store availability starting Friday, September 18.
Watch the live stream of Apple’s Surprise and Shine event
Ed Hardy and Rajesh Pandey contributed to this report.
