Foldable arrives: Apple has entered the foldable-phone market with its first book-style iPhone, reportedly starting around $2,199 and featuring a 7.8-inch inner display.
BY PC Bureau
September 9, 2026: Apple opened its first major product event under new CEO John Ternus on Wednesday with a premium-heavy lineup, raising prices for its flagship iPhones and unveiling the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, its first foldable iPhone, Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4 and AirPods 5.
Branded “Surprise and Shine,” the event was Ternus’s first keynote as Apple CEO after succeeding Tim Cook.
iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max
The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 for 256GB, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at $1,299. Pre-orders begin September 12, with the phones reaching customers and stores on September 18.
Both models are powered by Apple’s new A20 Pro chip, featuring a seven-core GPU that Apple says delivers up to 30% faster graphics performance. Battery life is rated at up to 24 hours on the Pro and 30 hours on the Pro Max.
The camera system is built around a 48-megapixel Fusion main sensor with variable aperture, a first for the iPhone. Apple has also reduced the size of the Dynamic Island, which can display up to three Live Activities simultaneously.
The new phones will be offered in black, silver/glacier, light blue and burgundy.
A new Handoff feature will allow two iPhones to share a single phone number, with T-Mobile and Verizon among the first carriers expected to support it.
READ: Why NIA’s Chargesheet in the Van Dyke Case Raises Eyebrows
Apple’s First Foldable iPhone
Apple also introduced its first book-style foldable iPhone, widely referred to as the iPhone Duo in pre-launch reports.
The device features a roughly 5.5-inch cover display and a 7.8-inch inner screen, along with the A20 Pro chip and dual rear cameras. Apple has focused on reducing the visible crease, one of the biggest challenges facing foldable phones.
The foldable is expected to start at around $2,199, with higher-storage versions potentially approaching $3,000. Some reports have suggested sales could begin as early as October.
John Ternus just led his first Apple keynote as CEO & he saved the biggest reveal for last: the first-ever foldable iPhone. 🤯
5.5-inch outer display. 7.8-inch inner screen when unfolded. Priced around $2,000.
Alongside it: the iPhone 18 Pro lineup, updated Apple Watches & new… pic.twitter.com/V9bUskEbRc
— Russell Sean (@RussellQuantum) September 9, 2026
Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4
The Apple Watch Series 12 retains its $399 starting price, while the Apple Watch Ultra 4 remains at $799. Both are available for pre-order immediately and launch September 18.
The new watches feature an upgraded health-sensing system with a larger ECG electrode area, ring-shaped photodiodes and more efficient green LEDs. Apple says the system provides its most accurate heart-rate tracking yet.
The Series 12 adds Ceramic Shield protection and comes in a range of aluminium, titanium and ceramic finishes.
THE NEW APPLE $AAPL WATCH Series 12 gets the S11 chip, a new health sensing system, heart-rate readings every 5 seconds, Readiness, Health Age and VO2 Max testing.
Aluminum models also get Ceramic Shield for a 60% tougher display, with pricing starting at $399. pic.twitter.com/Pn38GzT6Wt
— Sam Badawi (@Sam_Badawi) September 9, 2026
The Ultra 4 retains black and natural titanium options while gaining new bands, including a titanium Hermès band. Apple says its larger battery and efficiency improvements can provide up to two full days of use, around 18 hours of GPS and heart-rate workouts and up to 45 hours in extended workout mode.
Both watches are powered by the new S11 processor, marking the first major Watch silicon upgrade in nearly four years.
The chip also supports Audio Intelligence, allowing the watch to interpret sounds on-device, including alarms, doorbells and a crying baby. Other additions include Siri Recap and Live Rewind, which can jump back 15 seconds and display a transcription.
Apple is also introducing Health Age, which compares metrics such as VO2 Max, sleep and laboratory biomarkers with a user’s chronological age. The redesigned Health app adds a morning Readiness score ranging from “Recover” and “Pace Yourself” to “Ready” and “Go For It.”
John Ternus just led his first Apple keynote as CEO & he saved the biggest reveal for last: the first-ever foldable iPhone. 🤯
5.5-inch outer display. 7.8-inch inner screen when unfolded. Priced around $2,000.
Alongside it: the iPhone 18 Pro lineup, updated Apple Watches & new… pic.twitter.com/V9bUskEbRc
— Russell Sean (@RussellQuantum) September 9, 2026
AirPods 5
Apple’s new AirPods 5 retain the open-ear design but offer active noise cancellation that the company says is 50% stronger than on AirPods 4.
The $129 version delivers more than four hours of listening with ANC and up to 20 hours with the charging case. The $149 model adds stem-based volume controls, up to five hours of ANC listening and wireless charging through an Apple Watch charger or Qi pad.
Both versions support hands-free Siri and Live Translation.
The September event marks an unusually premium-focused iPhone launch for Apple. Standard and lower-cost iPhone 18 models are widely expected to arrive only in early 2027, leaving this year’s flagship event centred on premium phones, the foldable iPhone, new Apple Watches and AirPods.
