Apple announces foldable iPhone, new smartwatches and AirPods at 2026 launch event

Apple is adding a long-awaited device to its product lineup.

The tech giant announced the iPhone Duo during its annual fall keynote on Wednesday, marking the company’s foray into the foldable phone space.

The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 and will be available with storage options from 256 GB to 2 TB.

The launch is Apple’s attempt to rival previous Android releases of foldables, including the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold and Google Pixel Fold, released in 2019 and 2023 respectively.

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The iPhone Duo, Apple’s first-ever foldable smartphone. (Apple Inc.)

Apple also announced the release of the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max phones on Wednesday, as well as a revamped version of Siri called Siri AI, which acts as a personal chatbot for users.

The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 and the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at $1,299 with lease options through Apple Upgrade.

Apple CEO John Ternus speaks during the keynote address at Apple’s “Surprise and Shine” event at the company’s corporate headquarters, Apple Park, on Sept. 9, 2026 in Cupertino, California. (Benjamin Fanjoy/Getty Images)

New iPhones weren’t the only focus of the event – Apple also introduced AirPods 5 and the Apple Watch Series 12.

AirPods 5 feature “industry leading” active noise cancellation, improved sound quality, hands-free Siri AI and live translation. The latest AirPods start at $129.

Apple unveiled the AirPod 5 Hero headphones on Sept. 9, 2026. (Apple Inc.)

The Apple Watch Series 12 boasts an updated health sensing system, including higher-frequency heart rate and heart rate variability measurements. The new health tracking updates pair with the redesigned Health app to track users’ workouts, sleep, heart health and more. The Apple Watch Series 12 starts at $399.

Apple has recently hiked prices across its overall product lineup. The tech giant said the surge is brought on by ongoing global chip shortages driven by a growing demand for artificial intelligence.

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Different color phones in Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro lineup. (Apple Inc.)

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Apple’s iPhone division reported $54.25 billion in revenue in the third fiscal quarter, up 22% and outperforming analysts’ expectations of $53.86 billion.