Apple’s September Event Delivers Its First Foldable iPhone

Apple kicked off its “Surprise and Shine” event on 9 September with three new iPhones, headlined by the long-rumoured foldable handset. Here’s what’s new, what they cost and when you can get your hands on them.

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max

Both Pro models get Apple’s new A20 Pro chip, promising a solid CPU and GPU boost over last year’s A19 Pro, along with a 48MP main camera that now has a variable aperture for better low-light and depth control. Battery life is up too, with Apple quoting 36 hours of video playback on the Pro and 45 hours on the Pro Max. Both come in four finishes: Silver, Black, Glacier, and Burgundy.

iPhone Duo

The headline device is the iPhone Duo, a book-style foldable with a 5.4-inch outer screen and a 7.6-inch inner display when opened. It runs the same A20 Pro chip, swaps Face ID for Touch ID on the power button, has a titanium frame, a 48MP Fusion camera system, and support for the Apple Pencil. It launches in Star White and Night Sky.

Pricing

Based on the 256GB versions pricing starts at £1,199 for the iPhone Pro, £1,299 for the Pro Max and £1,999 for the Duo.

Pre-order and shipping dates

Pre-orders started Saturday 12 Sept, with shipping from Friday 18 Sept 2026 for the Pro and Pro Max models. While pre orders for the Duo are open from Friday 16 October, with shipping from Friday 23 October 2026.

SO, if you’re after the familiar candy-bar design, the Pro models are the ones to go for. If it’s the foldable you want, there’s a bit longer to wait — and a much bigger jump in price.

What about the rest of the range?

Notably absent from the event was the ‘standard’ iPhone 18. It appears Apple has split this year’s lineup into two waves rather than launching everything together: with the standard iPhone 18, a new entry-level iPhone 18e, and a second-generation iPhone Air expected to follow in spring 2027, likely between March and June.

Apple hasn’t given an official reason for the staggered rollout, but it’s widely read as a deliberate move to separate the premium launches from the more affordable models rather than a sign of production issues.