Apple has unveiled its long-awaited foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, at its “Surprise and shine” event on September 9, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch Ultra 4 and AirPods 5.
The company did not announce a standard iPhone 18 model at the event, making the new Pro versions the main conventional smartphone additions to the lineup.
The iPhone Duo, previously rumoured to be called the iPhone Ultra, will start at Dh8,499 in the UAE. The device will be available for purchase from October 23, with pre-orders opening on October 16. Other products introduced at the event are scheduled to go on sale on September 18.
The foldable phone closes into a 5.4-inch device and opens into a 7.6-inch display. It measures 5.2mm when unfolded and 11.3mm when closed, with a weight of 254 grams. Its frame is made from titanium, while the front uses Ceramic Shield 2. The phone also carries an IP68 rating and is designed to withstand water exposure to a depth of six metres.
Apple has used Touch ID in the side button instead of Face ID. The inner display features a matte nano-texture finish designed to make the central crease less noticeable.
Storage options range from 256GB to 2TB, with UAE prices reaching Dh13,599 for the highest-capacity model. Apple has also developed iOS 27 with the foldable format in mind. The software introduces Split View on iPhone and moves elements such as the Dock, Lock Screen controls and app navigation to the side of the display.
The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max have also received hardware upgrades, although their overall designs remain close to those of the previous generation. Both models are Dh400 more expensive at base storage compared with their predecessors.
The iPhone 18 Pro features Apple’s A20 Pro chip, manufactured using a 2nm process, while its GPU is claimed to be up to 40 per cent faster than the previous A19 Pro. Its 48MP main camera also gains a variable aperture with four settings ranging from f/1.48 to f/4.
Battery performance is another major change. Apple claims the iPhone 18 Pro Max can deliver up to 45 hours of video playback, the longest battery figure it has announced for an iPhone.
The Pro models retain the Dynamic Island, though it has been reduced in size, while new colour options include Black, Glacier and Burgundy alongside Silver. Prices rise sharply at higher storage capacities, with the 2TB iPhone 18 Pro Max costing Dh10,599, or Dh2,100 more than last year’s equivalent model.
