If you’re planning on investing in the iPhone Duo, here’s a question for you: Are you putting it in a case? I mean, it’s Apple’s most expensive phone. It would seem prudent to protect your investment. And now that Apple’s folding iPhone is real, case manufacturers will begin releasing cases for it, so you can pick one out when you get your iPhone Duo in October.
If you’re a longtime Apple fan, one case you might want to consider is one from Spigen. The company posted a concept for an iPhone Duo case that is inspired by the iBook, the colorful clamshell-shaped laptop that Apple released way back in 1999. The idea is that you can protect your iPhone Duo with a plastic white and Blureberry/Tangerine/Key Lime shell that is reminiscent of the iBook.
In a follow-up post, Spigen said the case is a “concept for now but who knows 👀,” so if you want this, you need to let them know.
Spigen has teased other retro concepts before. In February, it posted a concept for a “1984” beige MacBook case with an impression that symbolizes the floppy drive, and the bottom of the case has Apple’s classic script “hello” etched into the center. But Spigen doesn’t have such a product on its website, though it’s only been seven months since it posted the idea.
With the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, Apple is introducing some neat new audio-based AI features that seem genuinely useful and exciting.
The new S11 processor includes hardware that makes it possible to continually listen and (lightly) process audio without ruining battery life, and Apple is using that to provide four new AI-powered features. It calls these features “Audio Intelligence” because Apple can’t help but brand everything.
Full-time Shazam: The watch can detect music playing and automatically identify it using Shazam, displaying it on widget in the Smart Stack. Apple Watches already do this on demand, but the new thing here is that it does it continuously in the background like Pixel phones.
Sound recognition: The same feature you can get on HomePods and iPhone now comes to Apple Watch. You can get notified visually when your watch hears sounds such as doorbells, fire alarms, sirens, etc. You used to need your iPhone nearby to use this feature, but the Series 12 and Ultra 4 can do it independently.
Live Rewind: Double-tap the digital crown to see a text readout of the last 15 seconds of what was said around you. You can then ask Siri about it or save it to the Siri app.
Siri Recap: Get a high-level summary of an entire conversation in the Siri app, so you don’t forget specifics or need to take notes.
The first two of those features don’t really bother anyone. Those are existing features, and the only new thing is that the Apple Watch can do them in the background without iPhone intervention. The last two will be available later this year as a beta, and those are the ones that have people freaking out. Are people’s Apple Watches going to be recording you all the time?
Apple has issued a Audio Intelligence Security Overview white paper to help users understand how all this works and how it protects everyone’s privacy. It’s worth a read, but here are the highlights.
How Live Rewind works
On the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, audio from the microphone is continuously flowing into a little buffer in the Secure Enclave. This actually happens on lots of Apple products; it’s how they know if you’ve said “Hey Siri” or not. This is a rolling buffer, where new data continuously replaces old data.
The Secure Enclave is a completely separate hardware block that is not accessible to the rest of the operating system, or any apps, or even Apple. It’s where your Face ID and Touch ID data is stored, for example.
Live Rewind will show you what you missed—privately.
Apple
When you double-press the Digital Crown, the last 15 seconds of that buffer is sent via an encrypted secure transfer to your iPhone, where an AI model transcribes it. This happens in the iPhone’s Secure Enclave, so the audio cannot be accessed by the rest of iOS, or any app, or the user, or even Apple. This is just a straight voice-to-text transcription; it doesn’t identify or label people who are speaking. The audio is then immediately discarded.
The text of the translation is then sent back to Apple Watch where it appears on the display. It is not saved unless you ask Siri about it or save it to the Siri app to revisit later. The Siri app’s data is end-to-end encrypted and synced between devices, and users can control whether conversations are automatically deleted after 30 days, 1 year, or saved forever. Apple cannot decrypt this data, even with a court order—only the user has the key.
And one more thing, an audible chime plays from the speaker on your Apple Watch when you implement Live Rewind, even if your Apple Watch is on silent or you have headphones connected.
So that’s how Live Rewind protects your privacy and those around you. Raw audio data can’t ever be accessed by the user, the system, Apple, or any apps. It’s just straight translated to text, which is then optionally saved in the end-to-end encrypted Siri app.
How Siri Recap works
Siri Recap works in a similar way, but there’s more going on. You’ll be able to leave it on all the time, only when you trigger it manually, or specify certain places or times when it can’t operate.
First, a tiny little lightweight model simply detects if a conversation is happening at all.
If it is, that encrypted and secure audio buffer is sent to the iPhone (via an encrypted data transfer) for processing. It is transcribed to condensed text, and the raw audio is then immediately discarded. It is never accessible to the OS, apps, the user, or Apple.
This transcribed text passes through a safety filter than will remove potentially harmful terms. Then it is encrypted and sent to Apple’s Private Cloud Compute servers to be summarized, along with relevent contextual data that can make the summary better (such as what music you might be listening to, a relevant calendar entry, or high-level place information like what city you’re in).
Apple
Private Cloud Compute generates a title and summary with key points. It removes any specific identifiable or sensitive info such as place names or financial data, while leaving generic places names like “park” or “grocery store.” That summary is then sent back to your devices, encrypted, where it is stored in the Siri app in a new Recaps tab. All data on Apple’s Private Cloud Compute servers is always discarded immediately after processing; Apple never saves any of it.
The summaries in the Recaps tab are deleted automatically after seven days unless you choose to save it.
Like Live Rewind, Siri Recap does not create a recording, does not identify speakers, and does not even create a verbatim transcript. No audio is ever accessible at any step of the process by the user, any app, or Apple.
Finally, Live Rewind and Siri Recap are not available for users under the age of 13. For users under 18 on a Child Account, access to Live Rewind and Siri Recap must be turned on by a parent or guardian.
Apple’s 2026 iPhone lineup is broader than ever, ranging from the relatively affordable iPhone 17e to the high-end iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, plus the ultra-thin iPhone Air and the new folding iPhone Duo. That gives buyers more choice, but it also makes picking the right model more complicated than simply choosing the newest or most expensive iPhone.
For most people, the iPhone 17 is the best all-round choice, thanks to its 6.3-inch ProMotion display, strong battery life, dual 48MP cameras and 256GB of storage as standard. The iPhone 17e is the better option if price matters most, while the iPhone 18 Pro is the model to choose for the best cameras and performance. The iPhone 18 Pro Max adds the longest battery life, the iPhone Air prioritises thinness and low weight, and the iPhone Duo offers Apple’s biggest and most flexible display.
Which iPhone is best for you will therefore depend on what you value most. Camera enthusiasts should look closely at the Pro models, heavy users may prefer the Pro Max for its battery life, while parents, older users and anyone trying to keep costs down may find the 17e a much better fit. There can also be excellent value in buying a discounted or refurbished older iPhone rather than paying full price for the latest hardware.
This guide focuses on the best iPhone to buy for different types of user and budget. If you want to dig deeper into the differences between every model, see our complete iPhone Buying Guide, where we compare the cameras, displays, performance, storage, battery life and other key specifications across Apple’s current lineup.
Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide
Why we recommend it
The iPhone 17 brings several features previously reserved for Pro models to Apple’s mainstream iPhone, including a 120Hz ProMotion display and Always-On support. It also offers the fast A19 chip, dual 48MP cameras, an improved Centre Stage selfie camera, strong battery life and 256GB of storage as standard. For most buyers, it strikes the best balance between price and features.
Buy iPhone 17 if
Buy the iPhone 17 if you want the best all-round iPhone without paying Pro prices. Its 6.3-inch ProMotion display, excellent cameras, strong battery life and 256GB starting storage make it particularly appealing to anyone upgrading from an iPhone 14 or older.
Don’t buy iPhone 17 if
Don’t buy it if you want optical zoom beyond 2x or Apple’s most advanced camera features—in that case, choose the iPhone 18 Pro. The iPhone Air is a better choice if thinness and low weight are your priorities, while existing iPhone 16 owners may find the upgrade relatively modest unless ProMotion and improved battery life are particularly important.
What do you get that you don’t get with the iPhone 17e?
For the extra $200, the iPhone 17 gives you a larger 6.3-inch ProMotion Always-On display, Dynamic Island, a second 48MP Ultra Wide camera with macro photography, a brighter screen, stronger graphics performance, a better 18MP Centre Stage selfie camera and longer battery life. For most people who can afford the difference, it’s money well spent.
What do you get that you don’t get with the iPhone 16?
For $100 more, you get double the base storage at 256GB, a larger 6.3-inch ProMotion Always-On display, an upgraded 48MP Ultra Wide camera, an improved 18MP Centre Stage selfie camera, longer battery life, faster charging and the newer A19 processor. At full price, the iPhone 17 is the better buy.
Key specs
The iPhone 17 combines a 6.3-inch ProMotion display, Always-On support and the A19 chip with dual 48MP rear cameras and 256GB of storage as standard. It offers many of the features most people actually want from a Pro iPhone without the Pro price.
Starts at: $799 / £799 (256GB)
Display: 6.3-inch OLED ProMotion (120Hz)
Chip: A19
Storage: 256GB–512GB
Cameras: 48MP Main + 48MP Ultra Wide, 18MP front camera
Battery: Up to 30 hours of video playback
Should you buy or wait?
Buy now. The iPhone 17 offers excellent value, while the iPhone 18 isn’t expected until spring 2027 and may bring higher prices rather than transformative upgrades. Waiting for Prime Day or Black Friday could make sense if you’re looking for a discount.
Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide
Why we recommend it
The iPhone 18 Pro is the model to buy if you want Apple’s best cameras and performance without stepping up to the much larger Pro Max or experimental folding iPhone Duo. Its variable-aperture camera is a meaningful upgrade for photographers, while the A20 Pro chip, improved cooling, longer battery life and faster charging make it particularly capable for gaming, video and demanding AI workloads. Crucially, it gets the same cameras and processor as the Pro Max, making it the better-value Pro model for most buyers.
Buy iPhone 18 Pro if
Buy the iPhone 18 Pro if you want Apple’s best camera system; need more performance than the standard iPhone offers; regularly play demanding games or use intensive creative or AI apps; or want excellent battery life without carrying the enormous Pro Max. It’s a compelling upgrade for anyone with an iPhone 15 Pro or older.
Don’t buy iPhone 18 Pro if
Most people don’t need the iPhone 18 Pro. The standard iPhone 17 already offers an excellent 6.3-inch 120Hz ProMotion display, A19 chip, dual 48MP cameras, 256GB of storage and strong battery life for considerably less. And if your main priority is screen size and endurance, the Pro Max is the better choice.
What do you get that you don’t get with the iPhone 17?
The biggest advantage is the camera system. The iPhone 18 Pro adds a 48MP Telephoto camera with 4x and 8x optical-quality zoom, plus a variable-aperture 48MP Main camera for improved low-light shooting and greater creative control. You also get the faster A20 Pro chip with a seven-core GPU and improved vapor-chamber cooling for better sustained performance during gaming, video editing and AI tasks.
Key specs
The iPhone 18 Pro combines Apple’s new 2nm A20 Pro processor with a sophisticated triple-48MP camera system, including a variable-aperture Main camera and 4x/8x Telephoto. It retains a manageable 6.3-inch ProMotion display while improving sustained performance, battery life and charging speeds.
Starts at: $1,199 / £1,199 (256GB)
Display: 6.3-inch OLED ProMotion (120Hz)
Chip: A20 Pro, 6-core CPU, 7-core GPU
Storage: 256GB–2TB
Cameras: 48MP variable-aperture Main + 48MP Ultra Wide + 48MP Telephoto (4x/8x), 18MP front camera
Battery: Up to 36 hours of video playback
Should you buy or wait?
The iPhone 18 Pro goes on sale September 18, with pre-orders starting September 12, so there’s little reason to wait if you want one immediately. Bargain hunters may prefer to hold off until Amazon’s Prime Day sale or Black Friday on November 27, when retailers and mobile networks may offer trade-in bonuses, contract incentives or modest discounts. Large outright savings are unlikely so soon after launch.
3. Apple 18 iPhone Pro Max – Best for battery life
Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide
Why we recommend it
The iPhone 18 Pro Max is Apple’s ultimate conventional iPhone, combining a huge 6.9-inch ProMotion display with the powerful A20 Pro chip, Apple’s best camera system and the longest battery life in the range. Its biggest advantage over the regular Pro is endurance, with Apple rating it for up to 45 hours of video playback.
Buy the iPhone 18 Pro Max if
Buy the iPhone 18 Pro Max if you want the biggest possible display and longest battery life, regularly use your phone for photography, video, gaming or other demanding tasks, and don’t mind carrying a large and relatively heavy device. It’s particularly well suited to frequent travellers and heavy users who want to minimise charging.
Don’t buy iPhone 18 Pro Max if
Don’t buy it if you prefer a smaller, lighter phone or simply want the Pro cameras and performance. The iPhone 18 Pro offers essentially the same A20 Pro chip, camera system and Pro features in a more manageable 6.3-inch design for $100/£100 less. At 249g, the Pro Max is also particularly heavy.
What do you get that you don’t get with the iPhone 18 Pro?
Not much in terms of features. Both models have the same A20 Pro processor, triple-48MP camera system, variable-aperture Main camera and storage options up to 2TB. The Pro Max instead gives you a larger 6.9-inch display rather than 6.3 inches and substantially better battery life: up to 45 hours of video playback versus 36 hours on the iPhone 18 Pro. You pay an extra $100/£100 for those advantages.
Key specs
The iPhone 18 Pro Max combines Apple’s huge 6.9-inch ProMotion display with the new 2nm A20 Pro chip, three 48MP rear cameras and a variable-aperture Main camera. Its defining advantage is battery life, reaching up to 45 hours of video playback.
Starts at: $1,299 / £1,299 (256GB)
Display: 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR OLED ProMotion (120Hz)
Chip: A20 Pro, 6-core CPU, 7-core GPU
Storage: 256GB–2TB
Cameras: 48MP variable-aperture Main + 48MP Ultra Wide + 48MP Telephoto, 18MP front camera
Battery: Up to 45 hours of video playback
Should you buy or wait?
The iPhone 18 Pro Max goes on sale September 18, with pre-orders starting September 12. Buy at launch if you want it immediately, but bargain hunters may prefer to wait for Amazon’s Prime Day sales or Black Friday on November 27. Major outright discounts are unlikely so soon after launch, although trade-in offers and contract incentives could be worthwhile.
4. Apple iPhone Duo – Best foldable iPhone
Pros
Innovative folding displayExcellent multitasking potentialStrong A20 Pro performance
Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide
Why we recommend it
The iPhone Duo offers something no other iPhone can: a compact phone that unfolds into a 7.6-inch tablet-like device. The larger display gives you considerably more room for multitasking, watching video, reading, gaming and creative work, while the outer screen keeps it usable as a conventional phone when closed. Add the A20 Pro chip and clever dual-screen features and it’s easily Apple’s most innovative iPhone.
Buy iPhone Duo if
Buy the iPhone Duo if you want the versatility of an iPhone and small tablet in one device, regularly multitask between apps, consume lots of content on your phone, or simply want Apple’s most distinctive new hardware. It’s particularly compelling if you value screen space and flexibility more than having Apple’s absolute best camera system.
Don’t buy iPhone Duo if
Don’t buy the Duo if value, photography or portability are your priorities. At $1,999/£1,999 it costs $800/£800 more than the iPhone 18 Pro, while lacking Face ID, a dedicated telephoto camera, variable aperture, ProRes and the Action button. At 254g it is also the heaviest iPhone in the range. For most buyers, the iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max will be a better all-round purchase.
What do you get that you don’t get with the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max?
The Duo’s defining advantage is its 7.6-inch folding display, which offers around 50 percent more screen area than the iPhone 18 Pro Max and supports Split View multitasking, while the 5.4-inch outer screen keeps it usable like a compact iPhone when closed. You also get fold-specific features such as Duo Preview, Smart Take, Kid Cue, hands-free video positioning and an under-display inner camera, with Apple Pencil USB-C support coming later in 2026. The trade-off is photography: the Duo has only two 48MP rear cameras, with no dedicated telephoto, variable aperture, ProRes or Apple Log.
Key specs
The iPhone Duo transforms from a compact 5.4-inch phone into a 7.6-inch folding device, providing substantially more room for apps, video and multitasking. It combines two 120Hz ProMotion OLED displays with the A20 Pro chip, dual 48MP cameras, strong battery life and storage up to 2TB.
Cameras: 48MP Main + 48MP Ultra Wide, 12MP outer front camera + under-display inner camera
Battery: Up to 44 hours of video playback on outer display; 31 hours on inner display
Authentication: Touch ID
Weight: 254g
Should you buy or wait?
The iPhone Duo goes on sale October 23, with pre-orders opening October 16. Buy at launch if you want Apple’s first foldable as soon as possible. If price matters more than being first, waiting until Black Friday on November 27 could bring carrier incentives or trade-in deals, although significant outright discounts on such a new and specialised device are unlikely.
Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide
Why we recommend it
The iPhone 17e is Apple’s most affordable current iPhone, offering modern performance and Apple Intelligence without flagship pricing. It combines the A19 chip with useful upgrades including MagSafe and 256GB of base storage. If you don’t need multiple cameras or a high-refresh-rate display, it delivers the essentials at an attractive price.
Buy the iPhone 17e if
Buy the iPhone 17e if you want a modern iPhone with strong performance and years of software support for as little as possible. It’s particularly appealing to anyone upgrading from an iPhone 12 or 13, switching from Android or buying their first iPhone.
Don’t buy iPhone 17e if
Don’t buy it if you want ProMotion, an Always-On display, Dynamic Island or a versatile camera system. If your budget stretches another $200/£200, the iPhone 17 is a substantially more complete phone.
What do you get that you don’t get with the iPhone 16?
The iPhone 17e gives you the newer A19 chip, longer battery life, 256GB of storage as standard, Apple’s newer C1X modem and Ceramic Shield 2 protection. Its biggest advantage, however, is value: at similar real-world prices, it is generally the smarter long-term purchase.
What don’t you get that you get with the iPhone 17?
The iPhone 17 gives you a larger and significantly more advanced 6.3-inch 120Hz ProMotion display with Dynamic Island and Always-On support, plus a second 48MP Ultra Wide camera. You also get a better 18MP Centre Stage selfie camera, stronger graphics performance and longer battery life. The 17e covers the essentials extremely well, but the iPhone 17 feels much more complete.
Key specs
The iPhone 17e pairs the A19 chip with a 6.1-inch OLED display, 256GB of storage as standard and up to 26 hours of battery life, while omitting premium features such as Dynamic Island, ProMotion and an Ultra Wide camera.
Starts at: $599 / £599 (256GB)
Display: 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED
Chip: A19
Storage: 256GB–512GB
Cameras: 48MP Fusion Main with 2x optical-quality zoom + 12MP TrueDepth front camera
Battery: Up to 26 hours of video playback
Should you buy or wait?
Buy now. The iPhone 17e offers excellent value and isn’t expected to be replaced until early 2027. Discounts could make it even more attractive, but there’s little reason to delay purely for the next generation.
Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide
Why we recommend it
The iPhone Air’s defining feature is its exceptionally thin 5.6mm titanium design, making it noticeably lighter and more comfortable than other large-screen iPhones. Despite its slim profile, it still delivers flagship-level performance with the A19 Pro chip and a bright 120Hz ProMotion display. It’s the iPhone to choose if portability and design matter more than camera versatility or maximum battery life.
Buy the iPhone Air if
Buy the iPhone Air if you want a premium large-screen iPhone that feels exceptionally thin and light in the hand. It’s ideal for buyers prepared to sacrifice some camera flexibility and battery life in exchange for a much sleeker design.
Don’t buy iPhone Air if
Don’t buy it if photography or battery life are higher priorities. The iPhone 17 offers a more versatile dual-camera system for less money, while a Pro model is better suited to demanding photographers and power users.
What do you get that you don’t get with the iPhone 17?
The iPhone Air’s biggest advantage is its exceptionally thin and light titanium design. You also get a slightly larger 6.5-inch display, the more powerful A19 Pro chip and storage options up to 1TB. Those benefits come at the expense of the iPhone 17’s useful 48MP Ultra Wide camera, making the Air primarily a choice for buyers who value design and portability over versatility.
Key specs
The iPhone Air is Apple’s thinnest iPhone, combining a 6.5-inch display with an ultra-light titanium design. Despite measuring just 5.64mm thick, it still delivers flagship performance with the A19 Pro chip, a 120Hz ProMotion display, Ceramic Shield 2 and fast charging
Starts at: $999 / £999 (256GB)
Display: 6.5-inch OLED ProMotion (120Hz)
Chip: A19 Pro (5-core GPU)
Storage: 256GB–1TB
Cameras: 48MP Main + 18MP Centre Stage front camera
Battery: Up to 27 hours of video playback
Should you buy or wait?
Buy now if you love the Air’s distinctive thin-and-light design: there isn’t another iPhone quite like it. However, it’s also a model that frequently attracts discounts, particularly in the U.K., so it’s worth shopping around rather than paying full price.
Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide
Why we recommend it
The iPhone 16 still delivers fast everyday performance thanks to its A18 chip, supports Apple Intelligence and includes a versatile dual-camera system with an excellent 48MP Main camera. Its main appeal in the current lineup, however, is price: it only makes sense when discounted significantly below the newer models.
Buy iPhone 16 if
Buy the iPhone 16 if you find it heavily discounted and want Apple Intelligence, a capable dual-camera system and features such as Camera Control and the Action button without paying for the latest generation.
Don’t buy iPhone 16 if
Don’t buy it at full price. The iPhone 17e offers newer hardware, twice the base storage and longer battery life for less, while the iPhone 17 is considerably more advanced for only a little more money.
What do you get that you don’t get with the iPhone 17e?
The iPhone 16 has a second 12MP Ultra Wide camera, giving it greater photographic versatility, as well as Camera Control and the Action button. Those features may make it preferable to the 17e for photography-minded buyers, but only if the price is right.
What do you miss compared with the iPhone 17?
The iPhone 17 gives you a larger 6.3-inch ProMotion Always-On display, newer A19 processor, upgraded 48MP Ultra Wide camera, improved 18MP Centre Stage selfie camera, longer battery life and 256GB of storage as standard. Unless the iPhone 16 is heavily discounted, the 17 is easily worth the difference.
Key specs
The iPhone 16 combines the A18 chip with a 48MP Fusion Main camera, 12MP Ultra Wide camera, Camera Control, the Action button and Apple Intelligence support. It remains a capable smartphone, but its 128GB starting storage and older display make it less compelling than the newer iPhone 17e and iPhone 17.
Starts at: $699 / £699
Display: 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED
Chip: A18
Storage: 128GB–512GB
Cameras: 48MP Main + 12MP Ultra Wide
Battery: Up to 22 hours of video playback
Should you buy or wait?
Don’t buy at full price. Only consider the iPhone 16 if it’s heavily discounted below the iPhone 17e; otherwise, Apple’s newer models offer substantially better value.
The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max have the best camera systems of any current iPhone. Both models use the same triple-48MP rear camera setup, so there is no photographic advantage to choosing the larger Pro Max unless you also want its bigger display and longer battery life.
The headline upgrade is the 48MP Main camera with variable aperture, which gives photographers more control over depth of field and should improve low-light performance. The Pro models also include a 48MP Ultra Wide camera and a 48MP Telephoto camera with 4x and 8x optical-quality zoom, giving them far more flexibility than Apple’s cheaper iPhones.
The standard iPhone 17 is still an excellent camera phone, with 48MP Main and Ultra Wide cameras, plus an improved 18MP Centre Stage front camera. For everyday photography it will be more than enough for most people, but it lacks the dedicated telephoto lens, longer zoom and advanced video features of the Pro models.
The iPhone Duo is more compromised. Despite its premium price, it has only two 48MP rear cameras and lacks a dedicated telephoto camera, variable aperture, ProRes and Apple Log. Its strengths are instead its fold-specific shooting features and dual-screen flexibility.
The iPhone Air and iPhone 17e are the least versatile, with just a single 48MP rear camera.
Our choice: If photography and video are your priority, buy the iPhone 18 Pro. It offers the same camera system as the Pro Max for less money and in a more manageable size.
Which iPhone has the best battery life? iPhone 18 Pro Max
Bigger iPhone means bigger battery.
Apple
The iPhone 18 Pro Max has the best battery life of any current iPhone, with Apple rating it for up to 45 hours of video playback. That puts it comfortably ahead of the smaller iPhone 18 Pro and makes battery life one of the strongest reasons to choose the Pro Max.
The iPhone Duo comes surprisingly close, with up to 44 hours of video playback when using its outer 5.4-inch display. However, battery life drops to around 31 hours when using the larger 7.6-inch folding display, so the Pro Max remains the better choice if endurance is your priority.
The iPhone 18 Pro is also excellent, offering up to 36 hours of video playback. That makes it a good compromise if you want strong battery life without carrying the much larger and heavier Pro Max.
Further down the range, the iPhone 17 offers up to 30 hours, making it the best mainstream option for battery life. The iPhone Air manages around 27 hours despite its exceptionally thin design, while the iPhone 17e reaches 26 hours.
The older iPhone 16 trails the current lineup at up to 22 hours of video playback.
Our choice: If battery life matters above everything else, the iPhone 18 Pro Max is the clear winner. Its combination of a 45-hour rating, huge 6.9-inch display and Pro-level performance makes it particularly well suited to heavy users, travellers and anyone who wants to get through a long day without worrying about charging.
Here’s how the current iPhone lineup compares in terms of battery life
Model
Video Playback (Apple’s rating)
Geekbench 4 Test (minutes)
Wired Charging (50% time)
iPhone 18 Pro Max
Up to 43 hours
TBC
~15 min (60W+)
iPhone Duo
Up to 44 hours outer / 31 hours inner
TBC
~20 min (60W+)
iPhone 18 Pro
Up to 34 hours
TBC
~15 min (60W+)
iPhone 17
Up to 30 hours
1,053
~20 min (40W)
iPhone Air
Up to 27 hours
880
~30 min (20W)
iPhone 17e
Up to 26 hours
854
~30 min (20W)
iPhone 16
Up to 24 hours
867
~30 min (20W)
What is the best value iPhone? iPhone 17
Hannah Cowton-Barnes / Foundry
The iPhone 17 offers the best overall value for money in Apple’s current lineup. The iPhone 17e is cheaper, but the extra $200/£200 for the iPhone 17 buys a surprisingly large number of worthwhile upgrades.
You get a larger 6.3-inch 120Hz ProMotion display with Always-On support and Dynamic Island, rather than the 17e’s standard 60Hz 6.1-inch screen. The iPhone 17 also adds a second 48MP Ultra Wide camera, including macro photography, along with a better 18MP Centre Stage front camera.
Battery life is stronger too, at up to 30 hours of video playback, compared with 26 hours on the iPhone 17e. You also get stronger graphics performance and a more premium overall experience, while both phones start with a generous 256GB of storage.
At $799/£799, the iPhone 17 also compares very favourably with the older iPhone 16. For just $100/£100 more, you get double the base storage, ProMotion, a larger and brighter display, improved cameras, the newer A19 chip and significantly better battery life.
If your priority is spending as little as possible, choose the iPhone 17e which delivers excellent performance for $599/£599. Or seek out a refurbished iPhone from the Apple Refurbished Store or another place that sells refurbished iPhones.
Our choice: In terms of the features and hardware you get for every pound or dollar spent, the iPhone 17 is the sweet spot. For most buyers, it delivers the best balance of price, performance, cameras, display quality, battery life and longevity without paying for Pro-level features they may never use. Even better if you can find a iPhone 17 deal, then you are really getting a bargain.
Best iPhone for gaming: iPhone 18 Pro
Foundry
The iPhone 18 Pro is the best iPhone for gaming for most people, thanks to its combination of the A20 Pro chip, seven-core GPU and improved vapor-chamber cooling.
The A20 Pro is Apple’s fastest iPhone processor, but the cooling system is just as important for gaming. Better heat management should help the iPhone 18 Pro maintain high performance for longer during demanding games, rather than slowing down as the phone gets hot. Its 6.3-inch 120Hz ProMotion display also provides smooth animation and responsive gameplay without making the phone excessively large or heavy.
The iPhone 18 Pro Max offers essentially the same gaming performance, but adds a much larger 6.9-inch display and significantly longer battery life. That arguably makes it the best choice for serious mobile gamers who value screen size and endurance, although it is heavier and costs more.
The iPhone Duo also uses the A20 Pro and has an enormous 7.6-inch folding display, which could be fantastic for some games, but its weight, price and unconventional form factor make it a more specialised choice.
Our choice: For most gamers, the iPhone 18 Pro offers the best balance of performance, cooling, display quality and portability. It’s the best choice if you prefer a more pocketable device but still want top-tier gaming power.
Best iPhone for seniors and older users: iPhone 17e
David Price / Foundry
For most older users, the iPhone 17e is probably the best choice, because it combines a relatively simple feature set with modern performance, strong battery life and a lower price than Apple’s flagship models.
Its 6.1-inch OLED display is large enough to make text, icons and controls easy to see without making the phone too bulky, while the A19 chip should keep it feeling fast for years. It also supports Apple Intelligence and starts with 256GB of storage, so there’s plenty of room for photos, apps and videos.
The iPhone 17 is a better option for someone who would benefit from a larger and more advanced display. Its 6.3-inch ProMotion screen, Always-On support and higher brightness can make scrolling, reading and outdoor use more comfortable. It also offers stronger battery life and better cameras, although it costs more.
We don’t recommend the iPhone Air, Pro Max or Duo for older users. The Air sacrifices battery life and camera flexibility for thinness, while the Pro Max and Duo are much heavier and considerably more expensive.
Our choice: iPhone 17e is the perfect choice for most older users.
Best iPhone for kids: iPhone 17e
Ida Blix
The iPhone 17e is the best iPhone for most children. As Apple’s most affordable current-generation model, it offers the best balance of price, performance and longevity, while being easier to justify than a flagship model if it gets lost or damaged.
It uses the same A19 chip as the iPhone 17, albeit with one fewer GPU core, so it’s easily fast enough for games, social media, schoolwork and Apple Intelligence. Battery life is strong, the 6.1-inch OLED display is a sensible size for smaller hands, and the 48MP camera is more than capable for everyday photos, even though it lacks an Ultra Wide lens.
The iPhone 17 is the better choice for older teenagers who care more about photography, video or display quality. It adds a 48MP Ultra Wide camera, a better front camera and a larger 6.3-inch ProMotion display, but costs considerably more.
A hand-me-down iPhone is also worth considering. It’s the cheapest option and better for the environment, provided you erase the phone first, create a Child Account through Family Sharing, and configure Screen Time and parental controls before handing it over. Read: How to set up an iPhone for a child.
Whichever iPhone you choose, those controls matter. In iOS 27, Apple is expanding Screen Time with new category-based Time Allowances, Ask to Browse, more flexible app schedules and improved contact controls. Communication Safety can also detect and blur sensitive, violent or graphic content.
For very young children, an iPad may still be a better first Apple device. By the time they reach 11 or 12 though, an iPhone becomes much more useful for staying in touch.
Our choice: iPhone 17e for most kids; iPhone 17 for older teens who want better cameras and display quality.
Should you buy an older iPhone?
Macwelt
Buying an older iPhone can be a great way to save money, but the key is choosing a model that still has plenty of useful life ahead of it. Apple typically provides around five to seven years of major iOS updates, with security updates often continuing for longer, so a relatively recent iPhone can remain perfectly usable for years.
We wouldn’t recommend simply buying the cheapest iPhone you can find. Very old models may technically run recent versions of iOS, but performance, battery condition and access to newer features can become increasingly compromised. We currently recommend avoiding anything older than the iPhone 15 Pro because even the iPhone 15 doesn’t support Apple Intelligence. You should definitely avoid models such as the iPhone XS and XR that can no longer run the latest iOS releases.
A refurbished recent-generation iPhone can offer particularly good value. You may be able to buy a former Pro model with better cameras and displays for less than a new entry-level iPhone. Buying from a reputable refurbisher is important, however: check the warranty, battery condition, returns policy and whether genuine replacement parts have been used. Apple’s own refurbished iPhones include a new battery and outer shell and come with a one-year warranty.
Our advice: A discounted or refurbished iPhone 16 or newer should offer an excellent combination of price, features and longevity.
TL;DR: Renewing Microsoft 365 every year adds up fast. Get a lifetime license to Microsoft Office Home and Business 2021 for Mac for $89.97 (reg. $219) and own the core Office apps outright.
This license covers Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, a basic version of Teams, and the free version of OneNote, installed on one Mac for lifetime use at home or for work. It’s a one-time purchase tied to a Microsoft account rather than a specific device, so reinstalling later doesn’t require buying it again. Again, Microsoft Office Home and Business 2021 for Mac is available here for just $89.97.
Word, Excel, and PowerPoint Without the Subscription
The license supports the three most recent versions of macOS, currently macOS Sonoma, Sequoia, and Tahoe, with Microsoft rolling support forward as new versions launch and phasing out the oldest one.
Delivery is instant. License keys and download links arrive by email right after purchase, and any redemption code must be used within 7 days of purchase. Free customer support is included if setup runs into any snags along the way.
For anyone who’s tired of a recurring Office bill and just wants the core apps running reliably on a Mac, this is a straightforward way to skip the subscription entirely. Get Microsoft Office Home and Business 2021 for Mac for $89.97 (reg. $219) while this price holds.
Microsoft Office Home & Business for Mac 2021: Lifetime LicenseSee Deal
Most Apple Find My-compatible trackers are too thick to use with your wallet, and if you do find one that fits, it constantly needs battery replacements. KeySmart’s SmartCard fixes both problems.
Each card measures less than 2mm in thickness, about the depth of two credit cards stacked together, so you won’t even notice it in your wallet. For battery life, each card lasts up to eight months on a single charge. Yes, charge—you only need a standard Qi wireless pad.
Once paired through Apple Find My, you can play a sound to locate a card nearby or track its last known position through Apple’s global device network. Leave a card behind, and Find My sends a notification to your iPhone, CarPlay, or AirPods. Lost Mode displays your contact info on the card so someone who finds it can reach you.
It’s basically an AirTag, just shaped like a credit card.
A built-in lanyard slot turns the SmartCard into a tracker for office badges, hospital IDs, or security cards. An IPX8 waterproof rating means the card can handle up to an hour submerged in over three feet of water, helping you track your valuables even under dire conditions.
On this episode of the Macworld Podcast, we talk about Apple’s new iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone Duo, Apple Watch Series 12, and a lot more. Tune in to find out more!
My first reaction, while watching the iPhone Duo segment of Apple’s Surprise and Shine press event on Wednesday, was a simple one: I’d really like to try it. Which is saying something for a cynical journalist who’s been covering events like these for more than two decades, and speaks to the near-miraculous way Apple managed to sell a device with all kinds of compromises and limitations.
For one thing, it’s a foldable, and foldables have problems pretty much baked into the format. Ahead of the launch, leakers led us to believe that Apple had solved the crease, for example, but it’s since become apparent that the iPhone Duo very much has a visible crease, albeit one that’s less visible than those of rival products. And that’s based on people’s first impressions at the launch event. The real test will be how the screen bears up to hundreds of repeated folds over the months and years that a product at this price needs to last.
Ditto the hinge, which looks great in those minimalist white-background mockups Apple is so fond of but is an obvious point of weakness, and potentially failure, for every folding device. Will it stand up to six months of folding without growing stiff, or loose, or crunchy, or breaking entirely? Will it manage three years? Apple’s pedigree when it comes to hardware design is strong, but this is a new venture in an area where the company’s engineering work is so far unproven. Apple is asking customers to take a leap of faith.
That hinge has a lot to live up to.
Apple
In other areas, as with the iPhone Air before it, the Duo feels like a step backwards: some compromises have been necessary in order to achieve the new form factor. They’re different compromises than those on the Air, but annoying ones nonetheless.
Most notably, Apple has dropped Face ID on its flagship iPhone, with the Duo instead relying on a Touch ID sensor embedded in the side button like the iPad mini. The last iPhone to use fingerprints for unlocking rather than facial recognition was the 2022 iPhone SE, which was not a premium device. You could buy four of those for the price of an iPhone Duo and still have enough money for two pairs of AirPods 5. It’s not a flattering comparison for Apple’s latest and greatest handset.
The Duo is also bulky to an old-fashioned extent. It’s 11.3mm thick when closed, thicker than any iPhone since the iPhone 4. At 254g it’s heavier than any previous iPhone. Yet when unfolded it’s just 5.2mm thick, which is even thinner than the iPhone Air. So you’re getting the worst of both worlds: it has the physical worries of a super-thin device, but the inconvenience of a very thick one. It’ll fit in a jeans pocket, no doubt, but it’ll be more of a squeeze than most of us are used to, particularly if you plan to put it in a case.
The camera setup is solid but, by the standards of flagship smartphones, hardly remarkable. There’s no variable aperture, since that’s an exclusive feature on the 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max. Nor is there a telephoto lens. Your optical zoom capabilities are outclassed not just by the 18 Pro, but by the five-year-old iPhone 13 Pro. (The Duo also can’t shoot in ProRAW, if that’s a priority for you, nor can it take spatial photos and videos.) Again, not a flattering comparison.
Where are the rest of the color options?
Apple
Customers are even short-changed on the color options, which are limited to the tedium of white and Night Sky, which appears to be a very slightly bluish black. As well as the default white and black, buyers of the 18 Pro get burgundy and that nice Glacier sky blue, while iPhone 17 buyers can choose Lavender, Sage, and Mist Blue. But the Duo is stuck in the same black-and-white world as the ancient iPhone 5 and the mid-price iPhone 16e.
But in the end, the biggest weakness of all is that appalling, hypnotic price tag: $1,999 for the absolute entry level, scaling up to the giddy heights of $3,199 if you want the maximum 2TB of storage. The appeal of a foldable is that it’s two things at once, a single device capable of offering the utility of a mid-size smartphone or a small tablet depending on your needs. That remains a compelling sales pitch. But you can buy an iPhone 18 Pro and a current-gen iPad mini for a combined $1,798, less than the Duo. You could even upgrade the iPad mini to an iPad Air and still come out a few bucks ahead.
At a price like that, the Duo needs to be more than dazzling; it needs to be perfect. And perfect devices don’t have this many limitations.
I still want to try it, though.
For more coverage, check out The 5 most important things you need to know about the iPhone Duo.
If you’re always on the go and always complaining about phone battery levels, then you need a power bank for your iPhone. Ugreen just launched a really cool power bank that’s already 33 percent off, bringing the price down to $100.
We actually found this power bank to be one of the coolest things launched at IFA this year, literally. And there’s a good reason for that because this is the world’s first power bank with liquid cooling. Even better, there’s a small window on the side that lets you see the coolant flowing through as it works, which is a neat trick. That system keeps the charging surface below 96.8 degrees F, even during fast wireless charging, so you’ll be sure your pocket won’t overheat when you’re charging your phone.
The charging speed on this tiny little thing is also impressive. The Qi2 wireless charging pushes 25W, which will take your iPhone 17 Pro Max to 50 percent in just 38 minutes without needing a cable. But if you want to charge your phone faster, there’s a built-in USB-C cable that doubles as a carrying strap and can still deliver 45W of charging power. The 10,000mAh capacity is enough to fully refill your phone more than once throughout the day.
One honest caveat here is that all that liquid-cooling tech gives the MagFlow Pro a distinctive, eye-catching look, but it also makes it pricier than a plain power bank, even on sale. If you just want a basic battery to toss in a bag, you can spend less. But if you want the coolest-running, best-equipped magnetic charger out there, the extra money spent here buys you something really… well, cool.
For $100, this Ugreen power bank is a great pick, so grab one while it’s still under $100.
Liquid Glass, which was introduced through Apple’s operating systems last year, ended up being a controversial feature. You hated it, or you liked it well enough–I’ve never met anyone who says they love it. Apple tried to make Liquid Glass more appealing by giving the user more control over its appearance, but that didn’t change anyone’s mind.
In iOS 27, Apple is taking a different approach towards promoting Liquid Glass by associating it with one of the most beloved characters in Apple lore. In iOS 27 or iPadOS 27 (currently in final release candidacy), you’ll find an Easter egg in Settings > Appearance> Liquid Glass. It’s not obvious, but the demo window to test the opacity is scrollable. And if you scroll all the way to the bottom, you’ll find a character from Apple’s past. (Spoiler below.)
Apple has added an easter egg in iOS 27
If you scroll to the bottom of the Liquid Glass demo, you will see it
The key to finding the easter egg is to continue scrolling beyond where it stops naturally. If you do so, a search bar appears, and as you continue scrolling, the word “Moof!” will automatically be typed, revealing Clarus the Dogcow, a longtime character of Apple operating systems. If you don’t know who Clarus is, it was created by Susan Kare, who created the Dogcow glyph for the Cairo font on the original Macintosh in 1984. Clarus is a sentimental mascot for the Macintosh team and Mac users.
There was a period of time when Clarus seemed to be put out to a doghouse in Apple’s pasture (did you see how I combined a dog/cow reference there?), but it’s been making surprise appearances. A year ago, Clarus made an appearance on the Apple Watch Hermès. Four years ago, Clarus surprised and delighted users of macOS Ventura when Apple decided to put it in the Page Setup window. It’s fun to see Apple add a little whimsy to its software. Does it make us appreciate Liquid Glass a little more? That remains to be seen.
Back when Apple released the Apple Watch Series 10, it made a big deal about the “refined design” that was “nearly 10 percent thinner than Apple Watch Series 7, Series 8, and Series 9.” It also brought a bigger screen that made the whole package seem sleeker and more refined on your wrist.
Now Apple is moving in the other direction. If you buy an Apple Watch Series 12, you’re getting the same 42mm (374 by 446 pixels) or 46mm (374 by 446 pixels) screen, but the case is 1mm wider than the Series 10 and 11, making the screen appear smaller in pictures due to larger bezels. Here are the specs:
Apple Watch Series 12
42mm by 37mm by 9.7mm (42mm)
46mm by 40mm by 9.7mm (46mm)
Apple Watch Series 10/11
42mm by 36mm by 9.7mm (42mm)
46mm by 39mm by 9.7mm (46mm)
That’s not a huge difference on paper, of course, but it feels like a step backwards. As you can see in the image above comparing the Series 12 (left) with the Series 11 (center), and Series 9 (right), the bezels are much more pronounced. Normally a year-to-year change wouldn’t be an issue for most people, but the new watches have a bunch of cool features exclusive to the newer models that might entice Series 10 or 11 upgraders, and they’re going to get a watch that looks older than the one they just had.
There’s no obvious reason why the new watches should have larger cases. Other than a new heart-rate sensor, the specs and physical features are the same, and the new chip would seemingly be more efficient than the previous model.
We’ve heard rumors for years that Apple is working on a major Apple Watch redesign, with the latest rumors saying it’s finally coming next year. Let’s hope so, because the current design is going the wrong way.
Even though Wednesday’s event made no mention of a touchscreen MacBook or even macOS, the introduction of Apple’s new folding phone, the iPhone Duo, said a lot about Apple’s upcoming laptop. Apple understood what it had to do with the Duo: It couldn’t just make a big phone that folds in half (an approach many early Android folding phones took). Instead, Apple completely rethought and re-engineered iOS to accommodate the folding form factor, making it natural, smooth, and, most of all, productive.
My biggest concern with the touchscreen MacBook is whether Apple fully understands the task at hand with such a laptop. Like a folding iPhone, Apple can’t just take a MacBook, slap a touchscreen display on it, pack it up, and sell it. Mac software and macOS are specifically made with mouse and trackpad input in mind, not touch. Menus, icons, text, and everything else you see on-screen are made for pointing and clicking with an input device, not a finger.
But Apple understood the UI challenges with a folding iPhone. It didn’t just address the potential interface issues; it dramatically rethought the way we interact with our phones. From the opening transition to the way apps interact with each other and the various poses and orientations, Apple designed the iPhone Duo from the outside in, looking at the form factor and crafting iOS to match the uniqueness of the device rather than forcing existing elements and navigation into an unnatural fit.
And I expect Apple will do the same with the touchscreen MacBook. Just like Apple moved the Dock to the side and compressed the status buttons into an elegant glyph on the side of the iPhone Duo display for easier reachability, Apple needs to consider how macOS will work with a touchscreen. Apple didn’t just make a folding phone to make a folding phone; it made a folding phone to make a better folding phone. And I can start to understand the vision for the touchscreen MacBook.
Now, users aren’t going to be holding a touchscreen MacBook like an iPhone Duo, so I don’t expect Apple to make any of the same UI changes it did with the Duo. But my point is that Apple needs to take the Mac user experience to heart, and refine macOS to include elements that optimize touchscreen input. We’ve heard rumors that parts of macOS will enlarge to make touch points easy to access, but we haven’t heard much else–more could be in store, if the iPhone Duo is any indication.
We won’t have to wait much longer to hear about the touchscreen MacBook. It will be revealed in early 2027 at the latest, but more likely, within the next couple of months. But after seeing the iPhone Duo, I’m much more hopeful Apple will get it right.
TL;DR:PDF Expert is a full PDF editor for Macs, and a lifetime license just went on sale for $79.99 (reg. $139.99).
Working with PDFs on a Mac usually means settling for ad-riddled free apps or paying a heavy subscription for something like Acrobat. If you want a better option, PDF Expert is a PDF editor rapidly growing in popularity on the App Store because you only have to pay for it once. Right now, a lifetime license is on sale for $79.99 (reg. $139.99).
Editing PDFs with PDF Expert is about as easy as editing a Word doc. You can change text to fix typos or update numbers, drop in images to refresh a logo or add a chart, and insert links straight into the document. Annotation tools let you highlight passages, add pop-up notes, and stamp documents for review. When files pile up, you can merge several PDFs into one, rearrange or delete pages, or split off the pages you need.
You can convert files in both directions, either turning Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and image files into PDFs or switching them back. Onboard OCR recognizes text in scanned documents so you can search, copy, and highlight it, and the redaction tool blacks out confidential information before you send a file on.
Mac users rate it highly, with a 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store.
A new iPhone deserves more than an afterthought accessory. With the iPhone 18 Pro series, Apple has once again raised the bar on design and capability—which means the case you choose shouldn’t hold it back. The right case should protect your investment without compromising how the phone looks, feels, or functions day to day.
That’s the philosophy behind UNIQ’s new iPhone 18 collection. Rather than treating protection and design as competing priorities, UNIQ builds cases around how people actually use their phones—from the pocket to gripping, filming, video calling, and charging—so that functionality and style work together, not against each other. The result is three distinct cases, each suited to a different everyday rhythm: Swivix, Elix, and Keva Mōv.
UNIQ
Swivix: Precision Control, Built to Grip
Swivix is for anyone who wants their phone to double as a mini workstation. Its standout feature is a 360° rotating kickstand paired with a durable metal grip, letting you angle your phone for video calls, content creation, or hands-free viewing with genuine stability—not the wobble you get from flimsier stands.
The case also carries HapticCore™ technology over the Camera Control button, preserving the precise, high-sensitivity response Apple engineered into the button while keeping it fully protected.
A raised camera lens plateau shields your lenses from scratches and desk contact, while reinforced AirLite™ corners absorb impact from everyday drops. MagSafe compatibility rounds it out, so wireless charging and magnetic accessories remain effortless.
From video calls and content creation to catching up on a show, Swivix is built for people who use their iPhone for more than just staying connected.
UNIQ
Elix: Flexible Viewing, Refined Texture
Elix takes flexibility further with a 180° flip and 360° kickstand combination, adapting fluidly to streaming, filming, navigation, or video calls at virtually any angle. It’s built for movement—for the person switching between tasks throughout the day without switching accessories.
What sets Elix apart visually is its leather-textured silicone exterior, which resists dirt and scratches while giving the case a refined, tactile finish that doesn’t scream “case.” Like Swivix, it includes HapticCore™ protection for Camera Control and full MagSafe compatibility.
Durability is proven, not assumed—Elix is drop-tested to withstand falls of up to 8 feet. For design-aware professionals and young creatives who want adaptability without sacrificing a polished look, Elix hits a confident middle ground between versatility, function, and form.
UNIQ
Keva Mōv: Lightweight, Secure, Built for the Long Fall
Keva Mōv is the choice for those who want maximum confidence with minimum bulk. Constructed from lightweight synthetic fiber, its slim-fit design wraps precisely around the iPhone 18 for sleek protection that doesn’t add unnecessary weight to your pocket or bag.
Its 360° swivel precision kickstand offers the same hands-free versatility as the rest of the collection, while a matte, textured back improves grip comfort and slides smoothly in and out of pockets—ideal for anyone constantly on the move. The HapticCore™ button once again preserves responsive camera control, and MagSafe compatibility keeps charging simple.
What truly distinguishes Keva Mōv is its drop protection: tested to withstand falls of up to 13 feet, it’s built for the accidental drops that come with an active, on-the-go lifestyle.
UNIQ
Which iPhone 18 Pro Case Is Right for You?
There’s no single best case—just the one that fits the way you use your phone.
All three cases share UNIQ’s core commitment—protection, functionality, comfort, and design working in tandem, never at odds. Swivix suits those who prioritize grip and precision camera control. Elix offers refined flexibility for those who move between tasks and contexts throughout the day. Keva Mōv delivers lightweight, high-drop protection for the truly mobile.
Across the collection, UNIQ keeps the essentials in balance: protection, functionality, comfort and design—working together, not against each other.
Because protecting your iPhone shouldn’t mean compromising on how it looks—or how you use it.
On the first day of the WWDC developer conference, Apple released the first developer beta of its new operating system. This year, that means that the first release of iOS 27 outside Cupertino came on June 8, 2026.
After almost exactly three months of beta releases, fixes, tweaks, and optimizations, Apple made the release candidate available on September 9. This is the final “go / no go” check before the wide public release.
Updated September 9, 2026:Apple has released the release candidates for iOS 27 to developers and public beta testers. The company says the wide release is scheduled for Monday, September 14.
iOS 27 release notes
Here are Apple’s official release notes for iOS 27:
Apple Intelligence across apps (All iPhone 16 models and later, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max)
Photos
Spatial Reframing lets you adjust the composition of a photo after it was taken by virtually changing the camera position
Extend tool intelligently expands images beyond their edges with realistic infill, so you can straighten horizons, change aspect ratios, or add more space around a subject
Clean Up supports removing even larger objects, with more realistic, high-quality results, and you can choose between Fast mode for small blemishes or High Quality for more intricate edits
Safari
Organize by Topic uses Apple Intelligence to sort your tabs, analyzing webpages and automatically grouping similar tabs together
Notify Me can periodically check a webpage for updates, like price changes and item availability
Describe an Extension lets you create a custom extension using natural language to adjust your view of a website’s content or formatting
All-new Image Playground uses a new generative model to make high-quality images in virtually any style, including photorealistic, lets you modify your images using touch and natural language, and lets you generate Lock Screen wallpapers and Contact Posters with personalized suggestions
Describe a Shortcut lets you use natural language to create a shortcut or refine an existing one
Home
Summarized activity notifications combine related alerts across accessories into a single notification
Video descriptions for Homekit Secure Video recordings summarize what’s happening in a clip for eligible iCloud+ subscribers
Camera clip search lets you find specific moments from your HomeKit Secure Video cameras by searching in the Home appor Spotlight when on an eligible iCloud+ plan
Describe an event in Calendar lets you use natural language to create an event, and details like the time, location, invitees, and event title are filled in using Apple Intelligence
Suggestions in Mail help you take action based on the context of your emails, like getting directions to a restaurant you booked
Call Context in the Phone app understands when you’re speaking to certain businesses and proactively surfaces relevant information from across your apps, like a confirmation code or a reservation number
Accessibility
VoiceOver enhancements include more detailed and contextual image understanding for photos, charts, and screenshots, a conversational experience that lets you ask questions about your screen or surroundings, and a new way to get answers fast with an Action button integration
An enhanced Magnifier experience offers conversational visual assistance for users with low vision, with a high-contrast interface and natural language app controls for zooming and other Magnifier functions
A smarter Accessibility Reader uses intelligence to provide better text cleanup and formatting, images and tables, on-demand summaries, and translation
Voice Control flexible inputs help you navigate your device with just your voice by describing elements on screen in your own words, like “tap the gear” or “tap the button in the top right
And more, including additional ways to create and modify Genmoji, automatic proofreading, and more accurate dictation using an on-device model on iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models and later
Child Safety
Improved setup experience for new child accounts lets parents choose the exact apps their kids can access when they set up an iPhone for their child
Ask to Browse gives parents the option to approve each new website before their child can view it
Expanded Communication Safety protections help intervene before children see gore or violent content in shared images and videos
Time Allowances help parents set boundaries around how long kids can use apps across Entertainment, Games, and Social Media apps, offering guidance based on expert research and tailored to each child’s age
Schedules let parents choose which apps their kids can access at different points in their day and across weekdays and weekends
Redesigned Screen Time settings give parents at-a-glance information about how their kids use their devices, and controls to adjust access in just a few taps
System Improvements
Liquid Glass refinements improve overall readability, and a new slider in Settings lets you personalize its appearance trom ultra-clear to fully tinted
Faster performance in experiences across the system, including app launches, new photos loading in your Photos library, and AirDrop transfers
Improved search provides more relevant and comprehensive results in Spotlight, Photos, and Mail
Connectivity Assist enables more seamless transitions between Wi-Fi and cellular networks
And more improvements across apps and experiences, including enhancements to iCloud Shared Albums in Photos, Custom EQ for AirPods, support for perimenopause and menopause in Cycle Tracking in the Health app, and independent volume settings for Alarms and Timers
iOS 27: How to install iOS 27
To install the iOS 27, follow these steps. Until the final version is out on September 14, you’ll have to be a beta tester to get the update :
Open Settings.
Tap General.
Tap Software Update.
Follow the on-screen instructions
It can take a little while for the update to register, download, prepare, and install. Once it has installed and restarted, it is normal for your phone to be a little slower than usual, and battery life a little worse, for the first few days while background indexing and processing is performed.
Apple’s new iPhones for 2026 are packed with impressive technology, from faster chips and upgraded cameras to sophisticated displays and new AI features. But choosing a new iPhone isn’t always just about what’s on the inside. Much like buying a car, for some people the colour is almost as important as the specifications. After all, if you’re going to carry something around with you every day for the next few years, you’ll probably want to like the way it looks.
You can also read about how we were able to leak the new colour options ahead of the event earlier this year. We described the standout iPhone 18 Pro shade as Cherry Red, although Apple ultimately went with the less cheery name Burgundy. (We prefer our name for the shade.)
iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max
Black, Light Blue, Burgundy and Silver
iPhone Duo
Star White and Night Sky
iPhone 17 Pro & Pro Max
Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue and Silver
iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max colors
The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max come in four finishes: Black, Light Blue, Burgundy and Silver.
Burgundy (or Cherry Red).
Apple
The most distinctive new option is Burgundy, a deep red shade that was variously described in pre-launch leaks as Dark Cherry, Dark Red, coffee brown and even purple. Those rumours proved remarkably accurate, even if the name didn’t. We even had the Pantone 6076 reference ahead of launch, and we’ll be interested to see just how closely that matches the finished iPhone.
Anyone who missed having a dark Pro iPhone will welcome the return of Black, after Apple dropped a conventional black finish from the iPhone 17 Pro lineup. Silver also returns, while Light Blue replaces last year’s much darker Deep Blue as the cooler, more colourful option.
iPhone Duo colors
It’s black or white.
Apple
Apple’s first foldable iPhone has a much more restrained palette, with just two finishes: Star White and Night Sky. In simple terms, you’re essentially choosing between white and a very dark blue.
The understated colours complement the Duo’s polished Grade 5 titanium frame, helping give both versions a premium, jewellery-like appearance that distinguishes the foldable from Apple’s regular aluminium iPhones.
The limited selection isn’t a surprise. Reports had suggested for months that Apple’s first foldable would launch in just two colours, with white and dark blue eventually emerging as the leading possibilities ahead of the event.
What we discovered about the new colors before the launch
As in 2025, Macworld received information from a source familiar with Apple’s supply chain regarding the color options for the iPhone 18 lineup before the laumch. We also had our own renders to show what to expect. Here’s what we discovered.
Dark Cherry is the hot new hue
Every year, Apple introduces a new signature color for the iPhone Pro models. With the iPhone 17 Pro, the color that stood out the most was the vibrant Cosmic Orange. What about this year’s models?
While other sources have previously reported on a “Dark Red” color, the information we’ve heard suggests that Apple has been working on a Dark Cherry option (which we now know is called Burgundy) to serve as the headline new color for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. Previously, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and other leakers had suggested that Apple has been experimenting with a shade of red for this year’s phones, but we can reveal the hue will be much closer to wine than fruit punch.
While Dark Cherry color won’t be as bright and striking as Cosmic Orange in person, it will still be unique enough to distinguish it as the new iPhone 18 Pro. As always, Apple is expected to discontinue the current lineup of colors, including Cosmic Orange.
The iPhone 18 Pro could come in three all-new colors.
Foundry
Apple has also been reportedly experimenting with two other new color options for this year’s Pro lineup. One of them is Light Blue (which Apple calls Glacier), which would resemble the current Mist Blue color of the base iPhone 17. The other color in development is a dark shade of gray. Finally, our source also reports on the existence of a silver variant of the iPhone 18 Pro, similar to the current generation.
Once again, our source notes that the colors are all in development, but since the iPhone 18 Pro hasn’t gone into mass production yet, Apple still has time to change them. Also, bear in mind that Apple doesn’t always offer four color options for the Pro models, so one of these hues could be dropped.
Last year, both Macworld and the reliable leaker Sonny Dickson reported that Apple had also considered launching the iPhone 17 Pro in black or steel gray. However, those color options never saw the light of day.
Here are the Pantone color codes our says are being used internally by Apple:
Light Blue (Pantone 2121)
Dark Cherry (Pantone 6076)
Dark Gray (Pantone 426C)
Silver (Pantone 427C)
We used these codes to generate the image above. Of course, colors may look a bit different in real life due to the material and lighting conditions. Since this report was published, we’ve seen real-world evidence of these colors, specifically the Dark Cherry hue, so we’re confident it will be among the options when the phone arrives in September.
A very familiar design with minor changes
Macworld’s sources also had access to the CAD drawings of the new iPhones. These documents support the rumors that the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will look very similar to their predecessors, with only minor changes.
Most notably, the renders show a smaller Dynamic Island on the screen, which has been rumored to be one of the changes for this year’s models. This means the display will have more screen space for content when the Dynamic Island isn’t showing Live Activities.
The Dynamic Island could be smaller on the iPhone 18 Pro.
Foundry
Another interesting change noted by our source is that, in one of the renders, the gap between the glass cutout on the back and the camera bump is a bit smaller. Our source was unable to verify whether this is an old render, or if Apple is moving forward with a design change.
Last year, a Weibo leaker known as Instant Digital reported that Apple would adopt a new process to minimize the color difference between the glass and the aluminum frame, so perhaps that change also involves reducing the gap between the glass and the camera bump at some point.
More neutral colors for the foldable iPhone
We’ve also received details about the color options for the rumored foldable iPhone. The device, which will reportedly look like an iPad mini when unfolded, won’t come in fun colors like the base iPhone and may have even fewer options than the iPhone Pro.
For the foldable iPhone, Apple has been working on a classic silver and white model, as well as an Indigo option similar to the iPhone 17 Pro’s Deep Blue.
The iPhone Fold will reportedly come in a dark Indigo option.
Foundry
The source also corroborates leaked CADs and renders showing the potential design of the foldable iPhone, which is expected to feature two rear cameras, a selfie camera on the outer display, and another selfie camera in the upper-left corner of the inner display. The schematics seen by our source reveal that the foldable iPhone will be just 4.7 millimeters thick when unfolded, making it significantly thinner than the 5.6mm iPhone Air.
The iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, and the foldable iPhone are all expected to launch in September, while our sources also report that the foldable model will hit stores at a later date. The base model of the iPhone 18, the iPhone 18e, and a new Air have been rumored to arrive in the first half of 2027, which has also been confirmed by our source.
Following its preview at WWDC on June 8, Apple released the first developer beta of macOS 27 Golden Gate, giving developers and Mac users an early look at the next major version of macOS ahead of its expected public release later this month.
Rather than introducing a dramatic redesign, Golden Gate focuses on improving the experience established by macOS 26 Tahoe. The update brings Siri AI, deeper Apple Intelligence integration, smarter search tools, and a range of performance enhancements, while refining some of the more controversial aspects of Tahoe’s Liquid Glass interface.
As with any beta software, early access comes with risks. Bugs, app compatibility issues, and incomplete features are common, particularly in early developer releases. Before installing the macOS beta, it’s worth understanding what’s new, what issues testers are reporting, and whether it’s stable enough for your Mac.
Here’s everything you need to know about the latest macOS beta, including new features, known issues, release dates, and whether it’s worth installing.
What’s the latest macOS beta?
Apple is currently running two macOS beta tracks for developers: the upcoming macOS 27 Golden Gate and updates for the current release, macOS 26 Tahoe.
Apple also runs a public beta, which allows enthusiasts and early adopters to test new features before the final version launches. You need to register for Apple’s public beta to access it.
macOS 27 Golden Gate beta version tracker
Apple released the macOS 27 Golden Gate Public Beta 6 on August 31.
Apple released macOS 27 Golden Gate Developer Release Candidate on September 9, 2026.
Public Beta RC should be released sometime this week; new versions are usually released a day or two after the new developer beta.
macOS 26 Tahoe beta: Apple continues to develop macOS Tahoe through regular point releases.
macOS Beta timeline
Release
Date
Beta 1
June 8, 2026
Beta 2
June 22, 2026
Beta 3
July 6, 2026
Beta 3 v.2
July 13, 2026
Beta 4
July 20, 2026
Beta 5
August 10, 2026
Beta 6
August 17, 2026
Beta 7
August 24, 2026
Beta 8
August 31, 2026
Release Candidate 1
September 9, 2026
Public Beta
July 13, 2026
Public Beta 2
July 22, 2026
Public Beta 3
August 11, 2026
Public Beta 4
August 17, 2026
Public Beta 5
August 24, 2026
Public Beta 6
August 31, 2026
Final Release
September
What’s new in the latest beta?
New features in macOS 27.
Foundry
The beta introduces several significant upgrades.
Siri AI: Apple has redesigned Siri with personal context awareness and the ability to perform multi-step tasks across apps.
Better performance: One of Golden Gate’s goals is improved responsiveness. Early testers report faster app launches, quicker AirDrop transfers, and a generally snappier experience than Tahoe.
Smarter Search: A rebuilt indexing engine powers Spotlight, Mail, and Photos, delivering faster and more relevant search results.
Safari Automation: Safari gains new AI-powered features, including automatic tab grouping and a new “Notify Me” tool that can monitor webpages for changes.
Design refinements: Following criticism of Tahoe’s Liquid Glass design, Apple has refined the interface with improved transparency controls and more consistent window corners.
More Apple Intelligence features: Apple Intelligence is integrated more deeply throughout the system. Improvements include smarter automation, enhanced password management, and natural-language shortcuts. Users can create Shortcuts using plain English, while Calendar can generate events from written requests. Photos also gains AI-powered editing tools, including Spatial Reframing and enhanced cleanup features.
Xcode 27: Xcode 27 ships with the macOS 27 SDK and includes new AI-assisted development tools, including coding assistance and testing features.
While installing a beta lets you try new features such as Siri AI and enhanced Spotlight months before release, it is generally not recommended for most users because of the stability risks involved.
Install if…
You need to test apps
You want early access to new features
You have a secondary Mac available
Wait if…
This is your primary work machine
You rely on niche or specialist software
Stability is critical to your workflow
Who are you
Should you install?
A developer testing apps
Install now
An Apple enthusiast with a spare Mac
Consider waiting for the Public Beta
A public beta testers on main machine
Wait for the Public Beta
Mission-critical users
Wait for fall 2026 version
What do people think of the macOS beta?
Golden Gate is focused less on introducing dramatic new features and more on refining the experience introduced in macOS Tahoe. Early feedback has been positive about the ways Apple is addressing many of the complaints users had about 2025’s Liquid Glass redesign while also improving overall performance.
Performance: Reports from beta testers both within our team and across the web suggest that Golden Gate feels faster and more responsive. Some users report that even older Macs feel noticeably quicker when running the beta.
Liquid Glass changes: Early testers appear supportive of the updated design. Apple has refined several Liquid Glass elements and introduced greater control over transparency effects.
Siri AI: The biggest addition in Golden Gate is Siri AI. However, support outside Apple’s own apps remains inconsistent. Some testers find Siri AI genuinely useful, while others report reliability issues.
Installing pre-release software on a primary device carries several risks.
System instability: Performance problems, freezes, crashes, and other unexpected behavior are common during beta testing.
App failures: Third-party applications may crash, behave unpredictably, or stop working entirely.
Hardware strain: Early beta builds can increase battery drain and cause Macs to run hotter than usual.
Data loss: Software bugs may corrupt files, and downgrading to a stable version often requires a complete system reset.
Safety precautions and best practices
If you decide to install the beta, take the following precautions:
Use a secondary device: Avoid installing beta software on your primary Mac or on any machine used for critical work.
Create a full backup: Use Time Machine to create a complete backup before upgrading so you can restore your Mac if something goes wrong. Note that this need to be a Time Machine backup from before the beta was installed and you will lose anything saved subsequently.
Check storage space: Make sure you have at least 15GB of free storage available before beginning the installation.
How to install the macOS beta
Foundry
The process for installing a macOS beta depends on whether you are seeking the Developer Beta or the Public Beta. Apple simplified this process a few years ago, removing the need for a paid developer account to access early builds.
You will need to register your account either as a public beta tester or as a developer in order to enable beta updates on your Mac.
To install the beta follow these steps:
Back up your Mac: Before installing any pre-release software, it is critical to prepare your Mac to avoid data loss. Beta software is inherently unstable and can cause crashes or app compatibility issues.
Registered your account either as a public beta tester or as a developer in order to enable beta updates on your Mac: For the Public Beta: Visit the Apple Beta Software Program website, sign in with your Apple ID, and agree to the terms. For the Developer Beta: Register as an Apple Developer on Apple’s website, download the Apple Developer app from the App Store, sign in with your standard Apple ID, and complete the free registration process.
On the Mac where you wish to install the beta, open System Settings and navigate to General > Software Update.
Click the (i) info button next to Beta Updates.
Enable Beta Updates.
The beta will appear as an available upgrade. Select the macOS beta you want to instal (e.g., macOS 27 Golden Gate Public Beta or Developer Beta).
Click Upgrade Now to begin the download and installation.
As long as you are a registered developer or enrolled in the public beta program, when the relevant macOS Beta becomes available, it will also show up on your Mac.
Once you are running the beta, the updates will come through to your Mac automatically; you just need to go to Software Update in System Settings and click to install. See How to install macOS.
How to get a free Apple developer account
If you just want a free Apple Developer account so you can access the beta, you can get this via Xcode or the Apple Developer app in iOS. Here’s how to do it via the Apple Developer app on an iPhone:
If you wish to actually publish applications to the App Store or receive support, you’ll need to pay $99/£79 per year for a paid account. You can compare the free and paid accounts here.
FAQ
1.
Who can run the macOS beta?
Anyone can run the macOS beta, but to do so, you do need to register for either the developer beta, the pubic beta, or both.
Apple offers both developer and public beta programs for macOS, enabling all interested users to test pre-release versions of the operating system. While both betas provide early access to new features, they cater to different user profiles based on technical expertise and risk tolerance. Beta software tends to be buggy so the more stable public beta version may be preferable, but even that will not be bug-free.
In the past, the developer beta was only available to developers who had paid to join Apple’s Developer Program (which costs $99/£79). However, for a couple of years now, Apple has opened up the developer beta to registered developers with free developer accounts. We explain how to get a free developer account below.
Since 2023, the Developer Beta has been available to anyone who registers as a developer, even if they aren’t a paid-up member of Apple’s Developer Program. As a result, people with a basic free developer account can download the new macOS developer beta (we show you how to register below).
Whether you should download the developer beta if you aren’t a developer is another question. We don’t recommend you install the developer beta if you aren’t a developer. Instead, our recommendation is to use the public beta (the first version of which usually arrives in July).
There are a few differences between the public and developer betas. The public beta is not the same as the beta that is released through the developer program. The public beta typically launches after the developer beta has undergone initial testing and refinement
Developers get updates to their beta first, and possibly more frequently. But you should keep in mind that betas are by nature not stable, and because the public beta comes after the developer beta it could be a little safer to install.
The most significant difference is probably the motive of the testers: Developers usually have the aim of ensuring their apps work when the updated macOS is released to the general public, while public beta testers are essentially helping Apple detect bugs and offering feedback on the features. Because of this, developers may get to test new features not available in the public beta.
If you want to get the public beta the first thing you need to do, if you haven’t already, is join Apple’s beta programs read this for more information: How to become an Apple beta tester.
3.
Is the macOS beta stable?
By its nature, a beta has the potential to be unstable. Therefore, it’s not advised that you install it on a Mac that you rely on. If you have a second Mac that isn’t mission-critical, then install it there. We strongly recommend that you don’t risk all by putting the macOS beta on your primary macOS, especially not in the early days of the beta development.
If you don’t have a second Mac, there are a couple of ways you could run macOS beta on your Mac without running the risk of losing data or finding your Mac stops working:
If the stability of the beta worries you, then you are probably better off waiting until the final version is out, or at least waiting until testing has been happening for a few months before getting the beta.
4.
How to prepare your Mac for the beta
Update your software: We recommend you have the latest full version of macOS installed, although Apple says that the macOS Developer Beta Access Utility requires macOS 10.8 or later.
Make space: We’d recommend at least 15GB of available space because the macOS betas tend to be very large. If you end up requiring more space, read: How to free up space on Mac. Note that we always recommend that you have at least 10% space free on your Mac at any time, so if you don’t have that, expect problems!
Should you come across an error or a bug, you should use the Feedback Assistant app to provide feedback to Apple. Launch the app and follow the appropriate steps, selecting the area about which you’re providing feedback and then any specific sub-area. Then describe your issue in a single sentence, before providing a more detailed description, including any specific steps that reproduce the issue. You’ll also be able to attach other files.
You’ll also have to give permission for the Feedback Assistant app to collect diagnostic information from your Mac.
It won’t always be obvious whether something is a bug or just not as easy to use as you might have hoped. Either way, if your feedback is that something appears to work in an illogical way, Apple will want to know that.
If you are having trouble with a third-party app, you can let Apple know by reporting it through the 3rd-party Application Compatibility category in the Feedback Assistant. However, we’d suggest that you also provide feedback to the app’s developer, who will no doubt be grateful.
6.
Will I be able to update from macOS beta to the final version?
Beta users will be able to install the final build of the OS on release day without needing to reformat or reinstall.
7.
Can I talk about the beta publicly?
According to Apple and the license agreement all beta testers must agree to, the beta is “Apple confidential information”. By accepting those terms, you agree not to discuss your use of the software with anyone who isn’t also in the Beta Software Program. That means you can’t “blog, post screenshots, tweet, or publicly post information about the public beta software.”
However, you can discuss any information that Apple has publicly disclosed; the company says that information is no longer considered confidential.
8.
How to downgrade from the macOS beta
You can always revert to an earlier version of macOS, though depending on how you back up, it’s not necessarily a painless process.
Start by making sure the data on your drive is backed up, then erase the drive and install the latest public version of macOS. When you first start up your Mac, you can use the Migration Assistant to import your data from the backup. Here’s a more detailed tutorial on downgrading from the macOS beta and we also have a tutorial on downgrading to an older version of the Mac OS.
9.
Is the beta free to download?
Yes, the macOS beta is free to download for both developers and the general public. Apple offers two distinct tracks for testing pre-release software: the Developer Beta and the Public Beta, both of which are now accessible without a paid subscription.
10.
Can I go back to the stable version?
Yes, you can go back to the stable version of macOS from a beta, but the complexity of the process depends on whether the final version of that software has been released yet.
If you are running a beta (such as the macOS 27 Golden Gate beta) and want to return to the current stable version (such as macOS 26 Tahoe) before the new OS officially launches in the fall, you must perform a clean installation. Because this requires wiping your internal drive, a full backup is essential, but you will want a backup made before you installed the macOS beta.
11.
Should I install the beta on my main Mac?
Installing a macOS beta on your primary computer is generally not recommended due to the inherent risks of using unfinished software. While beta programs offer early access to new features, they are designed for testing and often contain significant bugs that can disrupt your daily workflow.
12.
Do I need an Apple Developer account to install the beta?
You do not need a paid Apple Developer account to install the macOS beta. While access to developer betas was previously restricted to those paying a $99/£79 annual fee, Apple changed this policy in 2023 to allow anyone with a free developer account to access these builds . Alternatively, you can join the Public Beta program, which is also free and accessible to anyone with a valid Apple ID.
13.
How often are new beta versions released?
New macOS beta versions are typically released every one to two weeks, with the frequency increasing as the final public release date approaches. The beta updates refine features and address bugs identified by testers.
14.
Is the macOS beta safe to install?
The beta is generally safe to test, but it may contain bugs that cause crashes, poor battery life, app compatibility issues, or data loss. Always back up your Mac before installing.
15.
Will my apps work with the macOS beta?
Many apps will work normally, but some third-party software may crash, perform poorly, or not launch at all until developers release updates.
Apple has unveiled the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4, with both models focusing much more heavily on health monitoring, Apple Intelligence and battery efficiency than on physical redesigns. Series 12 remains Apple’s mainstream premium smartwatch, while Ultra 4 continues as the larger, tougher model aimed at endurance sports, outdoor activities and diving. Both are available to pre-order now and go on sale on September 18.
The biggest upgrade shared by both watches is Apple’s all-new Health Sensing System, which combines redesigned optical and electrical heart sensors with larger, more power-efficient green LEDs. Apple says it provides the most accurate heart-rate sensing of any wearable it tested. Background heart-rate readings are now taken every five seconds, while HRV can be measured as often as every five minutes – 60 times and 24 times more frequently respectively than on Series 11.
That additional data powers another major addition: Readiness, which gives users a 0–10 score based on recent activity, sleep, vitals and recovery data, and updates during the day. Both watches also use Apple’s new S11 chip, which enables Siri AI and a collection of Audio Intelligence features including Sound Recognition, faster Shazam, Live Rewind and Siri Recap. Some of those Audio Intelligence features won’t arrive until later in 2026.
The most dramatic hardware improvement is reserved for the Ultra 4: Apple has increased normal battery life from 42 hours to 50 hours, Low Power Mode from 72 to 84 hours, and introduced workout modes capable of tracking for up to 45 hours. Series 12 remains rated at 24 hours, although its quick charging is more useful, while the aluminium Series 12 gains tougher Ceramic Shield 2 and Apple has brought back a premium ceramic Apple Watch for the first time in years.
The five biggest Apple Watch upgrades for 2026
New Health Sensing System with substantially more frequent heart-rate and HRV monitoring.
Readiness score for daily recovery and training guidance.
S11 chip, Siri AI and Audio Intelligence, including Siri Recap and Live Rewind.
Much longer Ultra 4 battery life, rising from 42 to 50 hours, with up to 45 hours of extended workout tracking.
New materials and durability, including Ceramic Shield 2 on aluminium Series 12 and the return of ceramic Series 12 models.
The rumours were broadly right that this wouldn’t be a major redesign, and also correctly predicted the emphasis on health, Siri AI and ceramic materials. However, rumours of Touch ID have not materialised, there is still no blood-glucose sensor, and the Series 12 hasn’t gained longer quoted battery life despite speculation about a larger battery. Apple also resisted the predicted price increase.
Your watch knows how you are feeling. Do you?
Apple
Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4: Top 10 features
Feature
Apple Watch Series 12
Apple Watch Ultra 4
Health Sensing System
New optical/electrical sensors
Same new system
Background heart rate
Every 5 seconds
Every 5 seconds
HRV
As often as every 5 minutes
As often as every 5 minutes
Readiness score
Yes
Yes, with training data
Processor
S11
S11
Siri AI
Yes
Yes
Audio Intelligence
Yes
Yes
Display
42mm/46mm, up to 2,000 nits
49mm, up to 3,000 nits
Battery
Up to 24 hours; 38 hours Low Power
Up to 50 hours; 84 hours Low Power
Satellite
No direct satellite communications
Emergency SOS and Find My via satellite
Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 release date: When will they go on sale?
Apple announced the Series 12 and Ultra 4 on September 9, 2026.
Both watches are available to pre-order immediately, including in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada and more than 50 other countries and regions.
They officially go on sale and become available in Apple Stores on Friday, September 18, 2026.
You can buy them directly from Apple through Apple.com, the Apple Store app and Apple retail stores. They will also be available through Apple-authorised retailers and, in the case of cellular models, participating mobile networks.
watchOS 27 arrives slightly earlier, on September 14, for compatible existing Apple Watches.
The Series 12 does not represent a major external redesign, as the pre-launch rumours suggested. It retains Apple’s familiar rounded-square design and comes in 42mm and 46mm sizes.
Interestingly, the aluminium and titanium cases are fractionally wider than Series 11. The 46mm model measures 46 x 40 x 9.7mm, compared with 46 x 39 x 9.7mm for Series 11. The 42mm version measures 42 x 37 x 9.7mm, compared with 42 x 36 x 9.7mm previously. The screen resolutions remain 416×496 pixels and 374×446 pixels respectively.
Apple continues to offer aluminium and titanium models, but ceramic has returned as a premium case option. Ceramic models are fractionally larger and thicker, measuring 43mm or 47mm tall and 9.85mm thick.
The finishes are:
Aluminium: Dark Bronze, Light Gold, Black and Space Grey
Titanium: Radiant Gold and Natural
Ceramic: Pearl White and Night Blue
The ceramic options confirm one of the more interesting pre-launch rumours, although Apple opted for Night Blue rather than the dark grey that had also been indicated.
The Series 12 display remains a wide-angle LTPO3 Always-On Retina OLED with up to 2,000 nits brightness. Aluminium models now use Ceramic Shield 2, which Apple says is 60 percent tougher than the Ion-X glass used on Series 11. Titanium and ceramic versions use sapphire crystal.
Apple Watch Ultra 4 design
The rugged Apple Watch Ultra 4.
Apple
The Ultra 4 changes even less externally. It remains a 49mm Grade 5 titanium watch, measuring exactly 49 x 44 x 12mm, with the same 422×514-pixel display and 1,245 sq mm display area as Ultra 3.
It comes in the familiar Natural Titanium and Black Titanium finishes and retains its flat sapphire crystal display, raised protective case edges, prominent Digital Crown and orange-accented Action button.
The Ultra 4 is slightly heavier, however: 63.0g in Natural and 63.1g in Black, compared with 61.6g and 61.8g respectively for Ultra 3.
The display remains a wide-angle LTPO3 Always-On Retina display capable of 3,000 nits, so there is no headline screen-brightness upgrade.
Apple hasn’t introduced the rumoured Touch ID fingerprint sensor on the 2026 Apple Watch models.
What about the buttons and controls?
The side button.
Apple
The physical control layout is essentially unchanged.
Series 12 has:
Digital Crown with haptic feedback
Side button
Strap-release buttons
Ultra 4 adds the familiar:
Customisable Action button
Larger protected Digital Crown
Side button
The Action button can start workouts, mark segments, move to the next interval, activate the torch and perform other user-selected actions.
There is, however, a new single-tap finger-and-thumb gesture in addition to Double Tap and Wrist Flick, providing another way to interact without touching the display.
Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 processor: What processor do they use?
Both watches use Apple’s new S11 chip, replacing the S10 used by Series 11 and Ultra 3.
Apple’s specifications list:
64-bit dual-core processor
4-core Neural Engine
64GB storage
Secure hardware for Audio Intelligence processing
The S10 also had a 64-bit dual-core CPU, four-core Neural Engine and 64GB of storage, so the headline specifications alone don’t reveal how much faster S11 actually is. Apple calls it its “most powerful wearable chip”, but notably hasn’t provided a percentage CPU or GPU performance improvement over S10, and its technical specifications don’t list a separate GPU core count.
That means the more important S11 improvements appear to be what the chip enables rather than raw benchmark performance.
It works with the new Health Sensing System, supports Siri AI and powers the new Audio Intelligence functionality. Apple has also emphasised efficiency, particularly in relation to higher-frequency sensor readings and Ultra 4’s improved battery life.
The new Audio Intelligence system includes a Secure Exclave, a hardware-isolated area of the S11 that processes audio separately and deletes raw audio immediately after processing.
2026 Apple Watch connectivity
Connectivity changes are modest. Cellular Series 12 and Ultra 4 models support 5G RedCap and LTE, as did their predecessors, with no newly branded Apple-designed modem.
Both watches also support Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) on 2.4GHz and 5GHz, Bluetooth 5.3, and Apple’s second-generation Ultra Wideband chip. Wi-Fi 4 may sound dated, but Apple Watch relies mainly on Bluetooth and has relatively low data requirements.
Satellite connectivity
Satellite communications remain a major distinction between the Series and Ultra families.
Apple Watch Series 12 doesn’t have built-in satellite connectivity.
Ultra 4 does, supporting Emergency SOS via satellite and Find My location sharing via satellite when cellular and Wi-Fi aren’t available.
This is broadly what had been expected before launch: satellite remains primarily an Ultra feature rather than migrating to the regular Series watch.
2026 Apple Watch battery and charging: What’s new?
Charging the Apple Watch.
Apple
Apple Watch Series 12
Apple rates Series 12 for:
Up to 24 hours normal use
Up to 38 hours in Low Power Mode
Up to 10 hours of outdoor workout tracking
Those first two figures are unchanged from Series 11, so despite rumours that Apple was working on a larger battery, there is no increase in Apple’s quoted everyday battery life.
Charging has improved, however.
Series 12 can reach:
80 percent in around 30 minutes
Up to 12 hours of use from a 15-minute charge
Up to 10 hours of sleep tracking from five minutes of charging
Series 11 also reached 80 percent in around 30 minutes, but a 15-minute charge provided only around eight hours of normal use.
Apple Watch Ultra 4
Battery life is one of Ultra 4’s biggest upgrades.
Apple rates it for:
50 hours normal use, up from 42 hours
84 hours Low Power Mode, up from 72 hours
18 hours standard outdoor workout tracking
25 hours Extended Workout
45 hours Max Extended Workout
Apple says the Extended Workout figure represents a 25 percent increase over the previous generation.
Charging remains capable of reaching 80 percent in around 45 minutes, but 15 minutes of charging now provides up to 18 hours of use, versus 12 hours on Ultra 3.
Apple also credits more efficient workout algorithms with helping deliver the longer endurance.
Apple Watch charging
Both models use Apple’s magnetic fast-charging system with the Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable.
There is no conventional wired charging port on either watch and no change to the basic magnetic charging system this year.
Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 price
Apple has kept its entry prices unchanged in both the U.S. and U.K. – contrary to pre-event speculation that the Series 12 could increase in price.
Model
2026 price
Previous generation
Series 12 – U.S.
From $399
Series 11: $399
Series 12 – U.K.
From £369
Series 11: £369
Ultra 4 – U.S.
From $799
Ultra 3: $799
Ultra 4 – U.K.
From £749
Ultra 3: £749
Series 12 pricing varies considerably depending on case material. Aluminium is the entry-level option, while titanium costs more and the newly revived ceramic models occupy the premium end of the range.
The fact that Apple hasn’t increased the base prices is significant because our pre-launch assessment suggested a Series 12 increase to around $429 was possible. That prediction hasn’t materialised.
Should you buy Apple Watch Series 12 or Ultra 4?
Apple
Apple Watch Series 12 is the best choice for most people. It offers essentially all of Apple’s important new health features – including the new Health Sensing System, Readiness, frequent HRV measurements, Siri AI and Audio Intelligence – in a considerably smaller and cheaper watch.
The strongest reason to choose Ultra 4 is battery life. Its jump from 42 to 50 hours makes it much more practical for people who regularly spend more than a day away from a charger, while the new 25- and 45-hour extended workout modes make it substantially more appealing to runners, hikers, cyclists and endurance athletes.
Ultra 4 is also the better choice for outdoor adventurers because of its brighter 3,000-nit display, dual-frequency GPS, rugged titanium construction, Action button, 100m water resistance, recreational diving support and satellite communications. Series 12 is the better everyday watch: lighter, less bulky, available in two sizes and substantially cheaper.
Apple’s “Surprise and Shine” event might be the most anticipated iPhone keynote in 10 years. It all kicks off today, and like you, we can’t wait! So join us as we count down the hours and minutes with all the latest rumors, leaks, and speculation leading up to the big event on Wednesday, September 9, at 10 am PT.
Surprise and Shine iPhone event: How to watch
You can watch the full keynote right here using the embedded YouTube link below or on Apple.com on your iPhone or Mac. The “Watch Now” tab in the TV app on the Apple TV will also show the stream live.
Surprise and Shine Apple event: Everything announced
Apple has wrapped up its September Surprise and Shine event, and while there weren’t a ton of surprises, we did get a lot of new Apple products. Here’s everything Apple announced today:
Apple’s newest flagship iPhones look the same as last year’s models but have some notable new features. The main one is a variable aperture on the main 48MP wide-angle camera. It will dynamically adjust how much light the lens lets in to take better pictures in low light and bright light, while capturing better detail.
The phones come in four new colors: Burgandy, Glacier (Light Blue), Silver, and Black. They start at higher prices than last year: $1,199 for the Pro and $1,299 for the Pro Max with 256GB of storage. Prices go up quite a bit more for higher storage tiers, with the 2TB iPhone 18 Pro Max costing a whopping $2,499. Pre-orders begin Saturday and will ship next Friday, September 18.
The latest AirPods still start at $129, but that’s with active noise cancellation, so effectively a $50 price cut over the AirPods 4. They look similar to the AirPods 4, but Apple says AirPods 5 remove up to 50 percent more noise compared to AirPods 4 with ANC thanks to a new multiport acoustic architecture and improved computational audio algorithms.
For an extra $20, you can get a wireless charging case and AirPods Pro-like stem volume controls. Both models are available for preorder today and will ship September 18.
The Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 also look the same as last year’s models, but they have significant change inside. The watches feature a new Health Sensing System, which uses the S11 chip and new optical and electrical heart sensors to deliver deeper insight into a user’s fitness and physiological state while making Exercise and Move Activity rings even more accurate.
There’s also a new Readiness app that analyzes a user’s recent activity, training load, vitals, and sleep score to offer insight into their capacity for the day ahead as well as longer battery life and a redesigned Health app. They also get new Apple Intelligence features, including Siri Recap, which creates high-level summaries of conversations throughout the day, and Live Rewind, which can show you the previous 15 seconds of a conversation so you don’t need to ask someone to repeat themselves.
The watches start at the same prices as before ($399 for the 42mm Series 12 and $799 for the Ultra 4), but the larger 46mm Series 12 is a little higher, starting at $449 (previously $429).
Apple’s first folding phone is here and it’s better than any of the rumors you might have read. It has a 5.4-inch outer display that opens to a 7.6-inch inner display with the same ratio inside and out so apps seamlessly flow in and out. You can use it in a variety of ways, including as an alarm clock in Standby mode or a mini laptop with a virtual keyboard on the lower half when folded.
It has an A20 processor, C2 model, and dual 48MP camera system, as well as a 12MP FaceTime camera that’s entirely under the display for the first time ever on an iPhone. However, it doesn’t have Face ID, opting instead for Touch ID built into the power button.
When opened, iPhone Duo is just 5.2mm thick and 11.3mm thick when folded. It has an IP68 dust resistance thanks to its hinge, which is engineered from more than 100 components to precisely control opening and closing and support the center of the display. There’s also a nano-textured cover layer on the inner display to minimize wear and creasing.
The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 and will be available for pre-order on October 16 with shipping beginning October 23.
And we’re done, stay tuned to Macworld for full coverage of all of today’s announcements!
Michael Simon
iPhone Duo at a glance
Apple
2 days ago, By Michael Simon
So what will it cost?
The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 with 256GB of storage. Preorders start on October 16 and will begin shipping on October 23.
2 days ago, By Michael Simon
Dual camera for iPhone Duo
As expected, the iPhone Duo has a dual 48MP camera system that’s basically the same as the iPhone 17 and not as good as the one we just heard about in the iPhone 18 Pro. You don’t get telephoto, you don’t get variable aperture, and you’ll miss out on some of the newer features.
However, you can see a video of what you’re snapping on the front camera, and people can see what’s on the front screen too.
2 days ago, By Michael Simon
iPhone Duo battery life
Srouji explains optimizations and battery capacities that let users get up to 31 hours when using the inner display and 44 hours when using just the outer display, for a total of 24 hours per charge during a typical day.
2 days ago, By Michael Simon
Custom nano texture finish
Apple addresses the elephant in the room: the crease. Johny Srouji explains that Apple has developed a custom nanotexture finish that significantly reduces glare and reflections. The unique texture creates a perceptually flat matte surface that minimizes craft visibility and also feels premium to touch. During manufacturing Apple uses AI algorithms to precisely manage each individual hinge with its best fit housing to ensure perfect alignment.
2 days ago, By Michael Simon
iPhone Duo colors
Apple’s folding phone is available in two colors: white and night sky (dark blue).
2 days ago, By Michael Simon
Cutting-edge hinge design
Apple describes the hinge: “The central structural plane has support ribs for added stiffness. To make the frame even more rigid, the antenna splits are reinforced with high performance inserts. They’re made from ceramic fibers that are three times stronger than grade five titanium. Together these structural details make iPhone Duo feel exceptionally solid every time you use it.”
Will there be a crease? We’ll have to see.
2 days ago, By Michael Simon
iOS gets a folding redesign
Controls on the outer screen have been moved to the side of the screen, seamlessly transtitions to the inner display, and dynamically adjusts to the position its in. Apps have been redesigned to take advantage of the folding screen. Apps run side by side and can be paired for quick switching.
Here’s a picture of it closed:
Apple
Michael Simon
One More Thing: iPhone Duo
The rumors are true: Apple’s first foldable phone is here with a widescreen design. Here it is:
Apple
2 days ago, By Michael Simon
New colors for Apple Watch
Apple Watch Series 12 comes in space gray, black, light gold, and dark bronze, as well as ceramic options in white and night blue. The Apple Watch Ultra comes in black and naturakl titanium. Both have the same starting prices as before.
Apple
2 days ago, By Jason Cross
Whoop, there it is
The new design of the Health app, Health Age, and the new Readiness feature are clearly are all clear responses to the recent success of Whoop and similar products, which all have these exact features. Once again it’s not clear which of these software features will be only for the new watches – it seems like they’re for all Apple Watches, and only the continuous heart rate stuff is restricted to the Series 12 and Ultra 4.
2 days ago, By Michael Simon
New Apple Watch features
The big new Apple Watch feature is a new health monitoring system that take continous heart rate readings to give users a better picture of their heath and enable completely new experiences. A new Readiness app can tell you when to push and when to hold back, while a redesigned Health app can provide a new Health Age. Live Rewind will record everything in your day and transcribes what was just said.
Another feature, Siri Recap, uses “ambient listening to take high level notes of your conversations like takeaways from a team meeting or a parent-teacher conference.” There’s also a new Siri Modular face to access your conversations and recaps.
Jason Cross
AirPods lines are getting blurry
It sounds like they’re adding enough AirPods Pro features to the standard AirPods, and lowering the price enough, to make the upcoming “AirPods with cameras” the new AirPods Pro. Cameras will be the differentiating feature.
2 days ago, By David Price
The 'new' Apple Watch
Looks like another year with the same Apple Watch design! This is what you get when one company doesn’t face serious competition. That’s now 12 generations in a row with essentially the same design, and only occasional minor changes: the last of these was the bump in screen size for the Series 10 two years ago. But the average user would struggle to spot the differences between the Series 12 and the Series 4.
2 days ago, By Michael Simon
AirPods 5 now have ANC for $129
Apple is tweaking its base AirPods lineup. The cheaper $129 model now has ANC and the higher-end model with a wireless charging case are $149. They’re not all that different, but feature “an even better audio experience with a new multi-port acoustic architecture and next generation adaptive EQ AirPods 5 deliver richer more detailed sound across a wider range of ear geometries.”
Apple
Michael Simon
Higher prices starts at $100 more
The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 and the Pro Max starts at $1,299, a bump of $100 over the 17 series. Pre-order begin Saturday and start shipping nexxt Friday.
2 days ago, By Michael Simon
Smaller Dynamic Island
The new iPhone 18 Pro has a smaller Dynamic Island that now has space for three Live Activities at once, a large one in the middle and two smaller circles on either side.
Apple
2 days ago, By Jason Cross
Camera features on older iPhones?
Apple is describing updates to Photograhic Styles, shutter speeds and other features, but they’re not being clear about whether these new Pro camera controls will be available on any previous iPhones or not. Most of them could be.
2 days ago, By Michael Simon
Biggest camera improvement in years
48MP Fusion Camera with variable aperture that adjusts automatically based on the scene. When you’re in a darker environment, the aperture opens to let in around 50% more light, while night mode captures are faster with better quality.
Apple
2 days ago, By Michael Simon
45 hours of battery life!!
IPhone 18 Pro has a next generation vapor chamber that helps the system manage even more heat. It has three times the surface area as the one in iPhone 17 Pro. Deionized water is constantly cycled throughout the system for significantly improved thermals. Combined with the new chip’s efficiancy, you’ll get 36 hours on the iPhone 18 Pro and an absolutely insane 45 hours on the 18n Pro Max.
Michael Simon
A20 Pro Chip
Apple’s newest iPhone chip has Apple’s latest six core CPU featuring two of our new super cores that are up to 20% faster and four efficiency cores, all integrated with neural accelerators that power low latency on device AI workloads as a significantly advanced GPU and a new version of the neural accelerators with 2x faster 8-bit floating point math.
Jason Cross
Who needs a new iPhone?
So far, the iPhone 18 Pro pitch is all about how you should be excited for iOS 27 and now about why you would need or want a new iPhone.
2 days ago, By Michael Simon
iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max
A20 Pro with new CPU core and GPU core, and “massive advancements in the most important areas intelligence, performance, battery, and camera.”
New colors: Silver, Deep Black, Glacier (Light Blue), and Burgandy (Dark Cherry).
Not only that, you can write and edit with Siri virtually anywhere you type, like generating an email to your kids soccer coach while on the go. Plus Siri AI sounds incredible. That’s because iPhone 18 Pro takes advantage of our most advanced on-device model ever, which powers expressive voices. You can pick from multiple options, then customize the pace and expressivity.” But we’ve seen all this before.
Siri AI will have usage limits but “most iCloud+ plans” will offer increased access.
2 days ago, By Michael Simon
Intelligent personal hub
This isn’t a new product category but rather an explanation of what the iphone is: “First, you would want something that is always with you, deeply personal and able to bring intelligence to the moments when it matters most. You’d require a powerful processor that can run incredibly capable on-device models to quickly answer questions in the moment and pervasive networking to access knowledge and even more capable models in the cloud.
There’s no product in the world better designed to be your intelligent personal hub than iPhone.”
Jon is describing Apple Intellgence’s privacy and iPhone’s AI abiltities. “So today we’re going to take these experiences even further with the next generation of iPhone. And here it is.”
2 days ago, By Michael Simon
This is the opening!
A video montage of actors describing how a show or movie should open and then Tim Cook starts narrating the video of “our main character, no no no,. not me, that’s your guy.” And it’s John Ternus.
2 days ago, By Michael Simon
Here we go!
The music has faded and the blue Apple logo has given way to an iPhone 17 Pro camera, with a message, “The following was shot on iPhone.”
2 days ago, By Michael Simon
Apple start your engines!
We’ve got less than 10 minutes until we get out first look at Apple’s folding iPhone project! Get ready everyone!
2 days ago, By Michael Simon
30 minutes to go!
Get a snack and a drink and meet us back here at 10am PT/1pm ET for the start of the show!
2 days ago, By Michael Simon
No surprises at Surprise and Shine
It looks like Apple’s iPhone event will be filled with more Shine than Surprises. According to Mark Gurman’s somewhat playful tweet, Apple is holding back some rumored products that are supposedly ready to launch, including the touchscreen MacBook, Apple TV 4K, and HomePad smart home hub. As he quips, “don’t worry. It’s only September.” So you can probably expect at least one more event later this fall.
2 days ago, By David Price
A few thoughts on phone colors (and fun)
For several years now I’ve complained about the fact that basic iPhones, despite costing less, come with much nicer colors than their Pro equivalents. Why can’t Pro users have fun too?
Perhaps Apple heard me, because last year’s Pro-exclusive Cosmic Orange was arguably Apple’s funnest color yet. (I’m using that word deliberately to prepare readers for the likely grammatical crimes of today’s Apple event.) But if the pre-launch rumors are true, that was only the precursor for a huge anti-fun announcement today.
The iPhone 18 Pro, according to our sources, will come in black, silver, light blue, and a charming burgundy branded as Dark Cherry. Less fun, arguably, than the green, blue, and lilac which the iPhone 17 will continue to offer (because its successor won’t arrive until the spring). But infinitely more fun than the poor iPhone Ultra/Duo, which is expected to come in just two colors: dark blue, and white. Despite starting at $2,000, and going all the way up to $3,000 if you want the top storage tiers.
The more you pay, the less fun you get. Make it make sense, Apple.
The color pink. Just one of the advantages of buying a cheaper iPhone.
David Price / Foundry
2 days ago, By David Price
So, about that Duo name…
It’s been pointed out in the Macworld offices that Microsoft wasn’t the first tech company to use the name Duo on a product. Apple itself had the PowerBook Duo, a line of laptops sold between 1992 and 1999. Which therefore predate the Surface Duo by the small matter of 28 years.
More recently, there was the (not terribly good) MagSafe Duo charger. And in a matter of hours, if Mark Gurman’s sources are correct, we will get the iPhone Duo.
The PowerBook Duo, together with its clever Duo Dock companion unit.
Christopher Phin / Foundry
2 days ago, By Michael Simon
John Ternus teases the iPhone 18 Pro's top feature
In a tweet to followers ahead of the big event, new CEO John Ternus shared a 12-second video of a beam of light that first shines at the viewer and then pans down to shine on what appears to be a camera lens. It’s hard to see it as anything other than a tease for the iPhone 18 Pro’s rumored variable aperture camera. At any rate, it’s certainly a departure from Tim Cook’s keynote messages, which were filled with little more than vague excitement.
John Ternus shines a light on the iPhone’s new camera feature. Literally.
X/@johnternus
2 days ago, By Michael Simon
Apple Pencil on an iPhone?
Apple has never allowed you to use your Apple Pencil on anything other than an iPad, but the folding iPhone could change that. According to Mark Gurman, the iPhone Ultra/Duo will indeed support Apple Pencil, so you’ll be able to doodle and draw on the screen just like you can on your tablet. It’s not clear whether both screens will support Apple’s stylus or just the inner one, though.
2 days ago, By Michael Simon
iPhone 18 Pro price hike might not be so bad
We’ve been bracing for an iPhone price increase ever since Apple hiked prices on Macs and iPads by hundreds of dollars in June. A new report from Mark Gurman claims they won’t be as bad as that: Apparently the new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max will cost $100 more than the current models, in line with previous price hikes.
2 days ago, By David Price
The Apple Store is down. Something is coming
As part of the usual pre-event ritual, Apple has taken down its online store. “We’re making updates to the Apple Store,” the text reads. “Check back soon.”
It’s hard to believe that a company with Apple’s resources needs five hours to update an electronic storefront, but by this point it’s become a tradition more than anything else. And maybe there’s some element of kindly advice to customers: “Please don’t buy anything this morning, it’ll be outdated by lunchtime.”
Apple
2 days ago, By David Price
Spotted: Hardware IDs for new Apple products!
It’s not exactly a secret that Apple is about to announce a bunch of new hardware products, but it’s still surprising to see the evidence in black and white before the event begins. But sure enough, dozens of new Apple hardware identifiers have been spotted on the company’s services backend.
It’s important to note that these won’t necessarily all appear today; the iPhones and Apple Watches, for sure, but the Macs and iPads are likely to be delayed until later in the fall. (We don’t know for sure if there will be an October/November event. They may just appear in a press release.) The real enigma, however, is HomeAccessory17,1 and its two siblings. Could that be the much-anticipated smart home hub? We’ll find out in a few hours.
2 days ago, By David Price
Breaking: Folding iPhone will be called… Duo
Forget iPhone Ultra, forget iPhone Fold… the latest breaking news is that Apple’s first ever folding handset will be called the iPhone Duo. That’s according to Mark Gurman’s sources, and he’s generally well informed when it comes to information like this.
Gurman made his last-minute prediction in an article (subscription required) this morning. He also claimed the device will start at $2,000, have a short-and-wide design, and go on sale in October, later than the other new iPhones. But we knew all that already. The name is the real bombshell.
Some may accuse Apple of copying Microsoft, whose Surface Duo was a pioneer in this field. On the other hand, maybe Microsoft should have kept that brand going; the line was discontinued nearly two years ago. The Duo brand also goes rather nicely with Neo, as in MacBook. And, please note, it was one of the options mentioned by my colleague Emma Rowley earlier this week.
They’ve got slightly lost in the iPhone Ultra hype, but Apple is also expected to launch the AirPods 5 today. These aren’t the camera-equipped models you may have seen doing the rounds after Apple accidentally leaked them (they’re not expected to arrive until next year). Instead, the main new feature of the AirPods 5 will be improved active noise cancellation, likely made possible by the inclusion of a new H3 chip. Bloomberg leaker Mark Gurman yesterday confirmed this–based on his sources, at any rate.
2 days ago, By David Price
It's the big day!
After months of speculation, it all comes down to this. Today’s the day for the first ever folding iPhone, and so much more.
Welcome to Macworld’s live blog for the September 9 Apple event. The event itself kicks off at 10 am PT, and is likely to last around 70 minutes. But our coverage here will last throughout the day. We’ll be bringing you breaking news and last-minute rumors for the next 9 hours or so, before bringing you the announcements (along with our expert analysis) as they happen. Then of course there will be masses of discussion of the new products after Apple’s livestream ends.
It’s going to be fun. Enjoy the ride!
2 days ago, By Michael Simon
More cases offer a glimpse at the new iPhone designs
Casemaker dbrand has added cases and skins for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max and the iPhone Ultra, in case you want to get a jump on buying one. This doesn’t necessarily confirm anything about the new phones other than the company thinks the rumors are pretty solid, since the design and colors they show almost perfectly match the reports we’ve been reading for months.
2 days ago, By Michael Simon
New Apple TV could be bigger than expected
We’ve been hearing reports that a new Apple TV 4K is on the way for a while. We’re not expecting it to be much of an update, but the latest information in the rumor mill suggets that it could be bigger than we thought. According to Aaron Perris on X, the new Apple TV has an identifier of AppleTV18,1, which indicates that it will have an processor in the A19 family, making it one of the most powerful devices in Apple’s lineup and much fasterl than A15 in the current model.
What does that mean for AI features? Gaming? Smart home? We’ll find out soon.
3 days ago, By Michael Simon
It's gotta be the shoes
It won’t just be the iPhone 18 Pro with the hot new color this year. New Balance is feeling the Dark Cherry vibes with the release of its New Balance 990v4 in a new Monarch Burgundy option. They’re not quite the 992s that Steve Jobs wore, but someone at New Balance has clearly been reading the iPhone rumors.
Foundry
3 days ago, By Michael Simon
What's going on with the Apple Watch SE 3?
With less than a day to go before the keynote kicks off, there’s an interesting development concerning the Apple Watch SE 3. Over at Apple.com, every possible combination is listed as “currently unavailable” for delivery or pickup. And if you order one at Amazon, you won’t get a delivery date. That’s strange.
For comparison, you can order a Series 11 or Ultra 3 without a problem. I’ve been covering Apple events for many years and have never seen an entire product spontaneously disappear from the store less than a day before the event is supposed to start. I don’t know what to make of it.
Chris Martin / Foundry
3 days ago, By Michael Simon
More Apple Watch features revealed?
A code spelunker has discovered a few clues hidden in the iOS 27 beta that point to new Apple Watch features. There’s nothing particularly groundbreaking, but the Series 12 watch will reportedly get an updated heart-rate sensor as well as a significant storage boost to 128GB. Apple last updated its heart-rate sensor with a 3rd-gen model with the Series 6, so a new sensor is definitely overdue. As far as the storage goes, it’s probably related to on-device Apple Intelligence models, because I don’t know why anyone would need that much storage on their watch.
3 days ago, By Michael Simon
Brand-new Readiness app coming to watchOS 27
Mark Gurman reports that Apple is planning to launch a new Readiness app alongside the new Apple Watches tomorrow “as a variant of the Vitals app.” The Vitals app on Apple Watch brings together key health metrics such as heart rate, sleep, and blood oxygen to give users a deeper understanding of their daily health, so this app will presumably use similar information. Gurman says this new app will “better compete with software from Whoop & Oura” along with improved heart-rate sensing on the new watches.
3 days ago, By David Price
This year's hot color: Burgundy
Rumors strongly suggest that the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max will be available in a classy new Dark Cherry finish: a rich burgundy wine color. (If that’s not your bag, don’t worry. There will also be more prosaic dark gray and lightish blue options.) We expect this color to be wildly popular, much as Cosmic Orange was last year. But Apple won’t have the burgundy phone market all to itself.
Ever since the dark-red iPhone rumors started, Android manufacturers have been falling over themselves to copy Cupertino’s colorway, from the Poco F9 Ultra and Tecno Camon Slim 5G to the Huawei Pura X View and Xiaomi 18 Fold. As Tech Advisor reports, burgundy is the new orange. And pre-emptive plagiarism is the new originality.
Poco, Macworld, Huawei
3 days ago, By David Price
One More Thing… but what?
“We have great respect for these words,” said Tim Cook in 2017, “and we don’t use them lightly.” Those words, of course, were One More Thing.
That little phrase has signalled the arrival of some of Apple’s most iconic products and services, including the iMac G4, the MacBook Pro, FaceTime, the Apple Watch, Apple Music, and the iPhone X. Will it be uttered this year, and if so, what will it herald?
We discussed this on the podcast, and figured it would be a nice moment if new CEO John Ternus got the chance to utter those immortal words as part of his debut. (Debut as overall event host, that is. He’s spoken in individual segments before now.) The most obvious product to get the One More Thing treatment is the iPhone Ultra, but a bigger surprise would be the arrival of Apple’s long-rumored smart home hub. Either would work.
But Macworld readers put forward other ideas. At the less serious end, jimrock reckoned “It’d be really sick if he announced a $2,000 monitor stand” while Adam Moran proposed “One more thing: Now shipping iPhones with a charger.” Hashtag courage.
Moving on to things that could happen (but won’t), Rob K put forward “One more thing: iPhone Air 2 with 6,000 mAh silicon carbon battery, three cameras, and no stupid fold.” And Tower Lord suggested “AI-driven smart glasses. Minus the creep factor found in Meta glasses. Instead, true spatial computing. The ultimate personal computer.” Get rid of the AI part and we’re on board.
And finally, a note of sanity from Mike: “One more thing was Steve’s thing. Can we please stop measuring every CEO against Steve and let them be their own leaders?”
The last guy to say those three little words.
Apple
3 days ago, By Michael Simon
All eyes on the crease
When Apple (allegedly) unveils its first folding iPhone tomorrow, Greg Joswiak or whomever gets the honor of announcing the phone on the stream, will talk about the displays, interface, cameras, design, and anything else Apple feels is worth highlighting. What they probably won’t spend a lot of time talking about is the crease.
Ever since Samsung’s first folding phone arrived, the center display crease has been an issue. It’s gotten better over the years, but it’s still the biggest hurdle for new customers to overcome. Even on the newest phones, you can see it when it’s opened and feel a little valley while using it. It’s flies in the face of Apple’s pursuit of perfection and likely the reason why we haven’t gotten a folding iPhone until now.
Earlier this year, it was reported that Apple had devised a way to overcome the crease with a combination of ultra-thin glass (UTG) and an optically clear adhesive that allows “the folding area to be locally thinned at the bending axis to improve bendability.” Samsung’s newest flagship phone features a display with a 60-micrometer UTG layer, which is likely a similar material to what Apple will use.
No folding phone has been able to completely eliminate the crease. Will Apple be the first?
Luke Baker
3 days ago, By David Price
John Ternus and the honeymoon period
Tim Cook chose an interesting moment to resign from the CEO hotseat: September 1, a week before the biggest event of Apple’s year. It’s understood that he did this so that John Ternus could have the fun and credit of announcing the iPhone Ultra himself, and begin his reign on a positive note. Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman has referred to this as a “massive tailwind” for the incoming CEO.
But Gurman has plenty more to say about recent squabbles and politicking at the top of Apple’s hierarchy, and there could be some complications for the new boss. Read the Macalope’s latest article for all the dirt and some very convoluted metaphors.
3 days ago, By David Price
iPhone Ultra, or iPhone Fold?
Sad to say for an event with the word surprise in its tagline, but there don’t seem to be many mysteries left concerning the foldable iPhone. With one notable exception: its name.
In the early days, most pundits referred to the rumored device as the iPhone Fold for obvious, logical reasons. But in the spring, we all started calling it the iPhone Ultra, even though, features-wise, that doesn’t entirely make sense. And with just one day to go until the announcement, case makers still can’t decide between the two options, with some plumping for Fold and others for Ultra in their pre-launch marketing materials.
And this all assumes that Apple won’t pull a last-minute switcheroo and go for iPhone Duo or iPhone Folio instead.
Over on our sister site Tech Advisor, Emma Rowley discusses the thorny question of the foldable iPhone’s name.
3 days ago, By David Price
Will you fold?
Last year, the iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone Air competed for the title of Apple’s flagship handset. The Air was certainly more interesting, but the Pro Max was a far better specced, more powerful phone (not to mention more expensive). But this year there will only be one clear winner: the iPhone Ultra. Will you yield to temptation and pay what’s likely to be more than $2,000 for Apple’s first foldable smartphone?
“If I was purchasing an iPhone and an iPad at the same time, then I would consider the Fold as it might work out cheaper than buying two separate devices,” writes christopherclarke6184. “But I am happy with my iPad M4 and iPhone 17 Pro Max so won’t be upgrading for a while… unless Apple has something special I may need. I’ll still be watching the show, though.”
Apple will be hoping for strong interest from the early adopter crowd, but given that this is an entirely new market for the company and a very high price, moderate sales may be enough in the short term.
3 days ago, By David Price
Who is John Ternus?
One big difference this year is that the main host will be Apple’s new CEO, John Ternus, rather than Tim Cook. Ternus is a relative unknown to members of the public, and Apple fans will be keen to see how he handles hosting duties. Will he be a showman, like Steve Jobs? Quietly professional, like Cook? Or something new and unique to himself?
That’s not to say we’ve got no idea how he’ll carry himself in a presentation. As head of hardware Ternus spoke at multiple keynotes and product launches in the past, including the iPhone reveal last fall. His manner was very positive, with lots of superlatives, while being unafraid to delve into technical detail. But acting as main host is a different assignment, so we may see a new side to him on Wednesday.
In the meantime, read Alex Blake’s piece on the new boss, in which he describes Ternus as “the perfect CEO for this Apple era.”
John Ternus: A man with a passion for hardware.
Apple
3 days ago, By Michael Simon
Folding iPhone color options will be unique
Our sources report that Apple will offer the iPhone Ultra in just two colors for its debut. The first is silver, which we expect from a new iPhone, but the other is a little different: Dark Blue. Apple regularly offers its iPhones in various shades of blue, of course, but it’s rare for a brand new model to arrive in anything other than black and white.
4 days ago, By Michael Simon
No time for Tim
According to Mark Gurman’s latest Power On newsletter, Tim Cook won’t make an appearance in this year’s keynote. While he reports that he will be at Apple Park for the event, Cook has officially and completely handed the reins to Ternus, who will be the face of the Surprise and Shine event.
4 days ago, By Roman Loyola
Surprise and Shine iPhone event: Podcast preview
On the newest Macworld Podcast, Michael Simon and Jason Cross talk about what to expect at Apple’s Surprise and Shine iPhone event. What iPhones will Apple release? How will John Ternus do in his first keynote as Apple CEO? And will there be a “One more thing”? Get ready for the event by tuning in to the podcast.
4 days ago, By Michael Simon
Cases, cases everywhere
The iPhone Ultra doesn’t exist yet, but you can find cases all over social media. It’s worth noting that case manufacturers don’t get information from Apple ahead of events, but they pay very close attention to the rumors and some probably have their own sources in the supply chain. Are they real? We’ll know in just a couple days.
4 days ago, By David Price
Surprise? What surprise?
Apple has given this week’s showcase the tagline “Surprise and Shine.” But what’s the big surprise? Apple’s September events are among its most predictable, almost always revolving around new iPhones and new Apple Watches, and sometimes new AirPods.
September 2025: iPhones, Apple Watches, AirPods
September 2024: iPhones, Apple Watches, AirPods
September 2023: iPhones, Apple Watches
September 2022: iPhones, Apple Watches, AirPods
September 2021: iPhones, Apple Watches, iPads
Is John Ternus going to spring a surprise in 2026? After asking this question on TikTok we’re unconvinced by the idea of an Apple alarm clock (sorry), but another reader’s proposal of a “tabletop Pixar light robot personal assistant with Siri” is a little more plausible. That sounds a lot like the rumored smart-home hub which Apple has been working on for years, and could make an appearance this week. It could even turn up as One More Thing at the end and make for a fun encore.
But ultimately the most likely outcome is that, as far as Apple is concerned, the widely expected foldable iPhone counts as the surprise. To those of us who live in the Apple rumor bubble the iPhone Ultra (or iPhone Fold) now looks like virtually a sure thing for Wednesday’s presentation, but to the wider community it’s far less well known. And officially, of course, it doesn’t even exist. Surprise!
4 days ago, By David Price
We (probably) know the new colors
Apple loves to launch at least one new color for each iPhone generation. Partly this allows the company to prune the colors which sold poorly the year before and experiment with alternatives, but the main advantage is that it allows customers to show off the fact they’ve got a new phone, even if the design is otherwise the same. Those who bought the iPhone 17 Pro in Cosmic Orange last year got some major bragging rights.
Perhaps surprisingly, the wildly popular Cosmic Orange is expected to be dropped from the range this year. The two new finishes are a little less garish: a dark-red/burgundy wine color, expected to be branded as Dark Cherry, and a light blue. Macworld exclusively revealed these colors in the summer.
If you’d like to see more of the new finishes, take a look at this leaked video, which appears to show demo models of the iPhone 18 Pro (in blue) and 18 Pro Max (in Dark Cherry).
Generally, Apple opens up pre-orders for all the new iPhones and Apple Watches on the Friday following the Apple event at 5am PT. However, with 9/11 falling on Friday this year, it’s likely that Apple will delay the launch one day out of respect for the anniversary. Pre-orders instead are expected to begin on Saturday at midnight PT.
4 days ago, By Michael Simon
No iPhone 18 this week
In case you haven’t been following the rumors, Apple isn’t expected to launch a new iPhone 18 this week. That means the iPhone 17 will be on shelves alongside the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus for another six months. This would be the first time (other than the budget SE and e models) that Apple has spilt the new iPhones into separate launches and could create some serious FOMO for annual updaters.
4 days ago, By Michael Simon
Read our 100% real keynote leak*
Just like last year, we’ve gotten our hands on Apple’s iPhone event keynote script ahead of the big reveal, and we’re sharing it all with you: the bad jokes, clever marketing, outrageous prices, and big surprises. Read it all before it happens.
*May not be real
4 days ago, By Michael Simon
Follow along with all the latest updates
Welcome to the Surprise and Shine live blog! You don’t need to wait till Wednesday to get up to speed on everything Apple’s releasing. Over the next two days, we’ll share rumors, features, roundups, thoughts, reader comments, and lots more. Stay right here for everything you need to know.
Surprise and Shine iPhone event: What we expect
Apple might have dubbed this the “Surprise” event, but we have a pretty good idea what Apple is going to announce. Here’s what we expect to see:
iPhone Ultra/Duo: Apple is almost certain to launch its first folding phone this week. We’re expecting a passport-style design with a 5.5-inch cover display and a near-8-inch inner display when opened.
iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max: We expect a similar design with a faster chip and a better camera system, possibly including a variable-aperture lens for the first time.
Apple Watch Series 12: The latest Apple Watch update will reportedly be a minor refresh with a new chip, all-day heart-rate tracking, and maybe the return of a ceramic finish.
Apple Watch Ultra 4: Like the Series 12, the Ultra 4 is expected to be a minor refresh largely focused on a new chip tuned for Siri AI.
AirPods 5: Apple is rumored to be launching a new pair of low-end AirPods, but we don’t know much about them.
Smart home: It’s less likely that Apple’s rumored smart-home hub arrives at this event, but we could see an updated Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini.
At the Surprise and Shine press event today, Apple announced a raft of new products including the iPhone 18 Pro, AirPods 5, and iPhone Duo… and thanks to pre-launch rumors, surprises were in short supply. Nearly everything was leaked accurately ahead of time.
But one product that did manage to spring a few small surprises was the Apple Watch Series 12. Ahead of launch, we were led to expect a tedious iterative update with a new processor, identical design, and maybe a few new health features. Some of that was true, but there were unexpected pleasures as well.
Here are the 7 things we like best about the new Apple Watch Series 12 and its Apple Watch Ultra 4 sibling, which launched at the same time.
1. Stunning new materials
Granted, the design hasn’t changed in any fundamental way this year. (As I said on the live blog, the average member of the public would probably struggle to spot the difference between the Series 12 and the Series 4.) The leakers were right about that. But cosmetics matter too, and in that department Apple has done outstanding work with its watches this year.
Firstly, Apple has refreshed the color finishes. On the aluminum models, Silver and Rose Gold are gone, replaced by Light Gold (nice) and Dark Bronze (my favorite Apple Watch color so far). On the titanium side, Gold has been replaced by Radiant Gold, a definite improvement.
But the real aesthetic killer is the return of ceramic as a chassis material. The ceramic version of Series 12 comes in Night Blue and Pearl White, and they’re both gorgeous. You may think us shallow, but we’re pumped for the look of this year’s new watches. And watches, after all, are at least partly fashion items, so it’s okay to care about things like that.
The stunning ceramic color options for the Apple Watch Series 12.
Apple
2. Tougher screens
The Series 11 had a tough screen… if you went for the more expensive titanium version. But as of the launch of the Series 12, Ceramic Shield 2 is on the aluminum models too, bringing (Apple claims) a 60 percent jump in durability compared to the mere Ion-X protective tech on the baseline Series 11. This brings an important feature within reach of less wealthy customers.
3. More accurate, all-day heart-rate sensing
This is one improvement we did know about ahead of the launch. What was surprising was the extent of Apple’s claims for the new devices.
The Apple Watch Series 12, according to Apple’s internal testing, has “the most accurate heart rate sensing in a wearable.” And that’s all down to a new sensor setup, combined with the powerful S11 processor.
The redesigned (sorry, “re-architected”) sensors ensure better skin contact during ECG readings, Apple says. There are redesigned photodiodes and larger, power-efficient green LEDs. All of this enables the Series 12 and Ultra 4 to measure your heart rate every five seconds, all day long, to a high degree of accuracy, helping the device to produce better insights about fitness, stress, and overall health.
We’re excited about the updated heart-rate sensor. And also that bronze finish.
Apple
4. Health software that’s sophisticated but simple
Apple spent a lot of the presentation talking about software features, which is odd for a hardware event. One would imagine that most of these are part of watchOS 27, which was demoed and released in beta as long ago as June. Are the new features available on existing watches, provided they can run watchOS 27? Apple didn’t rush to make that clear in the keynote or its website, and it’s not hard to see why. Much better for customers to associate the features with the new hardware and pay for an upgrade.
But I digress. What was exciting about the keynote was seeing how much work Apple has done to improve and expand the health software on the Apple Watch. For example, there’s an entirely new app called Readiness, which “analyzes a user’s recent activity, training load, vitals, and sleep score to offer insight into their capacity for the day ahead.” What’s really nice is that it translates this complex analysis into a simple score out of 10 and a clear recommendation.
What may capture more users’ imagination is the new Longevity tab in Health, which includes Health Age: again, a simple way of communicating a complex set of factors. The Heart Rate app, meanwhile, gets a new section for tracking HRV, “a key indicator of stress and recovery,” which was already tracked but is measured much more often on the new watches. This is typical of the expanded array of health data analysis you can enjoy on the Series 12 and Ultra 4. And, possibly, your existing watch.
5. Cool AI audio features
Again, Apple didn’t go so far as to specify that the new AI/audio features grouped under the umbrella term Audio Intelligence are only for the Series 12 and Ultra 4. But it strongly implied and later confirmed that they’re made possible by the power of the S11 processor (described as Apple’s “most powerful wearable chip yet”).
What is clear is that these features have the potential to be very exciting. Sound Recognition alerts deaf and hard-of-hearing users about important sounds such as alarms and babies crying. Live Rewind, accessed via a double-press of the Digital Crown, displays the last 15 seconds of a conversation as text on your watch screen–perfect when you miss something important. And Siri Recap creates summaries of conversations. That last one is maybe a bit creepy (though it’s all private and stored on the device), but it’s still an impressive concept.
The new Siri Modular face could become a favorite thanks to the Apple Watch Series 12’s new AI features.
Apple
6. Longer battery life
Here’s an area where we weren’t expecting anything after last year’s unprecedented battery breakthrough. And sure enough, the baseline estimated battery life of the standard model remains at 24 hours. But the fact that battery life for outdoor workouts has gone up by 25 percent, now estimated at 10 hours, is a nice and unexpected bonus.
And now look at the Ultra 4. Last year, estimated general battery life went up from 36 hours to 42 hours. But this year it gets an even bigger increase, from 42 to 50 hours. There’s a new Extended Workout mode promising up to 25 hours of usage, even when tracking workouts with full GPS and heart rate readings. And for extreme situations, there’s Max Extended Workout mode, which can track outdoor runs and walks for up to 45 hours.
All that, and charging for both models is faster too. What a nice surprise.
7. No starting price hike
Arguably the biggest and nicest surprise of all: the starting price for the Series 12 and Ultra 4 are exactly the same as for the Series 11 and Ultra 3: $399 and $799. With RAM prices being the way they are, this was not something we saw coming. And the ceramic models, which previously started at over $1,249, now cost a much more palatable $899.
It’s not all good news in this area: certain upgraded models, such as the 46mm version of the Series 12, have gone up, albeit by small margins. But having the same baseline entry point is a major surprise.
The iPhone Duo is Apple’s first foldable iPhone, opening like a book from a compact 5.4-inch phone into a much larger 7.6-inch device. Apple describes the internal screen as its largest-ever iPhone display, with 50 percent more screen area than the iPhone 18 Pro Max, while the outer display provides more than 90 percent of the screen area of an iPhone 18 Pro.
The biggest change is obviously the folding design, but Apple has done more than simply add a hinge. iOS 27 adapts to different positions and orientations, supporting Split View multitasking, hands-free FaceTime and video, StandBy without charging, and layouts that move seamlessly between the two screens. Apple Pencil USB-C support is also coming later in 2026.
The other major changes are the 7.6-inch nano-texture inner display, Touch ID replacing Face ID, an A20 Pro processor with vapor-chamber cooling, and a dual-battery system designed around the two halves of the phone. Apple has also introduced camera features that exploit the second screen, including Duo Preview, Smart Take, Kid Cue and Duo FaceTime.
Much of the pre-launch reporting proved accurate: the Duo name, book-style design, roughly 7.7- and 5.4-inch screens, Touch ID, two 48MP rear cameras, two front-facing cameras, A20 Pro, C2 modem, MagSafe and the white/dark-blue colours were all anticipated.
iPhone Duo at a glance
Apple’s first folding iPhone, with 5.4-inch outer and 7.6-inch inner displays.
Touch ID replaces Face ID, with the fingerprint sensor incorporated into the side button.
A20 Pro with vapor-chamber cooling, including a new 2nm manufacturing process.
Dual-battery architecture, giving up to 44 hours of video playback on the outer display.
Fold-specific iOS and camera features, including Split View, Duo Preview, Smart Take, Kid Cue and hands-free use.
iPhone Duo: Top 10 features
Foldable design
Book-style titanium design with precision hinge
Inner display
7.6-inch Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz ProMotion
Outer display
5.4-inch Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz ProMotion
Processor
A20 Pro, 6-core CPU, 7-core GPU
Neural Engine
Dual 16-core Neural Engine
Authentication
Touch ID in side button
Rear cameras
48MP Main + 48MP Ultra Wide
Battery
Dual batteries; up to 44 hours video on outer screen
Connectivity
C2 modem, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, second-gen UWB
Storage
256GB, 512GB, 1TB or 2TB
iPhone Duo release date: When will it go on sale?
Apple unveiled the iPhone Duo on September 9, 2026, but unlike the iPhone 18 Pro models it will not arrive in September.
Pre-orders begin on Friday, October 16, at 1pm in the U.K. and 5am Pacific in the U.S. The iPhone Duo officially goes on sale one week later on Friday, October 23 in more than 70 countries and regions, including the U.K., U.S., Canada, Australia, China, France, Germany, India and Japan. A further 28 countries and regions will get it on October 30.
It will be available directly from Apple online and through Apple Stores, with carrier availability varying by market.
The late-October launch confirms earlier reports that the folding iPhone could ship later than the iPhone 18 Pro family, although rumors suggesting a delay as late as December proved overly pessimistic.
iPhone Duo design: What does it look like?
The iPhone Duo opens up like a book.
Apple
The iPhone Duo uses a book-style folding design. Closed, it is unusually short and wide for an iPhone, measuring 84.1mm wide, 117.8mm tall and 11.3mm thick. Open it and the width expands to 164.6mm, while thickness reduces to just 5.2mm, making it Apple’s thinnest iPhone when unfolded (taking that mantel from the iPhone Air). It weighs 254g.
The outer screen measures 5.4 inches, while the folding inner panel measures 7.6 inches. Both are Super Retina XDR OLED displays with ProMotion up to 120Hz, Always-On display support and up to 3,000 nits outdoor peak brightness. The internal display also has a nano-texture surface designed to reduce reflections and make the crease less noticeable.
The frame and hinge cover are made from Grade 5 titanium. Apple uses a mirror-polished finish on the enclosure and a micro-blasted finish on the 3D-printed hinge cover. Ceramic Shield protects the rear, while Ceramic Shield 2 protects the outer display. The phone retains an IP68 rating despite its folding construction.
The hinge from the outside.
Apple
There are just two colors: Star White and Night Sky, essentially confirming the pre-event reports of silver/white and a very dark blue. For more information read about the iPhone Duo colors.
Action button and Camera Control
There is Camera Control, giving access to exposure, depth, zoom, cameras, styles and tone. It can also launch the new Siri Camera mode.
However, Apple’s Duo doesn’t feature an Action button. The regular iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max retain both the Action button and Camera Control, so this is one hardware-control compromise of the folding model.
Face ID, Touch ID and the notch
Perhaps the most surprising difference between the iPhone Duo and Apple’s other flagship iPhones is that there is no Face ID.
Instead, Apple has brought back Touch ID, with the fingerprint sensor incorporated into the side button. It works whether the Duo is folded or unfolded, and Apple Watch can also be used to unlock the device. This confirms one of the most persistent pre-launch rumors.
The internal display therefore does not need the TrueDepth sensors used for Face ID. Its FaceTime camera sits beneath the display and disappears when it isn’t being used, giving the inner screen a largely uninterrupted surface.
The inner camera itself is hidden below the display rather than sitting permanently in a visible camera cutout. And yet,despite this and the absence of Face ID, there is still support for Dynamic Island.
iPhone Duo cameras: What cameras does it have?
There are two cameras on the rear.
Apple
The Duo has a 48MP Dual Fusion camera system, comprising:
Camera
Resolution
Equivalent focal length
Aperture
Fusion Main
48MP
26mm
f/1.6
2x crop from Main
12MP
52mm
f/1.6
Fusion Ultra Wide
48MP
13mm
f/2.2
Outer front camera
12MP
—
f/2.2
Inner FaceTime camera
Apple does not specify resolution
—
f/1.8
The Duo does not have variable aperture. Variable aperture is exclusive to the 48MP Fusion Main camera in the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.
The biggest camera features for iPhone Duo
Duo Preview
The outer screen can show a live preview while somebody else is being photographed, allowing the subject to adjust their pose and framing.
Smart Take and Kid Cue
Smart Take detects when everybody is ready and automatically captures the shot. Kid Cue uses animations on the outer screen to encourage children to look towards the camera.
Two-screen shooting
The folding design supports unusual shooting configurations, including using the main cameras for selfies or group photos while seeing the composition on the other screen. Duo FaceTime can also put nearby participants onto the outer display.
Other notable camera features include 48MP macro photography, a 2x optical-quality crop from the Main camera, an under-display inner FaceTime camera, Dual Capture for simultaneous front-and-rear video, and 4K Dolby Vision recording at up to 120fps.
Rear cameras
The 48MP Fusion Main has an f/1.6 aperture, sensor-shift stabilization and can shoot 24MP or 48MP images. It also provides a 12MP, 2x optical-quality crop equivalent to a 52mm lens.
The 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide has a 13mm-equivalent lens, f/2.2 aperture and 120-degree field of view. It also supports 48MP macro photography and is the same Ultra Wide camera used by the iPhone 18 Pro family.
That means the Duo does not match the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max camera system. Those phones add a dedicated 48MP Fusion Telephoto and variable aperture on the Main camera, making the Pro models much more flexible for photography despite costing substantially less.
Pre-event reports were divided between a Main + Telephoto and Main + Ultra Wide arrangement. Apple ultimately chose Main + Ultra Wide, confirming the earlier reports that a dedicated telephoto could be sacrificed to save space.
Front cameras
On the outside is a 12MP Center Stage camera with an f/2.2 aperture. It supports Center Stage, automatic portrait/landscape framing, Dual Capture, Photonic Engine, Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 5 and 4K Dolby Vision video at up to 60fps.
Inside is an under-display FaceTime camera with an f/1.8 aperture. Apple does not specify its megapixel resolution. It supports Center Stage for video calls and records at up to 1080p/60fps. Its major advantage is visual rather than photographic: the camera effectively disappears beneath the display when it isn’t being used.
iPhone Duo video features
The Main camera records 4K Dolby Vision at 24, 25, 30, 60, 100 or 120fps, with 4K/120fps also available for slo-mo. Cinematic mode reaches 4K/60fps and Action mode up to 2.8K/60fps. Dual Capture can record at up to 4K/30fps.
Apple’s specifications also do not list ProRes or Apple Log recording for the Duo. Those remain more Pro-oriented capabilities rather than part of Apple’s foldable camera proposition.
The Duo does support Spatial Audio recording, Audio Mix, Dolby Vision HDR and Apple’s computational photography features including Photonic Engine, Deep Fusion, Smart HDR 5, Photographic Styles 3, smart focus tracking and Apple Intelligence-powered editing.
Apple does not list conventional Spatial Video capture in the Duo specifications.
iPhone Duo processor: What processor does it use?
Watch video on the screen.
Apple
The iPhone Duo uses the A20 Pro, the same processor as the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.
It is manufactured using a 2-nanometer process, a major step forward in transistor density and efficiency. Apple combines it with a new chip packaging design inspired by its M-series Mac processors. The package connects the A20 Pro directly to a custom vapor chamber to transfer heat away from the processor more effectively.
The A20 Pro includes:
6-core CPU: two super cores and four efficiency cores
7-core GPU with Neural Accelerators
Dual 16-core Neural Engine
Hardware-accelerated ray tracing
A dedicated display engine capable of operating both Duo displays
Compared with the A19 Pro, Apple says the CPU is up to 20 percent faster, while the GPU is up to 40 percent faster and more power-efficient. The Dual 16-core Neural Engine delivers twice the compute power, while unified-memory bandwidth rises by 50 percent.
Apple also claims that the complete thermal system gives the Duo up to 35 percent better sustained performance than the iPhone 17 Pro. That sustained-performance figure is particularly important for a folding device because prolonged gaming, multitasking and AI workloads generate considerably more heat than short benchmark bursts.
iPhone Duo RAM: How much memory does it have?
Apple has not disclosed how much RAM is inside the iPhone Duo.
Before launch, supply-chain reports consistently pointed to 12GB of RAM, which would make sense given the demands of running two displays, simultaneous applications, Siri AI and larger on-device AI models. However, until teardowns or diagnostic tools confirm the figure, 12GB should remain labelled as a rumor rather than an official specification.
Apple does reveal that A20 Pro has 50 percent more unified-memory bandwidth than A19 Pro, which should help the Duo move data more quickly between the CPU, GPU and Neural Engine.
Extra memory is particularly useful on the Duo because iOS 27 can display multiple apps simultaneously and because Apple Intelligence and Siri AI increasingly run generative models locally rather than relying entirely on cloud processing.
iPhone Duo connectivity
An expensive desk calendar.
Apple
Apple has put a significant amount of its own communications silicon into the iPhone Duo.
It uses Apple’s new C2 cellular modem, replacing Qualcomm silicon. Apple says C2 introduces AI-powered improvements to cellular quality and reliability and supports mmWave 5G in the U.S.
The N1 wireless networking chip provides:
Wi-Fi 7 with 2×2 MIMO
Bluetooth 6
Thread networking
The Duo also has Apple’s second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, NFC and precision dual-frequency GPS.
It is eSIM-only worldwide, something that had been widely rumored before launch. Eliminating the SIM tray gives Apple additional internal space for its batteries.
Satellite capabilities include:
Emergency SOS via satellite
Roadside Assistance via satellite
Find My via satellite
Messages via satellite
Battery, MagSafe and charging: What’s available?
Instead of one battery spanning the body, the iPhone Duo contains two rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, with one high-energy battery fitted into each half of the device. Apple’s energy-balancing algorithms make them operate as a single battery system.
Apple rates battery life at:
Up to 24 hours of typical use
Up to 44 hours video playback using the outer display
Up to 31 hours using the inner display
Up to 37 hours streamed video on the outer screen
Up to 26 hours streamed video on the inner display
Apple has not disclosed the batteries’ combined capacity in mAh. The pre-launch rumor of approximately 5,000-5,500mAh therefore remains unconfirmed.
Wired charging can take the Duo to 50 percent in around 20 minutes with a 60W-or-higher USB-C adapter.
Despite earlier uncertainty, MagSafe is supported, with wireless charging at up to 25W. Qi2 charging also reaches 25W. Apple says a 35W-or-higher adapter and MagSafe charger can bring the battery to around 50 percent in approximately 30 minutes.
iPhone Duo price: How much does it cost?
The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 in the U.S. and £1,999 in the U.K. for 256GB.
Prices are:
Storage
Storage
256GB
$1,999/£1,999
512GB
$2,199/£2,199
1TB
$2,599/£2,599
2TB
$3,199/£3,199
The 256GB starting capacity means Apple has not created an unusually low-storage entry model simply to make the headline price look lower.
iPhone Duo vs iPhone 18 Pro pricing
The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199/£1,199, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at $1,299/£1,299. That makes the Duo approximately $700/£700 more expensive than the Pro Max at entry level.
That premium buys the folding display, precision hinge, titanium structure, second screen and more complex dual-battery design rather than superior cameras: in several areas the iPhone 18 Pro models are actually better equipped.
Reports before the launch suggested the Duo could cost anywhere from around $1,999 to $2,399 at entry level, largely because of the folding OLED display, hinge mechanism, titanium components and other expensive parts. Apple ultimately landed at the very bottom of those predictions.
iPhone Duo vs iPhone 18 Pro pricing
The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199/£1,199, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at $1,299/£1,299. That makes the Duo approximately $700/£700 more expensive than the Pro Max at entry level.
That premium buys the folding display, precision hinge, titanium structure, second screen and more complex dual-battery design rather than superior cameras: in several areas the iPhone 18 Pro models are actually better equipped.
Reports before the launch suggested the Duo could cost anywhere from around $1,999 to $2,399 at entry level, largely because of the folding OLED display, hinge mechanism, titanium components and other expensive parts. Apple ultimately landed at the very bottom of those predictions.
Should you buy the iPhone Duo?
The iPhone Duo is the iPhone to buy if you genuinely want a phone and small tablet in one device. Its 7.6-inch display, multitasking features, A20 Pro performance and clever fold-specific camera modes offer capabilities no other iPhone has.
But at $1,999/£1,999 it is enormously expensive, and there are significant compromises: no Face ID, no dedicated telephoto camera, no variable aperture and no Action button.
For photography, battery life and conventional everyday use, the iPhone 18 Pro Max is likely to be the better-value flagship. Buy the Duo because you want the folding experience, not because it is simply the “best” iPhone.
Login
