Apple Event 2026 recap — foldable iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro, AirPods 5, Watch Ultra 4, and more

Good morning, folks! It's Apple Day — the most important date in the annual tech calendar and the busiest day of the year for the TechRadar office (sigh).

I'll be bringing you the latest iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch rumors ahead of the event's kick-off later today, and trust me: there's a lot to cover.

First, a quick reminder of what's happening: Apple's ‘Surprise and Shine’ event is scheduled to start at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST today (that's 3am AEST on September 10 if you're in Australia).

This is the 2026 edition of Apple's annual product showcase, and we're expecting to see as many as nine (yes, nine) new products unveiled.

Of those nine rumored products, the most hotly anticipated is Apple's first foldable iPhone, which we've been referring to as the 'iPhone Ultra' for close to a year now. But at the very last minute, the rumor mill has spat out an unexpected new name for this folding device...

Could the iPhone Ultra be the iPhone Duo?

According to seasoned Apple tipster Mark Gurman, the iPhone Ultra will in fact be called the iPhone Duo. It's pretty hard to believe that such a drastically different name has emerged just hours before the product itself is due to be unveiled — so we're still a tad skeptical about its authenticity — but Gurman has an excellent track record when it comes to Apple predictions.

Gurman adds in the same X post that the iPhone Duo will have a starting price of $2,000, rising to $3,000 for the 2TB model. And, yes, in case you were in any doubt: those numbers would make the Duo the most expensive iPhone of all time.

Another important note: Gurman says Apple's first foldable iPhone will have Apple Pencil support. Steve Jobs won't be happy...

Let's talk AirPods

Moving away from the iPhone for the moment, let's talk AirPods. Today, we're expecting Apple to announce two new AirPods models: the AirPods 5 without ANC (active noise cancellation), and AirPods 5 with ANC.

Both models are set to use Apple's new H3 chipset, which should improve audio processing and reduce latency, though it remains to be seen how different the AirPods 5 with ANC will be from the AirPods Pro, which already offer ANC.

In any case, we're not expecting to see any camera-equipped AirPods launch today, despite rumors suggesting that such a product is indeed in development.

Today might also be the day we finally get a successor to the HomePod mini. This smaller, more affordable version of the standard Apple HomePod (which now exists as the HomePod 2) was released way back in November 2020, but hasn't been updated since.

More than 20 (!) new iPhones have launched in that same period, so to say the HomePod mini 2 has been a long time coming would be an understatement.

Rumored upgrades for the HomePod mini include a faster chipset (duh!), superior audio quality, and Siri AI functionality.

A clear message from Samsung

If you walk around London, New York, or Seoul today, you may spot Samsung's new tongue-in-cheek advertising campaign, dubbed ‘Welcome to Foldables’.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 manufacturer is clearly hoping to remind people that it has spent a decade developing foldable technology, and that Apple — if it does release its first foldable today — is late to the party.

That said, Samsung isn't totally against Apple's late entry into the foldables market. Speaking to Bloomberg last year, Samsung's President and COO of the company’s Mobile eXperience (MX) division, Won-joon Choi, said: "I think healthy competition with other companies will bring more innovations, and then bring more benefits to consumers. So we are welcoming others to join this category, which we created back in 2019 [...] Having another global company join this category, I think it's good for the industry, and also, it's going to be great for consumers."

Don't forget about the iPhone 18 Pro

A quick word on the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, which will likely be the forgotten children of today's Apple Event while also being the best-selling Apple products of the next 12 months.

Gurman says both phones will have smaller, more functional Dynamic Islands, an upgraded vapor chamber (read: they won't get as hot), and "major" new camera hardware. Rumors suggest a variable aperture feature could be chief among this new hardware, which would make the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max some of the best camera phones around.

Back to the iPhone Ultra/Duo/whatever you want to call it, let's talk about what features it reportedly won't have. According to various rumors, there's a chance Apple's first foldable will lack Face ID, a telephoto camera, MagSafe, the Action button, and a physical SIM card slot.

Now look, I can live without the Action button, a SIM card slot, and a telephoto camera, but no Face ID or MagSafe? I'm not sure I would spend $2,000 on an iPhone without those two features, which feel pretty essential to how I use my iPhone every day.

Thinking of selling your iPhone 17 Pro? Do so ASAP

Here's some last-minute advice for you: if you're planning on selling your current iPhone 17 Pro or Pro Max to fund an upgrade to the iPhone 18 Pro line, you should head out to your local tech store and do so ASAP. Why? Because current iPhones could fall in value by up to 30% once the new models launch.

“Many people will make the mistake of waiting to see what new features the next iPhone range has before trading in their old device, but our data clearly shows that waiting just a few weeks could mean a significant hit on the amount customers can get for it," Joe Armstrong, Head of Trading at musicMagpie, tells TechRadar. "Those who wait until October may see handsets drop by an average of £48 and up to £122."

It's the same story in the US and Australia, and while Armstrong references October as the hard trade-in deadline, your absolute best bet is to sell your current iPhone before 12pm PT / 3pm ET / 8pm BST today.

Of course, selling before the iPhone 18 Pro has even been announced would leave you with no phone until the new models begin shipping later this month, but some retailers will allow you to lock in a sale price today and keep using your phone for a few more weeks. That's the ideal scenario during this precarious time of year for iPhone trade-in values.

First official look at the iPhone Ultra?

New Apple CEO John Ternus has just posted what appears to be a tease for one of the company's new iPhones on X. There's no Tim Cook-style "Good morning!" here, nor even a reminder of today's event start time. Instead, Ternus has shared a 14-second clip of a spotlight shining down on the corner of what looks like an iPhone. Is this a hint that the iPhone Ultra/Duo won't have four straight edges à la the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, or a reference to the rumored variable aperture feature on the iPhone 18 Pro?

The Apple Store is down

Oh, and the Apple Store website is now closed for maintenance, which typically happens right before the company refreshes its product lineup. Not long to go now!

Regarding Ternus' teaser post on X, some Apple fans are pretty convinced it refers to the iPhone 18 Pro's variable aperture, rather than the company's first foldable iPhone. Perhaps we'll get a second teaser video before the event kicks off at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST?

In terms of what won't be unveiled today, we're not expecting Apple to announce new MacBooks, iPads, or Vision Pro-style VR hardware. Software upgrades will most likely take a backseat, too, after iOS 27, Siri AI, and WatchOS 27 were all announced at WWDC 2026 back in June (though it's worth noting that these new OS packages will almost certainly be released alongside their corresponding hardware products in September).

TechRadar's Editor at Large, Lance Ulanoff, has touched down in Apple Park. His first stop? The official Apple Store, which appears to be temporarily boarded up in preparation for new products.

The Boys Are Back in Town

Lance has now been joined by Jacob Krol, TechRadar's US Managing Editor for News. Between them, they'll be bringing you hands-on impressions and videos of everything Apple is announcing today — including, we hope, the company's first foldable iPhone.

OK, I'm pretty sure I know what the winning response will be (it rhymes with "grindstone culture"), but cast your vote below for your most anticipated announcement from today's Apple Event:

Just two hours to go! A reminder that today's event kicks off at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST (or 3am AEST if you're in Australia, but if you're reading this from Sydney: go back to sleep).

Here's Lance and Jake on their predictions for today's event:

And here's part 2 of the pair's predictions:

The sun is out at Apple Park! Incidentally, it was raining cats and dogs during last year's event, so perhaps the universe is telling us we're in for a more exciting set of announcements in 2026.

Watch out for watches

The foldable iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro won't be the only stars of today's event: Apple Watches also look set to get an overhaul, starting with the Apple Watch Series 12.

Now, if you're expecting major design upgrades, prepare to be disappointed. According to the latest rumors, the Series 12 will look similar to its predecessor, the Apple Watch Series 11 — though one rumor does hint at ceramic case options, which would be a nice touch. We’ve also heard that the Series 12 could have a new LTPO display instead of the classic OLED, but we’re taking this claim with a pinch of salt.

For now, we’re expecting the biggest upgrades to come inside the watch. Specifically, the Series 12 is tipped to house Apple’s new S12 chipset, which should be powerful enough to support Siri AI, as well as a larger battery for a much-needed battery life boost.

The premium Apple Watch Ultra is also tipped to get another update today, but again, it won't necessarily look any different from the current model. Some speculate that the Watch Ultra 4 will be identical in appearance to the Watch Ultra 3, while others claim it will have a bigger screen and slimmer build.

Of course, the biggest updates will likely come under the hood, with the Watch Ultra 4 set to get a new chipset — a no-brainer given Siri AI’s imminent rollout — and a suite of new sensors for more accurate health tracking.

Look out for new health-tracking software

While both new Apple Watch models will almost certainly get hardware upgrades, Apple is also expected to unveil new wellbeing tracking tools for health-minded users. A new default Readiness app is expected to launch for the Apple Watch home screen, delivering a new and improved recovery experience for users — because what you do after a workout is just as important as the workout itself.

The Workout app could be getting an overdue facelift, too. The new version will reportedly let you record individual reps and sets for strength routines to help you keep track of your progress. I’ve been using my iPhone's Notes app in the gym for years, so this is one feature I’m hoping will make an appearance at today's event.

Another handy health tool we’re expecting to see unveiled is always-on heart rate data tracking, which will monitor your activity and recovery over 24 hours using only your heart rate. This sounds exciting, but given that only the Ultra 4 is expected to get new sensors, it’s likely that this feature will be exclusive to Apple's most premium wearable.

Just 45 minutes to go — Lance and co. are being ushered into the Steve Jobs Theater to take their seats.

The current foldable competition

Switching focus back to Apple's first foldable iPhone, there are currently three similarly sized devices available on the market right now: the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, the Xiaomi 18 Fold, and the Huawei Pura X Max.

The first of that trio is the big competition for the iPhone Duo/Ultra. The Z Fold 8 is available globally, and it's been well-received by reviewers and customers as a sturdy, pocket-friendly phone designed for content consumption above all else. Apple will surely ensure its foldable iPhone one-ups the Z Fold 8 in some way, but we're not sure how just yet. I'm banking on a less-visible crease or a superior camera array.

The Xiaomi 18 Fold and Huawei Pura X Max are only available in China, but both may look more similar in appearance to Apple's foldable iPhone than the Galaxy Z Fold 8. Both phones have two rounded corners when closed and four when open, while Samsung's phone is straight-edged whichever way you slice it.

Lance and Jake have taken their seats inside the Steve Jobs Theater. It's getting real now.

Tim Cook is in the building

Former (which feels weird to write) Apple CEO Tim Cook is in the building for new CEO John Ternus' first big Apple Event. A penny for his thoughts...

Two mins to go. Good luck, folks — I hope you get every foldable iPhone you wished for.

And we're off. We're getting a 'Shot on iPhone' sequence to kick things off (classic!). $10 says Craig Federighi appears before it finishes.

Tim Cook officially hands the reins to John Ternus. Here we go.

We're kicking off with... iPhone?! I wasn't expecting that. Ternus says the iPhone represents the perfect intersection between AI and hardware. Private Cloud Compute delivers "personal intelligence that's actually personal."

OK we really are getting straight into the new iPhones. I respect it!

First up is the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. "We made massive advancements in Intelligence, Performance, Battery, and Camera," Ternus says.

It comes in Black, Silver, Glacier, and Burgundy.

The iPhone 18 Pro features Apple's most advanced foundation models, which, of course, unlock the full capabilities of Siri AI. We got a taste of Siri AI at WWDC 2026 earlier this year, but it now looks set to roll out properly on the 18 Pro, Pro Max, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air (other iPhones will get it, too, but the best version of the software will be locked to these top-end models).

The iPhone 18 Pro features the Expressive Voices feature in Siri AI for more accurate dictation and improved personalization.

We're getting a lot on Siri AI and Apple Intelligence here, but we heard most of this back in June. Let's hope we move onto the hardware upgrades soon...

OK, we're finally onto the hardware: the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max feature Apple's latest chipset, the A20. It's built on 2nm technology, and features a 6-core CPU (including 2 new super cores and 4 efficiency cores), a 7-core CPU (delivering a 40% increase in graphics performance), and two Neural Engines.

Its the "ultimate chip for running on-device AI models," Apple says.

The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max also feature a redesigned vapor chamber. It has three times the surface area as the one inside the iPhone 17 Pro, and features more thermally conducted graphite than before. It's much better at dissipating heat, basically (you'll supposedly get a 40% gain in sustained performance).

OK, onto the battery – the iPhone 18 Pro Max supposedly delivers the largest increase in battery life ever on an iPhone. You'll get 36 hours of video playback on the 18 Pro, and 45 hours on the Pro Max. As expected, Apple isn't sharing the specific mAh figures.

We've done chipset, battery, and now we're moving to cameras.

And big news! The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max feature a 48MP main camera with a variable aperture, which was a widely rumored (but not guaranteed!) upgrade. In essence, a variable aperture lens can automatically widen and narrow to let more or less light into the sensor, depending on the scene you're shooting.

The iPhone 18 Pro line will also feature pro-grade camera controls like shutter speed while shooting video and smart focus tracking. Photographic Styles are being updated, too: you'll be able to edit skin texture and color balance.

Oh, this is interesting. Apple Reference Image will let you prove that an image was taken on an iPhone 18 Pro. "It's like having a digital negative you can use to visually confirm what was in the shot." It won't be available in the EU, and China, though...

The Dynamic Island is getting an upgrade, too: it can now display three live activities at once, rather than just two. iPhone Handoff will also let you use the same phone number across two different iPhones (though this won't be exclusive to the 18 Pro).

And, yes, the iPhone 18 Pro will cost more than the iPhone 17 Pro. The 18 Pro will start at $1,199, and the Pro Max at $1,299. Sigh.

Interestingly, we're moving straight on to AirPods 5. Perhaps Apple is saving the best for last?

AirPods 5 will deliver "richer, more detailed sound" than the AirPods 4, and they'll feature improved Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). The AirPods 5 will also feature Siri AI compatibility for walk-and-talk AI conversations, and Live Translation.

AirPods 5 are coming in two variants: the second, more premium model will get the AirPods Pro's on-stem volume control feature, Volume Swipe.

Ternus has now introduced the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4. They'll both feature new Apple silicon and improved sensors. Chief among the latter is a new Health Sensing System: on both watches, the electrode surface area has been increased, the photodiodes have been redesigned, and the LEDs are larger and more power-efficient.

Live Rewind on Apple Watch Ultra 4 will remind you of what someone just said if you didn't hear correctly, while Siri Recap will gather data from your day to give you a summary of what took place — securely, Apple promises.

Apple is really going hard on this point: the Apple Watch Series 12 comes with "the most accurate heart rate sensing in a wearable." You can see the rest of the watch's upgrades in the image above.

IT'S FOLDABLE TIME

Apple's first foldable iPhone is called the iPhone Duo.

"We believe this will redefine the experience of using a foldable phone [...] you'll get a large display that feels as natural and intuitive as iPad."

The iPhone Duo features a 1.4 aspect ratio on both displays. It features Touch ID, not Face ID. When open, it's the thinnest iPhone ever. It features an iPhone Air-style camera plateau. The frame is made from titanium. I'm writing these as fast as I can guys...

Key iOS 27 controls will appear on the side of the iPhone Duo. The dock on the Home screen is oriented vertically. As you move between displays, these controls will stay in place.

"iPhone Duo and iOS 27 redefine what an iPhone can do, while still feeling natural and familiar."

The iPhone Duo opens up to a 7.6-inch Super Retina display. When closed, the display measures 5.4 inches. You'll be able to use Apple Pencil on both displays, too (later this year, Apple says).

Crucially, the iPhone Duo features Touch ID, not Face ID.

Craig Federighi is here to talk more about the Duo's software. Apple has optimized all Apple apps specifically for the iPhone Duo. You can move apps from one side to the other, split the screen, duplicate views, pair apps together to revisit later, and more.

You can use the iPhone Duo in any orientation or pose. Set it on the table, and you can watch a show hands-free, or flip it upside down to use it like an open clamshell. You can also use the Duo while partially folded, which I'm not sure is something you can do on other foldables!

The iPhone Duo uses a multi-layer lamination design that keeps the display flat and provides superior durability. Its display is supposedly more scratch-resistant than other foldable displays, too. We'll be the judge of that!

Like the iPhone 18 Pro, the iPhone Duo will feature the A20 Pro chipset and Apple's C2 modem. It's eSIM-only in every region and delivers 24 hours of charge if you're using both screens equally (the figure is much larger for outer screen-only use, as you can imagine).

The Duo features Apple's 48MP Fusion camera system.

It starts at $1,999 for the 256GB model. Pre-orders begin October 16, and it'll begin shipping on October 23.

And that's a wrap! Now time to get my head around the gazillion products that were just announced, and update the top of this live blog...