Apple hardware engineering VP Tom Marieb spoke with TechRadar and shared some candid thoughts about Apple's upcoming iPhone Duo.
The iPhone Duo uses a matte nano-texture display, which is meant to cut down on glare and minimize the visibility of the crease. When asked if the iPhone Duo's crease would be more visible over time, as that's what tends to happen on other foldables, Marieb said the nano-texture display would help. He asked people to hold the company "accountable" on crease visibility.
Hold us accountable to that, please. The choice of a matte finish — apart from it being beautiful — is part of that equation. When you look at glossy displays, their specularity makes it very easy to pick up topology differences. That's part of the reason we picked the matte finish — it's not only beautiful in terms of preventing glare, but it's also more forgiving of [hinge] changes over time.
Marieb said the iPhone Duo's hinge was something he was "especially proud of" because it took a long time to get the right design. Apple wanted a durable hinge that felt solid to open and close.
We really worked on the torque profile very heavily, and that means changing a lot of the mechanical properties of the hinge to have it feel solid, like a high-end automobile's car door, when you shut it. That was design intent, so people would have a feeling like, 'Oh, it's okay. This is well crafted, and it's safe for me to use and not worry about it.'
Apple didn't want the hinge to be "floppy," so torque had to be perfected for different use cases. The hinge Apple came up with lets the iPhone Duo be used in partially folded seated and standing modes, as well as open and closed. Marieb said "a lot of blood, sweat, and tears" went into the hinge design.
Marieb also spoke about Ceramic Shield 2, his dislike of screen protectors, and more, with the full interview available on TechRadar.
The iPhone Duo will be available for pre-order on October 16 and will launch on October 23. Pricing starts at $1,999.
The iPhone 18 Pro Max has a battery capacity over 20 watt-hours, which means there are additional shipping requirements. If an iPhone 18 Pro Max needs to be shipped somewhere, its maximum battery capacity has to be limited through firmware.
According to Apple, the iPhone 18 Pro Max uses an "innovative battery-firmware solution" that limits battery capacity to below 20Wh between when the iPhone is manufactured and its delivery to a customer. Activating the iPhone removes the limit to make the battery's full charging capacity available. iPhones that are not yet activated or still in the box will not need Prepare to Ship because they are already limited to under 20Wh.
Customers who need to ship the iPhone 18 Pro Max for repair, trade-in, or other purposes have to use a new Prepare to Ship feature. Prepare to Ship discharges the battery to below 20Wh and sets a charge limit so the iPhone stays below the threshold during the shipping process.
The Prepare to Ship option can be accessed by going to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Prepare to Ship. Apple warns that the iPhone can become "warmer than usual" during Prepare to Ship if the battery needs to be discharged. When finished, the iPhone shows a "Ready to Ship" status in Settings.
If Prepare to Ship needs to be undone, there is an option in the same section of the Settings app to undo the shipping preparation. Depending on the reason the user selected for the Prepare to Ship feature, there could be a 14-day waiting period before it can be disabled.
Apple emphasizes that the iPhone 18 Pro Max is safe for shipping and air travel, and the limit has been added to meet shipping requirements. Since no other iPhones have a single-cell battery over 20Wh, this procedure isn't needed for other models.
The Apple Watch Series 12 came out today, and we picked one up to get a look at the new feature set. There are no major external changes, but Apple updated the device's internals and health sensors.
The Apple Watch Series 12 has the same design as the Series 11, but it does come in different colors. The aluminum models are available in a light gold shade that's distinct from the rose gold Apple used last year, as well as dark bronze, black, and space gray. There are also ceramic models in pearl white and night blue, and polished titanium models in radiant gold and natural. On the aluminum models, Apple is now using Ceramic Shield 2 instead of Ion-X glass, and the new material is 60 percent tougher.
You might not be able to tell a Series 11 apart from a Series 12 when looking at the front, but the back has been updated. Apple says the upgraded sensors make the Apple Watch Series 12 the most accurate wearable for heart rate sensing.
The Series 12 has a Health Sensing System that pairs the new sensors with an S11 chip that's faster than the S10 in the prior-generation model. It takes heart rate readings every five seconds now and measures heart rate variability as often as every five minutes.
It's early, but so far we haven't seen the higher sampling rates cause excessive battery drain. The Apple Watch Series 12 is still rated for all-day battery life, and charging is faster this year. You can get up to 12 hours of normal usage from a 15-minute charge, but you need to use the Apple Watch charger that comes with the Series 12. Older chargers won't give you the faster charging rate.
The Health Sensing System powers a readiness score that lets you know whether to go all-out on activity or take a rest day. It's based on metrics such as recent activity, vitals, and sleep, and will adjust as the day continues. It takes about a week of data collection from the Series 12 before you start getting a readiness score.
The S11 chip will power Live Rewind and Siri Recap features, but those won't be available until later this year.
Even though the Apple Watch hasn't seen a design refresh, the health features make this a decent update. You may not want to upgrade if you have the Series 10 or Series 11, but anything older is worth upgrading from.
The Series 12 comes in 42mm and 46mm size options with pricing starting at $399.
So far, the M5 Ultra has achieved up to a 59% higher Metal score (366,744) on Geekbench 7 compared to the M3 Ultra's average score of 230,420, and the chip's OpenCL score is roughly in line with NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 4080.
As for the M6 chip, it has so far achieved up to a 34% higher Metal score (93,217) compared to the M5 chip's average score of 69,563.
TechInsights has published an iPhone 18 Pro Max teardown that confirms the U.S. version of the device is equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X80 modem.
The device's modem firmware had already pointed towards the Snapdragon X80 modem.
The smaller iPhone 18 Pro and the iPhone Duo use Apple's custom-designed C2 modem worldwide, and the iPhone 18 Pro Max uses the C2 modem in every other country, so the U.S. version of the iPhone 18 Pro Max having a Qualcomm modem is unique.
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models have the same Snapdragon X80 modem worldwide, although TechInsights noted that the U.S. version of the iPhone 18 Pro Max has a newly-identified mmWave 5G antenna module from Apple.
We will have to wait for C2 vs. Snapdragon X80 performance tests.
Apple has yet to explain why only the U.S. version of the iPhone 18 Pro Max still has a Qualcomm modem, so we can only speculate for now. In 2023, Qualcomm announced that it would supply Apple with smartphone modems through 2026, so perhaps Apple is ensuring that it complies with its contractual obligations in a minimal way.
Apple's C2 modem supports ultra-fast mmWave 5G in the U.S., unlike its previous-generation C1 and C1X modems. Qualcomm modems in the iPhone 12 and newer already supported mmWave 5G in the U.S., so Apple played catch up here. Apple said the C2 delivers "meaningfully faster uploads" compared to the C1X while consuming 15% less energy.
Apple today released the first Xcode 27.1 beta. The latest version of the tool adds support for iPhone Duo app development.
Available on Apple silicon Macs running macOS 26.6 or later, Xcode 27.1 includes updated SDKs for the iPhone Duo, and a simulator that supports the device's new poses and orientations.
The Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 bring new health sensors, a new chip, and more detailed recovery insights to Apple's smartwatch lineup, so how do they compare?
Both models feature the S11 chip, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, and the new Health Sensing System, which measures heart rate every five seconds throughout the day. They also share Readiness, Recovery HRV, daytime vitals, improved step tracking, hypertension notifications, sleep apnea notifications, Sleep Score, and more. This means that the Ultra 4's higher price does not buy you more advanced everyday health tracking.
The Apple Watch Series 12 starts at $399, while the Apple Watch Ultra 4 starts at $799. The gap narrows if you want a premium case material, with the titanium Series 12 starting at $699. This year, the Series 12 also gains a ceramic option starting at $899, making it more expensive than the Ultra despite its smaller size and shorter battery life.
The Apple Watch Ultra continues to focus on durability, extended battery life, and additional capabilities for activities like diving and exploration. Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two Apple Watches is best for you. The differences between the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 are as follows:
Apple Watch Series 12
Apple Watch Ultra 4
Rounded design with a thinner case and front glass that curves at the edges
Rugged design with a thicker case and slightly raised edges to protect the flat front crystal
Aluminum, polished titanium, or polished ceramic case
Blasted titanium case
Aluminum and titanium: 42mm and 46mm case sizes Ceramic: Marketed as 42mm and 46mm, with actual heights of 43mm and 47mm
49mm case size
42mm aluminum and titanium: 37mm case width 43mm ceramic: 37mm case width 46mm aluminum and titanium: 40mm case width 47mm ceramic: 41mm case width
49mm titanium: 44mm case width
Aluminum and titanium: 9.7mm case depth Ceramic: 9.85mm case depth
12mm case depth
Weighs 31.5 to 52.9 grams depending on case size, material, finish, and connectivity
Natural titanium: 63.0 grams Black titanium: 63.1 grams
Aluminum: Ceramic Shield 2 front glass Titanium and ceramic: Sapphire front crystal
Sapphire front crystal
42mm: 374 by 446 pixels 46mm: 416 by 496 pixels
422 by 514 pixels
42mm: 970 sq mm display area 46mm: 1,196 sq mm display area
1,245 sq mm display area
Up to 2,000 nits peak brightness
Up to 3,000 nits peak brightness
Exclusive Wayfinder, Modular Ultra, and Orienteering faces
Customizable Action button, including Precision Start for workouts
86-decibel Siren to attract attention
Single speaker
Dual speakers
Single microphone with Voice Isolation
Three-microphone array with beamforming and wind noise mitigation
Aluminum: GPS or GPS + Cellular options Titanium and ceramic: GPS + Cellular
GPS + Cellular on all models
U.S. TDD cellular bands: 5G n38, n40, and n41; LTE 38, 39, 40, and 41
U.S. TDD cellular bands: 5G n38, n40, n41, and n53; LTE 38, 39, 40, 41, and 53
Satellite communications for Emergency SOS, Messages, and Find My
Precision L1 GPS
Precision dual-frequency GPS (L1 and L5)
GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou support
GPS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou support
Water resistant to 50m
Water resistant to 100m
Suitable for swimming and snorkeling
Suitable for swimming, snorkeling, high-speed water sports, and recreational scuba diving to 40m
Depth gauge and Depth app to 6m
Depth gauge and Depth app to 40m
Tested to MIL-STD 810H
EN13319 certification for recreational scuba diving
Recommended ambient operating temperature of 0°C to 35°C
On-wrist operating temperature of -20°C to 55°C
Always-on altimeter
Always-on altimeter with expanded operating range from -500m to 9,000m
Operating altitude from 0m to 3,000m
Operating altitude from -500m to 9,000m
Up to 24 hours of normal use
Up to 50 hours of normal use
Up to 38 hours in Low Power Mode
Up to 84 hours in Low Power Mode
Up to 10 hours of standard outdoor workout tracking
Up to 18 hours of standard outdoor workout tracking
Up to 25 hours in Extended Workout mode with full GPS and heart rate readings
Up to 45 hours in Max Extended Workout mode, retaining GPS readings every second
Charge from 0 to 80% in about 30 minutes
Charge from 0 to 80% in about 45 minutes
15 minutes of charging for up to 12 hours of normal use
15 minutes of charging for up to 18 hours of normal use
Aluminum: Dark Bronze, Light Gold, Black, and Space Gray Titanium: Radiant Gold and Natural Ceramic: Pearl White and Night Blue
Natural Titanium or Black Titanium
Hermès: Silver or Radiant Gold titanium
Hermès: Natural titanium
40% recycled content in aluminum and titanium models
45% recycled content
Aluminum: Starts at $399 Titanium: Starts at $699 Ceramic: Starts at $899 Hermès: Starts at $1,399
Standard: Starts at $799 Hermès: Starts at $1,499
For most users, the Apple Watch Series 12 is the better choice. It offers the same performance, health sensors, Readiness insights, and Audio Intelligence features as the Ultra 4 in a thinner, lighter device. The aluminum model delivers these benefits for $400 less, making it the stronger option for everyday use and regular workouts.
The Ultra 4's most broadly useful advantage is battery life. Its longer endurance makes overnight wear and extended workouts easier to fit around charging. You do not need to be an endurance athlete to appreciate less frequent charging, but the premium is easier to justify if the Series 12 cannot comfortably cover your usual activities and charging habits.
For hiking away from cellular coverage, recreational scuba diving, or very long events, the Ultra has a clearer purpose. Satellite communications, dual-frequency GPS, greater water resistance, and extended workout modes address needs that the Series 12 cannot fully meet. The Action button and brighter display may also appeal to enthusiasts who simply want more capable hardware.
Size and appearance remain substantial trade-offs. The Ultra is considerably bulkier and heavier despite offering a display only slightly larger than the 46mm Series 12's. The Series 12 is more discreet and offers polished titanium and ceramic finishes, making it better suited to buyers who prioritize comfort or appearance. Try on the Ultra before buying if you are unsure about its size.
The decision becomes closer if you already want the titanium Series 12, since its starting price is just $100 below the Ultra's. At that point, paying more for longer battery life and additional hardware is reasonable if you are comfortable with the larger case. The $899 ceramic Series 12 is primarily a choice of material and finish; choose it because you prefer its appearance, rather than expecting more capabilities than the $799 Ultra.
For this week's giveaway we've teamed up with iMazing to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win an iPhone Duo and a copy of the iMazing software to go along with it.
If you're unfamiliar with iMazing, it's Mac and PC software that offers a speedy, simple way to manage all of the data on your iPhone. You can make backups, add and delete photos, videos, and music, save content like messages, and much more.
While Apple has the built-in Finder on Mac for managing an iPhone, iMazing has a ton of features Apple doesn't offer. You can set up automatic backups with snapshots that make it easy to find what you're looking for and selective restore for bringing back just what you need. A useful search tool lets you find files on your devices and in your backups.
There's a Device Overview with detailed information about your iPhone in one spot, and dedicated tools for browsing, exporting, and archiving content. You can transfer photos, music, books, movies, and other media files from your computer to your iPhone and vice versa. You can even create an entire archive of your messages from the Messages app or WhatsApp.
iMazing can be used for screen recording on macOS, and there are diagnostic and device-info export tools. A Spyware Analyzer lets you know if any of your devices have been compromised.
The software isn't limited to the iPhone. It works with the iPad and Vision Pro, along with older devices like the iPod. If you have an old iPod with music on it, you can use iMazing to get it off. It also supports song transfers from non-iOS music players.
iMazing was entirely overhauled in 2024, and since then, the software has continued to get regular updates to add new features. The user interface has been updated with a collapsible sidebar and customizable device and backup list views, and data export has been improved. You can export all of your data with advanced filters, and use the same filters on the Unified Logs browser. Business features have improved too, with streamlined MDM enrollment, a Command Line Interface for advanced interaction with iOS devices and backups, and the iMazing Profile Editor 2 for configuring macOS app, notification, and login permissions.
You'll never have to worry about a device being unsupported with iMazing. It's updated with ongoing support for new models as they come out. In the near future, iMazing plans to add Android support, which will make it even more useful. iMazing can be downloaded from the iMazing website at prices starting at $30. iMazing has personal subscriptions, family subscriptions, and enterprise subscriptions, with free trials available. Some functions are free without a purchase.
We have a 256GB iPhone Duo and a copy of iMazing to give away to one MacRumors reader. 10 other readers will win a copy of iMazing. Since the iPhone Duo has not been released yet, this is a prize that will be delivered after the device launches on October 23.
To enter to win, use the widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winner(s) and send the prize(s). You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, following us on Threads, or visiting the MacRumorsFacebook page.
Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older, UK residents who are 18 years or older, and Canadian residents who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. All federal, state, provincial, and/or local taxes, fees, and surcharges are the sole responsibility of the prize winner. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.
The contest will run from today (September 18) at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time on September 25. The winners will be chosen randomly on or shortly after September 25 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before a new winner is chosen.
Back in 1999, unhappy at how Macs were being positioned in traditional computer retail stores, Steve Jobs decided that Apple needed to make its own push into retail. The man he brought on to lead the initiative was Ron Johnson, previously the vice president of merchandising at Target.
Johnson and writer Zander Nethercutt have teamed up for a new book entitled Shop Different: How Retail Revealed Apple's Genius, releasing next Tuesday, September 22, and I recently had a chance to read through the book and chat with Johnson about it.
Shop Different covers Johnson's background including his time at department store Mervyn's and at Target, but the bulk of the book unsurprisingly focuses on his work at Apple as his biggest success story and a topic of significant interest for legions of Apple fans and others in the business world and beyond.
Johnson started at Apple on February 1, 2000, and he worked hand-in-hand with Jobs and other Apple executives to develop a vision and buildout plan for Apple retail stores, leading to the opening of the company's first two stores in May 2001.
While Apple retail stores have become iconic landmarks and sought-after mall anchors in over 20 countries around the world, their success was not always a given, and Shop Different goes into detail on the trials and tribulations of developing the first stores and their weak early performance, struggles that ultimately gave way to the massive success that the stores have achieved.
Some of the high-level background of the Apple retail development process, including how Apple built out a full-scale store mockup in a Cupertino warehouse, has long been known, but Johnson dives into much more detail on how everything played out. Johnson describes early meetings with Jobs as they discussed the philosophy behind delving directly into retail, the challenges of securing prime real estate, Jobs' initial reaction to Johnson's proposed "Genius Bar" name for the stores' support services, and much more.
In the latter portions of Shop Different, Johnson shares some touching moments from his interactions with Jobs as pancreatic cancer took its toll on the Apple founder, as well as Johnson's transition to CEO of department store JCPenney, a difficult period amid Jobs' decline and death, misgivings about leaving Apple to take on the new role, and ultimately his inability to achieve success turning JCPenney's fortunes around.
In talking with Johnson, I asked whether he felt the evolution of Apple retail since his departure fifteen years ago has remained true to the vision he and Jobs had from the beginning, across several different retail chiefs with varying backgrounds.
You know, really, honestly, I do. I'm very impressed.
And part of it goes back to, when we launched the stores, Tim and Deirdre were involved on the operations side. I tell a story in the book where Steve said, you know, "What are the ten things you need to do well?" And one of those was inventory...inventory management. Well, Deirdre kind of led the team that managed the inventory. And so she was involved with the stores before we opened our first one.
And so when the stores got back to her leadership, I think there was a little a difficult period after I left, it took a little while, but now I think the stores are really fulfilling, fabulously well, the initial mission and vision we had for the stores. You know, so I'm really impressed.
Among the highlights for Johnson are Apple's ongoing focus on improving the quality, size, and locations of stores to reflect the caliber of the brand, rather than focusing on overall store count, and how Apple has maintained a high standard for its "exceptional" retail employees, some of whom have been with the company for many years.
As a follow-up, I asked Johnson about his thoughts on the succession of Apple retail chiefs that followed him, given the range of backgrounds they had with John Browett coming out of British consumer electronics retailer Dixons, Angela Ahrendts coming from the luxury fashion world at Burberry, and in recent years longtime Apple executive Deirdre O'Brien.
You know, I was the first retailer at Apple. And I built the initial team and, we relied a lot on other Apple departments, but fundamentally, I think Tim felt that he's got to find a retail leader to run the stores, right?
And so he started out with an operations leader, but obviously that led to a pretty quick change, because the stores were never about, sure, it's important how you operate, but it's really about a culture of love and connection, and you've got to have someone who will embrace that, right?
And then you went to Angela, who was a highly respected retail leader. But I think after Angela left, which was nearing the 20th anniversary of the stores, he kind of concluded, I think, that maybe an internal person who really understands Apple could be a great leader of the stores.
She's been there from the beginning, so I think Tim made the decision to really make sure the stores were highly integrated, connected with Apple as a company. Because it's pretty easy for them to be on their own doing their own thing. But once you bring in someone like Deirdre, who has managed the People teams, has managed at Apple, has managed a lot of the operations teams at Apple, you'll get a different level of connectivity to Apple itself.
And I think that was probably one of the big strengths Deirdre brought to the retail stores, was her knowledge of Apple headquarters. And she was able to, as an example, bring in a lot of talented people to retail who came out of other parts of Apple. Whereas before that, you'd hire, like, Angela probably hires someone from the outside that she worked with in retail.
Johnson also had particularly kind words for Vanessa Trigub, who was named to a vice president role last year to head up retail operations under O'Brien, with Johnson calling her a "fabulous leader" who "has a great vision for how to serve customers."
My conversation with Johnson took place a few days prior to last week's unveiling of the iPhone Duo, but he acknowledged the rumors about the device and mentioned the role Apple retail will play in allowing customers to experience the new product category.
What a great opportunity when this new, supposedly foldable phone comes out. Now, I think the stores will be more crowded during September and October. They'll be more crowded than in years. Because, remember, one to two billion people that are on iPhones, that use them every day.
And even if you're not going to buy the new one, you want to go see it, right? Because it is a major new form factor that would change your experience of using it. So I think that's what the stores were built for, is to help launch new products and I expect the stores to be incredibly busy.
Apple is promoting the iPhone 18 Pro with a new Shot on iPhone ad featuring Blackpink member ROSÉ's latest music video. The video for the song "new trick" was filmed using the iPhone 18 Pro.
Apple's video shows some of the footage as well as a behind-the-scenes look at some of the filming equipment. Many of Apple's Shot on iPhone videos pair the iPhone with high-end filming rigs for stability and cinematic effects. Apple has worked with several other musicians in the past for Shot on iPhone music videos, including The Weeknd, Lady Gaga, and Olivia Rodrigo.
Apple says the variable lens aperture on the 48MP Main camera improved low-light footage and "added impressive depth of field to bring the music video to life."
The iPhone 18 Pro models launched today with an upgraded Main camera and new features like updated Photographic Styles, auto subject tracking, and Pro Controls for manual adjustments of aperture and shutter speed. Pricing on the iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199.
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we revisit the iPhone Duo debate, early impressions of the AirPods 5, and the merits of Apple's latest iPhone and Apple Watch upgrades.
Apple's first foldable iPhone continues to divide opinion, with much of the discussion centering on whether its larger inner display justifies the compromises elsewhere. Combining an iPhone and an iPad-like device has obvious appeal, but its value depends on how often that extra screen space would actually be used.
Watching videos, reading, referencing documents, and working across multiple apps could all make the foldable display worthwhile, particularly when traveling. For users who primarily take photos, send messages, and browse social media, the benefits may be harder to justify against the device's price, weight, thickness, and camera trade-offs. The excitement surrounding a new form factor also raises the question of whether buyers will embrace it for the long term or return to a conventional iPhone.
Our discussion also addresses criticism of the iPhone Duo's inner display, including concerns about sharpness, color saturation, and crease visibility. Its nano-texture finish introduces a balance between reducing glare and retaining the appearance of a glossy screen, with hands-on impressions offering a different perspective from photos and videos online. Other considerations include using the wider form factor one-handed, switching from Face ID to Touch ID, and potentially replacing an iPad on some trips.
AirPods 5 emerge as a potential standout following a week of use, including on a flight. Their fit and improved active noise cancellation could make them particularly appealing to users who struggle with AirPods Pro's silicone tips. We also consider the value of the higher-end model and how iOS 27's equalizer can help adjust a sound profile that may initially seem too bass-heavy.
The Apple Watch Series 12 and redesigned Health app receive a closer look, with this year's health features forming a more substantial upgrade after several relatively modest generations. Clearer presentation of health data and new longevity information promise to make collected metrics more useful. Whether those additions justify replacing an older watch remains a separate question for owners whose basic fitness and sleep-tracking needs are already met.
The MacRumors Show is on X @MacRumorsShow, so be sure to give us a follow to keep up with the podcast. You can also email us at podcast@macrumors.com or head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread. Remember to rate and review the podcast, and let us know what subjects and guests you would like to see in the future.
Apple's design team reveals how notebooks helped inspire the iPhone Duo, along with interface principles and expectations for future features, in a new interview with GQ.
The interview features Apple CEO John Ternus, Vice President of Industrial Design Molly Anderson, and Vice President of Human Interface Design Steve Lemay. In addition to the device's previously announced features, Anderson and Lemay discuss how Apple approached its physical design and the experience of moving between its two displays.
Anderson said familiar notebooks provided a reference for making a device that offers more space while remaining compact enough to carry comfortably.
Everyone knows what a notebook feels like in the pocket and what it feels like to carry around. So that was a big part of the inspiration: 'How do you get to something that gives you space but also feels compact?'"
The iPhone Duo's proportions are derived from the international A-series paper system, allowing the device to retain the same proportions when opened and closed.
Anderson also explained how Apple tuned the hinge's resistance. Its custom variable torque profile makes the device easy to open before biasing it toward remaining open and lying flat.
Lemay said that the guiding idea of the iPhone Duo's software was to make unfolding feel like expanding the device users were already holding. Maintaining the location and recognizability of controls was part of that approach, so users would not have to search again for a button after opening the phone. The transition animation was designed to reveal an inner display that appears to grow beneath the outer one.
It was really important to us from the beginning that iPhone Duo feels like one cohesive experience, not two different products awkwardly fused together.
Lemay explicitly identified the Mac as a key influence on the Duo's interface, alongside the iPad and existing iPhones. He characterized the result as the "greatest hits" of those products.
The interview also questioned how Apple expects the product to develop after launch. Lemay said developers will devise uses that Apple's design team has not anticipated, and suggested that some could influence the wider foldable industry and change the direction of the iPhone Duo itself in the future.
There are so many things the developers will come up with that we've never anticipated. Some of those will become big ideas that take over the industry and change the product in interesting ways.
The iPhone Duo launches on October 23, with pre-orders beginning on October 16. Pricing starts at $1,999.
Can you use iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max cases with the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, and vice versa?
Apple's official answer is no, according to Daring Fireball's John Gruber. Apple said the camera plateau on the iPhone 18 Pro models is ever so slightly thicker this year. Gruber said the difference is one-tenth of a millimeter: 11.5mm vs. 11.4mm. It is a minor difference, but Apple would obviously prefer to sell you a new case.
In practice, most cases should be interchangeable. In his personal testing, Gruber said his iPhone 17 Pro cases fit the iPhone 18 Pro models perfectly, as did iPhone 18 Pro cases on iPhone 17 Pro models. So, both generations of Apple-branded cases should work with both generations of iPhones, and many third-party cases should be fine too.
Of course, there will probably be the odd third-party case that does not fit, but this is likely to be the rare exception rather than the norm.
Apple supplier SK Hynix's subsidiary Solidigm is considering a U.S. NAND flash memory factory, with upstate New York emerging as a leading candidate, according to Reuters. The move would reduce Solidigm's reliance on its NAND factory in China. Yesterday, it emerged that the Apple supplier is in manufacturing talks with Intel to start memory production in the U.S.
Apple's newest products launch today, including the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, AirPods 5, Apple Watch Series 12, and Apple Watch Ultra 4. Many of these devices have launch discounts available at various retailers, all of which you can find below.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
AirPods and Apple Watch Launch Day
What's the deal? Get launch deals on AirPods 5 and Apple Watch Series 12
The AirPods 5, Apple Watch Series 12, and Apple Watch Ultra 4 all launch today, and there are a few initial deals on some model available on Amazon. Although these discounts are small, if you're looking to buy Apple's newest products on launch day, they're the best sales you'll find online.
iPhone 18 Pro
What's the deal? Get launch deals on iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max
It's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max launch day, and you can find the usual carrier offers from AT&T, Verizon, and more on the new devices. The popular offer this year is up to $1,200 off the iPhone 18 Pro with eligible device trade-in on select unlimited plans.
iPhone 18 Pro Accessories
What's the deal? Save on color-matched accessories for your iPhone 18 Pro
If you're buying the new iPhone 18 Pro, you might be shopping for matching accessories, and popular accessory companies like Anker and Satechi have introduced a few color-matched accessories for the new burgundy color. This includes the MagGo 2 Pro Magnetic Power Bank from Anker and more.
Mac Mini and Mac Studio Pre-Orders
What's the deal? Take up to $49 off Mac mini and Mac Studio pre-orders
Amazon recently introduced the first cash discounts on Apple's brand new Mac mini and Mac Studio, with discounts reaching up to $49 off original prices. All of these deals are pre-order discounts on the 2026 Mac mini and Mac Studio, which officially launches on September 22.
If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.
Deals Newsletter
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YouTube channel REWA Technology today shared one of the first iPhone 18 Pro teardown videos, offering a look inside the new device.
iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max feature a smaller Dynamic Island, which Apple achieved by moving Face ID's infrared camera under the display in the top-left corner. The pixels above the infrared camera have a special pattern that lets infrared light pass through, but that area of the screen looks fairly normal at typical viewing angles.
The teardown shows the repositioned infrared camera, plus other changes like the larger 48-megapixel main camera with variable aperture.
The model in the video has a physical SIM card tray, meaning it has a slightly smaller battery compared to eSIM-only models sold in the U.S., Canada, Japan, and select other countries. As expected, this model has a 4,056 mAh battery capacity.
We are still waiting for a teardown of the U.S. version of the iPhone 18 Pro Max, which is expected to have a Qualcomm cellular modem, such as the Snapdragon X80 or the Snapdragon X85. The smaller iPhone 18 Pro uses Apple's C2 modem worldwide, as does the iPhone 18 Pro Max in all other countries beyond the U.S., according to Apple.
Apple's latest iPhone upgrade cycle is showing stronger-than-expected demand, with buyers favoring more expensive models and storage configurations, according to an Evercore ISI consumer survey seen by Investing.com.
Evercore surveyed nearly 4,000 consumers in the United States. Among respondents, 67% identified their existing iPhone's age as the main reason to upgrade, a substantial increase from 48% in the previous year's survey.
The purchase preferences also suggest that buyers remain willing to spend more on Apple's higher-end devices. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max together attracted 53% of prospective buyers, with 32% choosing the Pro Max, compared with 29% a year earlier.
Evercore estimates that average iPhone selling prices could increase by approximately 28%. Its forecast combines higher retail prices with a greater proportion of purchases going toward premium models and larger storage configurations, including the reported 2TB options for the iPhone 18 Pro models and iPhone Duo.
The foldable iPhone Duo attracted interest from 14% of respondents. Evercore believes that figure could rise as its mid-October launch approaches, although the survey currently places it well behind the combined Pro models.
Interest extended to other Apple products, with 38% of respondents planning an Apple Watch purchase and 43% considering AirPods. Both figures increased from the previous year.
The findings reflect stated purchase intentions in the U.S., rather than completed sales or worldwide demand. Evercore nevertheless believes they support a stronger revenue outlook for Apple's fiscal 2027 than the ~7% growth anticipated by analysts.
"Design the Next iPhone," an interactive website from developer Neal Agarwal, gives users control over a virtual iPhone's look, including the option to combine conventional smartphone components with deliberately impractical accessories.
The interactive tool starts with a bare iPhone model that can be rotated in 3D, with users able to drag and drop components onto its surface. Cameras, volume buttons, Lightning ports, Home buttons, and Apple logos can be placed wherever users want, with multiple copies of each item available for more unconventional designs.
Beyond standard smartphone features, the site offers a headphone jack, HDMI port, Apple Watch-style Digital Crown, and a hinge. Users can also add an Android or pear logo, a rotary dial, an antenna, or a classic iPod click wheel. The more absurd options include a steering wheel, a joystick, and a Mac Pro "Pro Wheel."
Users can customize the device's color and wallpaper, and give their creation a name. Selecting "Present" generates a mock Apple product presentation with a fictional price based on the components added, along with a pop-up of former Apple CEO Tim Cook praising the design. The finished iPhone can be downloaded as a rotating video.
Apple's first foldable iPhone, with a book-style design featuring a 5.5-inch outer display and a 7.6-inch inner display with a minimal crease down the middle.
Apple today released the first 
Apple supplier SK Hynix's subsidiary Solidigm is considering a U.S. NAND flash memory factory, with upstate New York emerging as a leading candidate, according to 
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