Apple event 2026 live: Apple reveals the foldable iPhone Duo at today's 'Surprise and shine' keynote

I know Sam is getting some precious extra time with the iPhone Duo while I spend time with the new Apple watches and AirPods. Let us know what you want us to ask Apple while we're here!

I am transferring from the Steve Jobs Theater to a separate briefing and content hub area. It might take a minute, but I suspect I would be able to capture better videos there. Meanwhile, in our comments below, Mick said "Any word on whether there will be a separate Apple home event for tv and HomePods?" 

I think that's the big rumor at the moment!

I see the nice comments, thanks Austin!!

I'm currently sat by the demo area banging out my hands-on impressions and wonder what you all want me to dig into. Let me know in the comments please!

Here are Cherlynn's first impressions of the new iPhone 18 Pro, and in particular its variable aperture feature:

"I was just able to check out the iPhone 18 Pro in person here at Apple Park in the delicious new burgundy color option and play with some of its latest features, particularly the variable aperture in the camera app. I was mostly enthralled as I watched the blades in the camera move.

The variable aperture controls are in the camera app, and you can access the settings at the top of the viewfinder. In addition to the aperture sizes, you can also change shutter speed. white balance and ISO light sensitivity. While most of them offer a fairly wide range of settings to choose from, the aperture options were limited to just f/1.48, f/1.8, f/2.8 and f/4.0. I found it slightly tricky to use with just one hand, as I was holding my camera in my other hand. But the system is intuitive, and when an Apple rep asked me to look at the main camera sensor while he jumped between these different options, I could see the blades moving. It's certainly behaving as advertised, so far!"

If you're just joining us, feel free to scroll through the several hundred posts to relive the event with us. Or... you can take a look at our Everything Apple announced at the foldable iPhone Duo launch story for a recap of the big hits. 

I just played with a burgundy iPhone 18 Pro! The iPhone Duo looks so good!

We're going to have a little lull while Sam and Cherlynn get their hands on the new devices, but stay tuned for our first impressions!

Well that's it, forgive us for running off to go play with the iPhone Duo. 

We're packing up now to go get hands on but will be liveblogging all day. Come back or stay here!

Ternus continues his wrap-up with more talking up Apple. And he says thank you and good bye.

We expect the entry level iPhone at an event early next year.

No iPhone 18, for those who were keeping track.

We're watching a video showing off the iPhone Duo now, and Ternus says it represents the dedication of teams across Apple. We're all itching to run, here in the audience.

He hands it back to Ternus to wrap things up. I'm raring to go and grab hands-on time with devices.

The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999, with storage capacities ranging from 256GB to 2TB. Pre-orders begin October 16 with availability hitting on October 23. 

"That's iPhone Duo," Joz says. He recaps the features like its displays, reimagined iOS, A20 Pro, 48MP Dual Fusion camera system and more. 

There are also iPhone Duo accessories like a folio with a kickstand. 

I think the name was Cute Cute or Keep Cute?

The outer display lets you preview a shot while you frame it up, and your subjects can see themselves. Like the Pixel 10 Pro Fold's Made You Look, Apple is bringing some sort of animation to the outer screen to capture the attention of kids you're trying to photograph.

You can use dual capture in FaceTime to show both your face and what you're looking at on a call. The outer display can share your caller's screen so you can have multiple people around you join in on a video call.

The iPhone Duo also supports the new Photographic Styles, and it has a 12MP selfie canera on the outside. Under the inner display sits the new FaceTime camera.

Because the iPhone Duo can stand on its own, it's great at capturing time lapse and can do so in 4K. The Fusion camera is also the ultrawide camera. 

It has sensor-shift OIS, and the main camera supports 4K 120 fps video for slo mo.

There is a 48MP Fusion Main camera on the iPhone Duo. It has the "zero shutter lag" that was introduced about two years ago. There's a 12MP telephoto camera with 2x zoom.

Joz is back to tell us more about the iPhone Duo's camera system.

Batteries on both sides of the device "operate seamlessly as one" and offer up to 44 hours of video playback when using the outer display. If you're using both screens equally, you should get up to 24 hours of use per charge. Five minutes of charging should get you five hours of video playback on the external screen, too.

The iPhone Duo can reconnect faster in low coverage areas to cellular networks, thanks to its programming. The C2 also supports mmWave 5G. iPhone Duo is eSIM-only worldwide. It allowed the company to use every bit of internal space to maximize battery life. 

Man, I'm super impressed that Apple included an under display camera on the iPhone Duo. 

Shame on Samsung for introducing under-display cameras and then seemingly forgetting about it in recent years.

The result of all the efforts is a folding display that "meets the high standards of iPhone," he said. Powering the Duo is the A20 Pro, which has a display engine that offers dual-display support. There is also a vapor chamber, and an Apple C2 cellular modem. 

A titanium plate is the bottom layer for durability, and the hinge has carbon fiber support plates for great strength.

The iPhone Duo uses a novel structural system with a multi-layer laminated design. The nano texture covered layer is covered in a stiff polymer with an Apple-designed coating for scratch resistance.

First, how it looks and feels. The goal was to provide a great viewing experience while doing away with common complaints like crease and vulnerability to damage. To start, there is a nano texture on the display.

Those were just some of the apps that will make use of the iPhone Duo's two screens. Federighi hands off to Johny Srouji to talk about the Duo's hardware.

Netflix turns into what looks like TikTok on the outer display, apparently.

The iPhone Duo, when propped on its edges in a tent formation, can also be a stand-in bedside clock. Apps like Zoom, Slack and Detail also work well, offering split views that make the most of the internal screen.

The iPhone Duo can also be used partially folded, as iOS will adapt and slide content away from the "folding area" so you can use it more easily. That folding area is more often called a crease, I think.

When you flip the phone over to a vertical orientation, you can do things like pin videos to the top and have your group chat open below. The iPhone Duo will react to the angle you're using it at, in laptop mode or tent modes, if we're using old laptop parlance.

You can launch different apps side by side or multiple instances of the same app, like Safari, as well. You can pair the apps so you can relaunch them easily.

He reminds us the essential controls are off to the side to free up space for content. On the lock screen, it puts more focus on your wallpaper, for instance. This space use has been brought across the ecosystem. And all Apple apps take advantage of it, too.

Joz hands off to Craig Federighi to talk about the Duo's software experience. 

Joz is talking about the build here, calling out how the antenna splits have been reinforced and how there are ceramic fibers, as well as ceramic shield on the back and front. It's also rated IP68 for dust and water resistance.

The iPhone Duo comes in two colors: Star white and Night Sky. 

You can also unlock the iPhone Duo with your Apple Watch like you can any other iPhone.

Joz is talking about how Touch ID, integrated into the side button, is the best way to allow for a convenient yet secure unlocking system.

The outside screen is 5.4 inches and you can use Apple Pencil on either display. This got a big nod from me.

"It gives you the larges display ever on an iPhone while still fitting easily in your pocket," Ternus said. Greg Joswiak is here to tell us more about the Duo. It has a 7.6-inch super retina display that is 50 percent larger than the iPhone 18 Pro Max

When placed horizontally or like a mini laptop, the interface also adapts to fit your use.

As you move between displays "the software gracefully transition from the outer to the inner display." The content also scales to match the respective screen size. You can have two apps open side by side or multipanel layouts with Inbox apps, for example.

iPhone Duo has the Liquid Glass interface of iOS 26 and on the Duo the system moves elements like buttons and panels off to the side on the external screen. The dock on the home screen is oriented vertically on the side.

Oh, I have to admit Apple's transition animation when flipping between screens is very slick!

The hinge mechanism has a custom variable torque profile to precisely control opening and closing. It has a magnet array for satisfying closure. Its frame is made from aerospace grade titanium.

The screen is "immersive for both landscape and portrait use." There is a visual animation in the UI and a consistent aspect ratio that's the same across both the internal and external display. The FaceTime camera sits under the screen, too.

Ternus hands off to Steve Lemay and Molly who talk about the iPhone Duo's features. It has an asymmetric shape with two rounded corners that "invite you to open." 

The iPhone Duo is real.

We zoom out from a closeup of an ant crawling in a desert and are flying backwards across various landscapes.

Apple wanted a screen that felt sa natural and as intuitive as iPads. "Here it is." A video is playing.

"Others have created foldables that just feel like two phones stuck together" Ternus said. He said the screen size is a compromise as a result, "making a larger screen feel much smaller." 

I don't think the people in the audience know he's not actually here talking to us as they're responding "Yes!" to him saying things about a foldable phone.

The hype from the crowd is real when Ternus just said Apple has one more thing!

Ternus walks out on a stage in the video and it's throwing me off. The Apple Watches are in the background of that stage as he recaps the smartwatches. "That's what we have to share about iPhone 18 Pro, AirPods and Apple Watch," he said. "But actually..."

Oh no... 

Does the fertility tracking feature mean we're going to hear about children whose parents claim they were conceived with help from the Apple Watch?

There have already been five new devices and we've barely even heard about the foldable iPhone. I'm sat. Growing roots. The ad just ended.

We're now being shown "an ad" for the new watches. I am already anticipating reviewing the audio intelligence features. I have loved using the Recorder app on my Apple Watch in the past, Siri Recap sounds like a good fit for me.

The Series 12 starts at the same price of $399 and the Ultra 4 starts at the same $799 as before. Both can be pre-ordered today.

Caldbeck recaps the Apple Watch Series 12, and is moving on to the Ultra 4. It has a larger battery, an S11, over two days of battery life and the sensing upgrades that were on the Series 12 as well. The Ultra comes in black and natural titanium and new bands.

We def got some oohs and ahhs from the crowd about the ceramic version of the new Apple Watch. 

Aluminum cases now have ceramic shield too, making them 60 percent tougher than the previous Ion-X glass. Titanium cases are available in two colors, while a new Ceramic material is available in two colors (pearl white and night blue). 

Caldbeck is telling us about the S11 chip in the Apple Watch. There's an alway-on processor with a new secure enclave that has a dedicated audio holding space. There's a new GPU and CPU too, and Caldbeck said Apple Watch has design customization options for greater personalization. New colors and materials are available, like space grey, black, light gold and dark bronze for the Series 12.

Audio Intelligence will help you detect important sounds, catch up and take notes. Live Rewind and Siri Recaps require Apple Intelligence, Huang said, before handing back to Caldbeck. 

Huang introduced another new feature called Siri Recap. It summarizes conversations you choose to take notes of, and you can also set schedules. It's sounding like basically an AI note-taking wearable. But per Apple's usual way, no audio recordings are stored, all your syncing is end to end encrypted and this is done more privately than the competition. 

We watch someone pretending to nod along while a server rattled off a quick list of menu special items at a restaurant.

Series 12 and Watch Ultra 4 can listen for important sounds like sirens or a baby crying. The iPhone can already do this, so this is an expansion of a feature. But Live Rewind is new, and it lets you go back in time for up to 15 seconds to hear what someone said that you might have missed. This got a few skeptical grunts from the audience.

Huang says the Apple Watch is the best device to keep track of sounds and conversations around you in your life. He introduces "Audio Intelligence," which is the hearing counterpart to Visual Intelligence.

The new Health app is coming later this year, starting in US English. Next up is Intelligence features, and Dr Desai hands off to Ron Huang to tell us more.

There's a VO2Max test available, and we're now watching how the test is conducted. It uses your phone's camera and watches as you perform suggested movements like a light on-the-spot walk or job and watches your breathing. 

Somewhere, Bryan Johnson is punching the air in celebration regarding Apple's Health Age feature. 

Then your data is measured against latest clinical guidance. You can also add your own lab results. In the US, you can order a full screening from Quest for $119. That will all tell you how well you're doing against others in your age range, I guess.

Health Age is a new feature coming to the Health app as well. It basically takes metrics like VO2Max and your sleep to tell you what habits are having impact on your health age and how to improve it. There's also a new Longevity tab to assess your overall health across sleep, heart health and more.

Apple is measuring your activity and rest to tell you every day how ready you are. This year, the Health app is getting a redesign as well. There is a new Insights tab that features an Apple Intelligence-generated summary that will surface highlights. You can go deeper on topics like readiness, fitness and heart health. The app will make suggestions based on your habits, too.

I was gonna say, I'm surprised it took Apple this long to add a fitness readiness score. Samsung and Google's watches have had a similar feature for a couple generations already. 

A new feature is coming to Apple Watch: Readiness. This might sound familiar to anyone that wears anything other than an Apple Watch, because Fitbit, Garmin, Google and Samsung all already offer a readiness score on their wearables.

My HRV numbers are all over the place, so it's very interesting to me to see what might be more accurate. Caldbeck says the company tested its latest devices against wearables and heart rate monitors on chest straps and found its own products most accurate. Duh. Caldbeck hands off to Dr. Sumbul Ahmad Desai, who is telling us more about the Vitals app.

Background heart rate readings are now taken every 5 seconds all day long. That's 60 times more frequent than before. HRV will be sampled 24 times more frequently at about every five minutes in the background.

Caldbeck says that Series 12 and Ultra 4 have an all new health sensing system that's built on the sensing foundation but improves three core elements. The electrode surface area has been increased for better skin contact during ECG readings, for instance. Photo diodes have been redesigned too, and the green LEDs are larger and more efficient for heart rate reading.

Introducing the new Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4, which have big updates around health and fitness and AI. Ternus hands off to Deidre Caldbeck to talk about the health and fitness features.

Around Ternus are people working out on stationary bikes. He's reminding us of the health and activity features on Apple Watches. As the watches are connected to iPhones, they also serve as conduits for Apple Intelligence.

Apple just casually skipped over the other iPhone we're waiting to see. The suspense is killing me. 

Ternus recapped AirPods 5 and is now moving on to Apple Watch.

Pakula hands back to Ternus, who is in what I recognize to be the Fitness area at Apple Park. I'm sure Apple Watch is up next.

This version also has longer battery life, up to 5 hours with ANC on. It also comes with a wireless charging case.. This is all sounding like the AirPods Pro to be honest. The AirPods 5 with wireless charging case is $149, and you can pre-order all the headphones today. They'll be available September 17.

The AirPods 5 will cost $129, the same price as the last generation model while offering better ANC. A new model with more features, like on-stem volume controls, will also be available.

They get up to four hours of listening with ANC and up to 20 hours with "our incredibly small charging case." Pakula added. 

I like seeing Apple and other companies focus more on making switching between ANC and ambient sound amplification smarter. It's the kind of thing that doesn't really show up on a spec sheet, but makes earbuds even easier to use. 

Live Translation is also available on the AirPods 5, and as a reminder this feature launched last fall. "Together with iPhone, AirPods allow you to leverage the power of intelligence while staying present with the people around you." Next up: Durability.

Siri AI is something you can use on AirPods as well, of course. 

This should allow for better pass-through sound for those who want to stay tuned in to their surroundings. Adaptive Audio should also be improved, switching between ANC and transparency more seamlessly based on background sound.

Pakula says the new AirPods has next-generation adaptive EQ and new design to make improvements to the audio and personalized spatial audio. There's also Active Noise Cancellation that delivers 50 percent more noise reduction that the previous generation.

Ternus is handing off to Dave Pakula to talk about AirPods 5.

He's talking about AirPods Pro now, referencing the AirPods 4. And we're watching a video on the new AirPods 5.

Ternus is standing in a quiet room with soundproofing padding, next to a gigantic immersive camera setup.

The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199. On the Apple Upgrade program, the iPhone 18 Pro will cost $34.99 per month over 12 months. When you trade in an iPhone 14 or newer, you can get up to $1,200 off. Pre-orders are available this Saturday and the devices will arrive on September 18. Back to John Ternus.

Drance is recapping the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, and talking about new accessories like chargers, cases and crossbody straps. There's a new wrist strap that works with iPhone cases and AirPods Pro. 

Drance is reminding us of iOS 27 updates like an improved child safety feature and customizable liquid glass. This is stuff we knew, but there's also performance improvements, faster AirDrop transfers, speedier connectivity, for example. She mentioned a feature called iPhone handoff that will let you change numbers between devices. It's supported by just four carriers at the moment.

Drance is back and she's telling us the new iPhone 18 Pro's cameras were used to film this video we're watching. On to the Dynamic Island, which is now smaller on the iPhone 18 Pro. Despite that, it can now keep track of three activities at once.

Apple Reference Image is not available in the EU and China, though. This is "like having the digital negative," Azimi said, that can be used to confirm that a shot was taken by a person on an iPhone 18 Pro.

Apple is also introducing Apple Reference Image — it can prove the authenticity of a photo taken on iPhone 18 Pro. It's built into the sensor. The new main camera signs photo data at the time of capture at the pixel level.

Image Authenticity is up next. Azimi says Apple will support the SynthID standard.

Photographic Styles is getting some updates, too. I'm excited for this. You can control texture and grain in Photographic Styles in the iPhone 18 Pro. It allows you to adjust skin texture and colors as well. 

The aperture blades can be applied to adjust shutter speed to freeze motion or capture flares. The Pro Controls also work for video capture to allow for more motion blur at various frames per second. There's new smart focus tracking that uses AI models to keep subjects in focus.

Apple is introducing Pro Controls to let people customize their camera experience and easily access most used settings and manual controls. A histogram will be available, and users can select between four aperture settings and capture motion.

Cinematic effects can now be applied to videos after capture, and can support 60 fps for half-speed effects. Time lapse can support 4K recording too. Audio Mix now supports music for directional audio selections in videos.

Portraits and night mode should benefit from an aperture as large as f/1.8. The aperture can also narrow for more detail in the background. Drance hands off to Maryam Azimi to talk about group shots and other software features for the cameras.

The variable aperture stuff is cool, I've been waiting a long time for phone makers to figure this out and it's becoming a bit of a trend recently. 

To create variable aperture, Apple created six laser cut blades made of a polymer composite. There's also a new rotor mechanism and custom lens to move parts and make this variable aperture system work.

We're watching gameplay of a Monster Hunters game that will be exclusive to iOS and Drance talks about how it uses the A20 Pro's GPU. She's moved on to the camera improvements, which are supposed to be a great leap. Aperture is one of the main updates here. The iPhone 18 Pro has a new 48-megapixel fusion main camera with variable aperture.

Dinh hands off to Kaiann Drance to talk about what that performance improvement means for gamers. 

Dinh said wired charging is also getting faster, with a 50 percent charge in just 15 minutes. 

Moving on to the battery life, Dinh said the iPhone 18 Pro's A20 Pro silicon efficiencies, advanced system improvements and battery design allows it to deliver the same runtime as the iPhone 17 Pro Max despite being smaller in size. The iPhone 18 Pro should last up to 36 hours while the 18 Pro Max should get up to 45 hours, which Dinh said is the longest of any iPhone.

Dinh says this thermal management system provides greater sustained performance on iPhone 18 Pro compared to its predecessor. 

The iPhone 18 Pro has a "next-generation vapor chamber" that has three times the surface area as the one in the iPhone 17 Pro. It is paired with "more thermally conductive graphite," Dinh said. 

Dinh talks about why heat management is important (it is).

The physical package of the silicon had to be redesigned. It's a custom packaging inspired by the M-series chips with the silicon die next to the memory. This new chip packaging is just part of a new thermal design, too. Santhanam hands off to Rich Dinh to talk more about thermal management.

That should enable up to 40 percent faster graphics performance, with increased bandwidth that should improve gaming performance. There are six neural accelerators as well, to speed up AI tasks. The new Neural Engines also should propel AI processing on device. Altogether, too, the A20 Pro has a 50 percent increased bandwidth.

The A20 Pro has a 6-core CPU with 2 new super cores that are up to 20 percent faster, and 4 new efficiency cores. The new super cores "are desktop class and by far the fastest in any smartphone," he said. It also has a faster GPU with 7 cores.

The A20 Pro is "an exceptional chip" with a 2nm design.

Rincon hands off to Sribalan Santhanam to talk about Apple Silicon.

Rincon goes over a few lists of Siri AI and Apple Intelligence compatibility and regional availabilities.

We heard about all of this at WWDC: Extend, Spatial Reframing and the updated Cleanup tools.

Rincon reminds us of Apple Intelligence and machine-learning features across other surfaces like Safari's Notify Me tab feature, Image Playground and editing tools in Photos.

This on-device model should also enable more accurate dictation, Rincon said. I suspect it won't be as good as Google's Rambler, though.

Rincon says Siri AI "sounds incredible," because the iPhone 18 Pro's on-device processing prowess allows for Expressive Voices in Siri.

The new Siri app will be on the iPhone 18 Pro's home screen, and we've already learned quite a lot about this app earlier this year at WWDC. The Siri Mode in Camera is also not news to anyone who watched that developer conference.

The video shows a person taking a photo at a fruit stand, ask for recipe ideas and getting the assistant to add those ingredients to a grocery list. Apps like WhatsApp or Outlook can also integrate with Siri AI.

"Siri is already one of the most widely used assistants in the world," Rincon said. The new version of Siri "goes further than ever before." I feel like this is retreading stuff we not only saw earlier this year but even a couple of years ago.

Rincon says the iPhone 18 Pro will have access to the company's latest foundational models for on-device processing, and talks about how they power Siri AI.

The new colors are "Glacier" and "Burgundy" which look to me like light blue and bronzy red. Ternus hands the stage to Lilian Rincon to talk about Apple Intelligence.

"Introducing iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max," he said. It features color-matched aluminum and back glass. 

The video goes over the processor upgrades, featuring the A20 Pro, as well as the "longest battery life" on an iPhone. It also talks about cameras. The iPhone 18 Pro in four finishes flashes across the screen as the video ends.

Today, we're going to take these experiences even further with the next generation of iPhone, he said. And another video starts playing, showing a picture of the moon shot on iPhone 17 Pro.

Being a "hub" seems to be a major design goal for this year's iPhones.  

iPhones are at the center of these ecosystems you are enmeshed in, and these webs include devices like AirPods and Apple Watches.

Ternus walked over to an office to say how an iPhone can be a capable personal hub. He shouts out calendars and routines as something our phones have access to. He reminds us that Apple Intelligence runs on device when it can so as to protect your privacy.

"You'd need a large, beautiful display to show rich content," he said, before listing cameras, microphones and battery life as other important factors. It should also be easy to use and work seamlessly with other devices, apps and services. "In other words, you would arrive at something remarkably familiar." That's an iPhone.

"If you were designing the ideal version of this hub from scratch, how would you do it?" This is clearly leading up to some kind of product launch that revolves around AI.

Ternus talks about how AI can be more useful when it brings together your life with the apps, services and products you use every day. He says the device with this AI should be your intelligent personal hub.

Ternus is out doing a classic "walk and talk" along the curve of the huge hallway at Apple's campus. He's basically repeating what he said in person onstage here.

Of course Tim Cook gets a cameo to officially hand things off to Ternus' reign. 

Tim Cook takes over and talks about how the scene should open with a mysterious figure that is revealed to be the main character. He says it's not him, it's John Ternus. 

Apple is really going all out with the simulated movie intros

"You call that an opening? This is an opening," seems to be the message here.

Then a kid talks about how they'd open the scene. Then a woman standing in a bathroom in front of a mirror says there's another way to open the scene. On and on this goes, and we're looking at various characters in various scenarios describing setups for shows.

"The following was shot on iPhone," appears on screen as we cut to a closeup to a man's face in front of a flame. Fire engulfs a van as the man walks away and the vehicle blows up. 

"At the end of the day, we just want to make things that have a meaningful impact in people's lives," he said. "We're going to continue changing the world in ways we can't even imagine today," he added. He's saying there's a lot to see today that we'd like to see and walks offstage. A video starts playing.

"I love that we lead with our values and we infuse them into everything we do." 

John Ternus is now on stage to kick things off. 

He thanks everyone for being here and talks about how he walked in 25 years ago and has enjoyed working at Apple. 

Loud cheering is happening as the stage lights dim. John Ternus is walking onstage now

Lol, I'm not getting into prediction markets on that one. However, before the keynote starts, I'm curious how much people think the iPhone Duo will cost.

$2,000? $2,500? More??!?!?

T-minus 4 minutes, and my anxiety is through the roof! The lights keep randomly seeming to dim and they're ushering people away from the stage.

I guess, what's the Kalshi/Polymarket take on the name of today's foldable device?

Poor Sam, using his Samsung foldable and ASUS laptop here at an Apple event, basically feeling very self conscious.

I am just setting up my laptop now because I am not using a Mac and considering the location, I am feeling very self conscious about it. 

Another commenter "Guest" said "Give me an apple flip phone to rival the Xiaomi MIX Flip! Why have all the US brands collectively decided for us that we should prefer clamshell style over a flip phone? Is it just because of tablet obsession?"

While I also prefer the smaller flip-style foldables, I do think it's easier to put higher end components in a bigger device. Battery life remains a huge challenge on flip foldables, I believe.

A disembodied voice just welcomed us to the Steve Jobs Theater and asked us to take a moment to locate the nearest exits. 

Lots of people are taking selfies, videos, selfie videos of them here at the theater and I remember hearing that for a lot of people this is their first Apple hardware event. 

That said, we're less than 20 minutes out, so if you need to grab a drink or snack before the keynote starts, now is the time. 

I have waived my right to a toilet break (tried not to drink any water) so I will be ready to sit through all this. But you should take your break now though!

Now that we're seated, I feel a bit better. We don't have the best seats in the house like we did last year, but I'm going to just cope with having to push and wait to get access to devices later. There are simply too many aggressive people with cameras here this year!

They've let us into the Steve Jobs theater!

Cooper in the comments asked what is in the swag bag and I gotta let you down: I am not aware of any swag bag here today!

This is probably much less likely, but with the new regulation for Pokemon Champions having been released today, I'm wondering if we might see Apple announce native support for Champions on Mac today too.

Don't get your hopes up though, this is just a shot in the dark from me.

Do you see your favorite tech media or creators in our pictures? This is how we all know each other by the way. So much physical contact every year is quite the bonding experience.

Speaking of photos, I guess people are bored while waiting and there's not much more to do than take selfies eh?

Apologies if some of our photos are coming to you a little squished — we seem to have a problem with the team posting from their phones. Once they're seated in the Steve Jobs Theater we won't have the issue, so bear with us!

Fifteen minutes to go and here's what it looks like behind me...

I think everyone would love to see an iPhone Flip as a replacement to the Air, but it seems we'll have to wait as the focus is on a book-style foldable this year. 

Commenter "Guest" said "I wish Apple would release a flip iPhone. I don't need to carry around a damn iPad Mini in my pocket, and I certainly don't need a stylus. I suspect most shoppers would agree. I just want that satisfying clap when you flip it closed without having to sacrifice iPhone quality!"

I, too, stan flip-style foldables. I just don't like that we would have to sacrifice on things like camera performance and battery life!

I was just scanning the crowd to see who's here, and there are a lot of familiar faces. 

But one person I did not expect to see here is Geoff Keighley.

Between him being here and the recent visit by Pikachu, it feels that lends even more credence to the rumors about there being some gaming news today. Possibly new first-party gaming controllers from Apple?

Commenter Dramirez said "Welcome to California! From an Android perspective I'm glad Apple finally making a foldable to give our side some competition. The foldables got stale real quick!"

I love when people embrace healthy competition!

Pray for me yall, my stress levels are peaking. This is all so I can get you all the best coverage in the shortest possible amount of time.

Look at all the people who have yet to come to the entrance area!

Still a half hour before they let us in and this is just the front part of the scrum...

To my dismay, a small crowd has gathered in front of the entrance to the theater, and I shall now pack up and head that way tool

Also, it's a bit tricky coming to an Apple event if you're not someone who uses Apple devices regularly. Everything is much more seamless if you can use things like Apple Wallet, AirDrop, etc. And I think they do not like people using things like Android phones or Windows laptops either.

Over the years, Apple events have gotten quite a lot more chaotic in my experience. Don't get me wrong, it's always quite orderly. (Don't block me, Apple!) But the volume of attendees feels a lot more to me. Maybe it's because I started coming to these events right after the pandemic and things were more controlled then.

This is also typically the part of any event where I get very antsy. Apple events, in particular, really drive my anxiety through the roof. I have to stake out the entry point to make sure we get the best seats at the keynote. I won't tell you right now what the best seats are, but people who have done this for a while will know it is.

I'll be honest, it wasn't that we were distracted by the food. We got here and were immediately greeting industry friends, Apple PR contacts and catching up on life.

Sorry for the pause, we got distracted by...

We made it to Apple Park!

The tough part for Apple is that it's entering a pretty well established market. 

Samsung has put out eight generations of foldables. Google has made three. And just this year Moto joined the party with the Razr Fold. That's not counting all the new Chinese foldables either.

To me, this means Apple doesn't have as much wiggle room not to come out firing on all cylinders. The iPhone Duo/Ultra has to do everything well from the start. 

Apparently "John Ternus" has arrived in our comments with a sick pun. There's also Lamar commenting on the state of foldables in the US. Sam, what should Apple deliver on the iPhone Duo or Ultra?

Which might actually make it hold more value as a limited edition item? Wow. 

I said it last year and I'll say it again, one of the iPhone Air's main roles was to be a stepping stone for a foldable iPhone. Assuming that happens today, I won't be upset if the Air gets discontinued. 

Of course, while all this is happening, a Nintendo Direct is happening right now as well.

One and done on iPhone Air is certainly quite likely! I can't see Apple sustaining so many product lines over time.

I don't know about y'all, but this foldable might be the most hyped iPhone since the iPhone X. 

Yeah, long time coming doesn't even cover it.

After the Nintendo Direct for Zelda yesterday and all the waiting we've done for Apple's rumored first foldable iPhone, I'm getting strong "Dawn of the final day" vibes today. 

Cher: Do you think we're gonna be one-and-done on the iPhone Air? I'll admit I rarely saw any of them in the wild the last year. 

I spy new comments! Pete Ro said we're doing a "cracking job" and I simply love that phrase. We appreciate you here, Pete! 

Also, Joe Jenkiati commented "no telephoto and face-id really gonna keep me from getting the iPhone Duo until next iteration. The Xaomi 18 Fold might of stole the thunder here folks." 

I for one am mildly interested in the light resurrection of Touch ID but yes I will repeat our frequently chanted saying at Engadget: "Do not buy a first-gen device." There will definitely be kinks to iron out. Keep those comments coming and I'll get to the rest soon!

I am about to head downstairs to meet our senior reporter Sam Rutherford and head to Apple Park together. We will share pictures as soon as we can! I will also ask Sam, who is our resident foldables expert, what he wants Apple to deliver.

I for one am grateful for companies that support software for more years and make their devices repairable. There's so much waste in our world already. I remember a few years ago when I tried to set up a smart speaker that was only a year or two old. It was no longer working. And it was fresh out of the box!

Another thing about pricing: I think we'll all have a more involved conversation about upgrading our devices. I am waiting to see how Apple handles those rocketing component costs. At what point do you (personally) feel the benefit of a new iPhone or Apple Watch? I recently leaped from a Series 8 to a third-gen Ultra 3, and the difference is huge.

Commenter "opinion" made a sharp observation

"I think apple being in the foldable space will be beneficial for us in the long run if it becomes a success. it would force other companies to bring out foldables at a much cheaper rate than it is being offered today. With todays prices of a foldable, buying it is more expeceted from a tech savvy person rather than a normal consumer."

I do wonder who "us" is in that first sentence. Who would this be beneficial to — foldable fans? The whole world perhaps?

I feel that might be an impossible ask, but let's see what our commenters think!

As to what I want? Make the cameras just as good as any other iPhone revealed today. I don't want to compromise on a two-thousand-dollar phone!

Yeah Xiaomi strategically launched its 18 Fold in China yesterday — just ahead of Apple's big event. I think, if the rumors are true, hitting a similar form-factor, this stouter "passport" shape, is the right move for Apple. I really want to see what kind of interface magic and features a foldable iPhone might deliver. 

I'm intrigued, too, by rumors that its first foldable will hit the $2,000 mark. That would put it below Samsung's top foldable, the Z Fold 8 Ultra, which was $2,099.

Mat you've just spent time checking out some cool devices at IFA 2026... And I believe you've seen Xiaomi's latest! What do you think Apple needs to deliver in a foldable today?

As Cherlynn mentioned, today's Apple event will be the first time new CEO John Ternus headlines a keynote, after stepping into the role on September 1, 2026. Will that change the tone of the presentation? 

I am cracking up at the comment left by "Steve Jobs" saying they are viewing from up above. Yes we should have a better verification system in the comments, I think. I have to get ready to go to Apple Park and I leave you in the capable hands of the Engadget team...! I'll be back very soon.

Thank you Billy for dropping in with your news update. Billy has been a king, keeping an eye on all the little developments from Apple rumor land this morning. It's clear that people are really hungry for this news to finally be official... And yes I did quote our commenter "Guest" there who simply left a one-word message "Finally."

Keep those comments coming, and enjoy your pint Philip Doyle! We are raising imaginary mugs to you too.

According to a report from MacRumors, Verizon's AI assistant allegedly leaked details about the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max that are heavily rumored to be announced today. Some details align with what's already been reported, but others, like the price, could've been pulled from the 17 Pro listings. 

For example, I don't think there's any way the price of the 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max stay the same as the current model. It's been widely reported, as late as last night, that the prices of these iPhones will go up by $100. 

Either way, it seems like carriers may need to reign in their chatbots before new phones are officially announced.

I see so many comments I want to respond to (Philip Doyle hello! How kind! And Bob I have so many things to say and I agree with some of what you said, I get it!). I see some of you are typing too so I'll wait a mo to get back to you all. I do have to go get ready soon. Meanwhile, the pre-Apple event news cycle continues to run hard... 

I'm taking a moment to catch up on the comments section and here's a lovely one from user Jp!

"Glad this is being covered on the scene. It's got pretty non eventful over the years but it's still a big day with a new CEO and possible direction in the company. And even if non eventful, many people shop off what is announced today.

Can I get so Tesla robotaxi coverage after this event too?"

You know what, just for you, Jp, we'll do it. Robotaxis are honestly within our coverage scope, and we absolutely will write about them!

The latest from Bloomberg suggests the foldable iPhone will be named the iPhone Duo instead of the iPhone Ultra, which I kind of suspected might happen anyway. I mostly think Apple is getting wise to the rumor and leaks game and has smoke and mirrors? Anyway, if that is indeed the name then, I guess I hope the iPhone Duo has better luck than Microsoft's Surface Duo! Remember that, anyone?

Yes, we've flown out to watch a video. But I can also tell you it's more the ability to experience the latest devices in person that draws us out here. And for the first time in years, the weather in Cupertino is actually worse than New York, where I flew here from! It will be a sizzling 95 degrees Fahrenheit today, and I will be trying very hard to stay indoors.

I already said in the intro above, but we're not only expecting to see Apple reveal its first foldable phone, but we'll also see CEO John Ternus take on his first major presentation. Now, if previous iPhone launches and the MacBook Neo event earlier this year is any indicator, it's likely Tim Cook and Ternus will take the stage at Steve Jobs Theater and welcome the in-person audience briefly before a pre-recorded video plays for the rest of the keynote.

Good morning everyone, and thank you for joining us on this eventful day. I've just opened my eyes here in Cupertino, where it's 6AM at the moment. I just couldn't wait to get this over with started, I guess! All joking aside, I do feel quite fortunate to be attending today's event, as I suspect it's one that will go down in niche Apple history books.