It's been a busy few days. In the fallout of the iPhone Duo reveal at the "Surprise and Shine" event, we have some thoughts. What are yours?
The 77 minute event was bookended by the latest iPhone models, a bunch of Apple Health updates related to more powerful Apple Watches, and a smidge on AirPods 5. Tim Cook made a cameo, Johnny Srouji had a sore throat, and yes, there's a foldable iPhone.
The AppleInsider staff comes in many shapes, sizes, and opinions that run the gamut. For every devout staffer hyped about the latest release, there's a skeptic worried about the implications.
Here's what the staff thought, and perhaps if they're ready to share, what they plan on buying.
William Gallagher - Duo is blinding
All I can say for certain is that the iPhone Duo means I've no interest at all now in the iPhone 18 Pro Max. Other than that, I vacillate between wanting to buy an iPhone Duo and then really seriously doubting why.
iPhone Duo was the star of the show
Cost is of course a factor but what most prevents me deciding to buy is how the opened-up screen will feel in use. Some of the actors in Apple's video looked a little awkward holding that wide screen in one hand while tapping away with the other.
Like with the iPad, developers will have to fix their apps to take advantage of the Duo's new proportions. Web developers will have to work to make their sites look good on the unit.
So, those are all usability concerns. All iPhone apps look terrible on iPad, if they didn't get updated.
I'm also unsure about how it will feel when closed. It's definitely squat and somehow that feels like a compromise. The question is whether I would use it most open or closed and I cannot figure that out right now.
But it does come in blue, so.
Apple Watch Series 12 made an appearance at the event too
Still, I might fixated on the iPhone Duo for myself, but it was actually the Apple Watch that I immediately talked with friends about. I've friends who use various medical wearables and it seemed to me that the new Apple Watch Series 12 could do at least a lot of what they like.
One is thinking about it and I've told her to just give me the nod when she wants a present.
Apparently there were also AirPods at the event but they didn't really even register with me. I do like that they noise cancelling version costs less than the previous version, but that's really because everyone should have active noice cancellation in their lives.
Wesley Hilliard - cautious foldable convert
For whatever reason the iPhone Duo name didn't leak in any real way until hours before the Apple Event. It was such a well-kept secret, I wondered if it would ever release, let alone be announced in September.
iPhone Duo is real and it's an interesting new product from Apple
As June came and went with more hints about a foldable hidden in code, I made a call — if there is an iPhone Fold, I need to buy one to evaluate. Lo and behold, Apple revealed the iPhone Duo.
Before I go further, the rest of the event went great.
I loved the Cook appearance even if the opening video was among Apple's least interesting. AirPods 5 definitely exist, and I'm certain most of the Apple Watch section was about features coming to everyone, though the new hardware has key improvements.
As I watched the iPhone 18 Pro reveal with variable aperture and a more powerful chipset, I was deeply afraid I was about to miss out on an excellent upgrade. As someone that loves photography, I find it very important to carry the best possible camera with me, and that's always been iPhone in the past decade.
The new variable aperture system uses a rotor to control shutter blades thinner than hair
Variable aperture is such a useful idea even if the range only goes from f/1.48 to f/4.0. Apple's example photos are incredible, of course, but I do wonder how this feature would actually affect day-to-day shooting.
Sadly, I won't be able to find out, because I'm ordering the iPhone Duo. When CEO John Ternus stepped out to reveal his "one more thing," I forgot all of my reservations and was ready to be excited.
The iPhone Duo is stunning. Apple's specialty of blending hardware and software is front and center with this product. It seems Apple has even found a way to virtually eliminate the crease and hide what may exist from view thanks to nano texture.
An opening and closing animation makes the dual displays feel more connected
Everything about this product depends on the software experience, and the rethought iOS shows Apple really thought this out. I can only hope developers support the platform in a way they never bothered with Apple Vision Pro.
Luckily, supporting iPhone Duo is significantly more straightforward.
Even the camera system is well implemented from general photography use to FaceTime calls. The Fusion Main camera appears to be the same camera system, sans variable aperture, offered with iPhone 18 Pro, and the Fusion Ultra Wide is identical.
I was ready to buy a dedicated point-and-shoot camera to supplement what could have been a bad camera experience. Apple may have convinced me not to with iPhone Duo, but you'll have to wait for the review to see if they've succeeded.
I ordered Apple Watch Ultra 4 and will attempt to get a release-day shipment of the iPhone Duo.
Amber Neely - Fighting off marketing
By this point in the game, most of you know that I don't upgrade frequently. Hopefully, you already know that I'm not easily swayed by marketing.
Not even John Ternus can win everyone over to the iPhone Duo
In fact, after seven years at AppleInsider and at least a dozen Apple events, these sorts of presentations just bounce off of me. I watch events the same way Cypher read code in "The Matrix."
Instead of seeing blondes, brunettes, and redheads, though, I see "too expensive, too gimmicky, appealing to the Everyman."
It's probably as much of a superpower as Mike being able to predict a new Star Trek episode's plot in the first five minutes for the last 30 years. It does help me retain my residency as one of the more Apple-critical writers on staff.
John Ternus did a pretty okay Tim Cook impression. We'll see if he develops his own personality in a few years or so.
I'm one of those people who is wary of marketing hype. After careful assessment, I'll care about a device, any device, once I get it, if I get it.
The iPhone 18 Pro is tempting for some, but won't justify an upgrade for all
I own an iPhone 17, and I do not need to upgrade. My iPhone 17 will be perfectly serviceable until probably 2029.
Now, here's where the twist comes in: I still might upgrade. And the worst part is that I might upgrade to the iPhone Duo.
I'd have to really budget for it, but I am interested in the iPhone Duo. I'm sure Mike finds this particularly amusing, as I've long decried the idea of a foldable phone.
The crease will happen. That should be a deal breaker for me alone.
However, I also like small phones, and you don't get smaller than the iPhone Duo. And it'll be compatible with the Apple Pencil.
I am, at my core, still an iPad girlie. And the idea of being able to whip out my phone and turn it into an iPad at a moment's notice is pretty tempting.
Check back in six months to see whether Apple managed to bully $2,000 out of me.
Mike Wuerthele - The cycle repeats
I'm tired. I'm not submarine-duty tired, but I'm also not as young as I was then.
This is my 15th flagship iPhone event working for a publication that's facing the internet, and I've done every single one of them in one reporting capacity or another. Each one has good points, each one has yawners, and even from day one, there has always been a surprise or two.
The iPhone 18 Pro is, as expected, iterative. It's got variable aperture, and a better vapor chamber cooling system, sure. That's cool, I guess.
AirPods were a little bit of a surprise. In a world where every single electronic device is getting hiked (looking at you, $250 Apple TV), a refresh with more, coming in for less money than the previous version, is refreshing. And, the sales on these for Christmas are going to be spectacular.
The Apple Watch is yet another iterative year, which is fine. There's a reason Apple spent like 10 minutes tops on the product line.
It does what it says it will do, and as an all-rounder, it's best in class. I'm still a little bitter that my original Apple Watch Ultra got cut off from some features so quickly, but it's not the first time that's happened, and won't be the last.
In this gig, the rumor mill leading up to release isn't a carrot, it's a stick, that's frequently beating you atop the head and shoulders. The stoppers and features get talked about for sometimes years, like for the Duo.
iPhone Duo shows Apple knows when to pull out all of the stops
The iPhone Duo is impressive. I watched the same address that you all did, and am getting information as we discover it from Andrew at the event.
Apple technology unchained, is always interesting and polarizing. There are already complaints that this will be an Apple Vision Pro "debacle," but that's not a good take.
Apple Vision Pro was a product in search of a market for exorbitant prices. The iPhone Duo is landing in a well-established market, with buyers that have been clamoring for more, for another form factor, for years. And coming in at $1999 to start, it is cheaper than industry observers thought it would be.
It will define the foldable category. Single-handedly, it will at least double the scope of the market.
As for what I'm buying? I don't know yet. My M5 Max Mac Studio will be here shortly, since I got somebody to buy my M1 Ultra Mac Studio to completely finance the purchase, so I've got some mad money. That, and my veteran's discount is nice.
I don't want to be in the market for an iPhone 18 Pro, because my personal iPhone 16 Pro is fine. If that dies, I have AppleCare One, so I'm good to go for a bit.
That said, if you have a substantial iCloud Family, you should look at Apple One Family. Yeah, $50 a month is a lot, but it'll cover everything you own that's eligible, and what the rest of your family owns too, automatically. We've already done some math about it, but do your own calculations before you jump.
I'll have access to a friend's iPhone Duo right after it ships. I hope it doesn't awaken feelings in me, because as a Mac-first worker, that seduction would be expensive, and I would not get as much out as I could.
Apple's push into foldables is another in a long line of big industry moves
Oh, and one more thing from me. Every main iPhone event is rumored to have all the updates for everything. HomePods, the Home Hub, the Apple TV, and more were all anticipated by some for this one. That was never realistic, this was always going to be 75 minutes and out, with the folding iPhone the centerpiece.
Those all are for the future, that starts right after the new desktop Macs ship. It's going to be a pretty busy six months.
Maybe I'll get some rest afterwards. Or maybe right after WWDC 2027.
