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By: Courtney Walsh
Who has an extra couple grand for tech to spare? Apple wrapped up its biggest event in years, and if you blinked, you missed a lot. This week’s “Surprise and Shine” keynote was the first time new CEO John Ternus took the stage solo, with Tim Cook stepping back after officially handing over the reins on September 1. No pressure, right? Ternus came out swinging with new iPhones, new AirPods, refreshed Apple Watches, and the product everyone’s been waiting years for.
The showstopper was the iPhone Duo, Apple’s very first foldable iPhone. It opens up into a 7.6-inch display, with a smaller 5.4-inch screen on the outside for quick checks when it’s folded shut. The selfie camera is tucked underneath the inner display itself, so no notch or cutout is breaking up the screen; it just disappears until you need it. The new A20 Pro chip inside works hand-in-hand with iOS 27’s new multitasking tricks, letting you run apps side-by-side or shift layouts depending on how you’re holding it. It’s less “phone that folds” and more “tiny tablet that fits in your pocket.” The catch? It’ll cost you. The Duo starts at $1,999, pre-orders open October 16, and it ships October 23. Image watching videos on this bad boy or reading books talk about a great user experience!
If a $2,000 phone isn’t your speed, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are the more familiar upgrade path. Both get that new A20 Pro chip, plus a reworked 48MP main camera with a variable aperture controlled by six tiny internal blades a smarter lens that adjusts for better shots in tricky lighting. Photographers also get manual controls like shutter speed, white balance, and aperture, plus 4K video with Dolby HDR Vision. New colorways, including glacier and burgundy, round out the look. Prices ticked up $100 across the board: $1,199 for the Pro, $1,299 for the Pro Max. Pre-orders start Saturday, September 12, with phones in hand by September 18.
AirPods didn’t get left out either. The new AirPods 5 bring active noise cancellation down to a friendlier price point, with a standard model at $129 and a $149 version that adds a wireless charging case. Apple says the noise cancellation blocks 50% more background noise than before, and stem-based volume control, previously a Pro-only perk, is now standard. You’re looking at about 5 hours of listening on a charge with ANC on, up to 22 hours total with the case. Throw in improved transparency mode, live translation, and hands-free Siri AI, and these might be the smartest budget earbuds Apple has made. I will be buying these without question; too much bang for my buck to pass it up.
Rounding things out, the Apple Watch Series 12 and Watch Ultra 4 got their yearly refresh; don’t expect a redesign, but the software upgrades are genuinely cool. A new “Live Rewind” feature replays the last 15 seconds of a conversation as a text snippet on your wrist, perfect for when you totally spaced on what someone just said. My girlfriend, parents, and friends will hate me for this, but oh, well. Pair that with “Siri Recap,” which quietly summarizes the key points from your day meeting takeaways, what got decided at that dinner- so you’re not left piecing it together later. There’s also a new “Sound Recognition” feature that listens for sirens, doorbells, alarms, or a crying baby and taps your wrist, a genuinely great accessibility win. SICK! The Series 12 starts at $399, the Ultra 4 at $499, and both opened for pre-order the second the keynote ended.
Apple also teased a redesigned Health app landing later this year, using Apple Intelligence to hand you a “Readiness” score, a calculated “Health Age,” and a new Longevity tab pulling from your sleep, movement, and heart data.
Tying it all together is iOS 27, arriving September 14 with the redesigned Siri AI in tow, though it’s launching in beta, English-only, with no EU availability just yet.
So, who’s buying what? The Duo is the bold, pricey flex for anyone dreaming of a folding iPhone. The 18 Pro is the safe, excellent bet for a routine upgrade. And the AirPods 5 might be the sneaky best deal of the event. Either way, Apple just handed John Ternus a strong debut. Now, to talk to my dad about all the things I want HIM to buy, and maybe get a job while I’m at it.
#WhatTheTech
