Apple’s iPhone 18 generation is its most ambitious in years. The lineup brings Apple’s first 2-nanometre chip, a camera with a true variable aperture, and the long-awaited foldable iPhone, called the iPhone Duo, which goes on sale this week.
Apple unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone Duo at its “Surprise and shine” event on September 9. Pre-orders for the Duo opened on October 16, and it reaches stores on October 23. Here are the features that matter most.
1. The iPhone Duo: Apple finally folds
The headline act is the iPhone Duo, Apple’s answer to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold. It opens like a book.
- Two screens: a 7.6-inch inner display and a 5.4-inch outer display. Both work with Apple Pencil.
- Tough build: a titanium plate, carbon-fibre hinge support plates, Ceramic Shield on front and back, and an IP68 water and dust rating.
- Clever hinge: a custom variable-torque hinge and a magnet array that help it snap shut.
- Touch ID returns: instead of Face ID, the fingerprint sensor sits in the side button. The FaceTime camera hides under the inner display.
- Cameras: a 48MP Fusion main camera, a 12MP 2x telephoto, sensor-shift stabilisation and 4K slow-motion at 120fps.
- Battery: up to 44 hours of video on the outer screen, or up to 24 hours with both screens in use.
- Colours: Star White and Night Sky.
It starts at $1,999, with storage from 256GB up to 2TB.
2. The A20 Pro: Apple’s first 2nm chip
The iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max and Duo all run the new A20 Pro, built on a 2-nanometre process. Apple says its two new performance cores are up to 20% faster, and the 7-core GPU delivers up to 40% faster graphics.
To keep that power from overheating, the Pro models get a vapour chamber with three times the surface area of last year’s iPhone 17 Pro.
3. A camera with a real variable aperture
The iPhone 18 Pro’s 48MP Fusion main camera uses six laser-cut blades to physically change the aperture, much like a professional camera lens. The widest setting is f/1.8. Hands-on reports list several selectable stops, from very wide down to f/4.0.
New Pro Controls let photographers adjust settings manually and view a live histogram. Other camera additions include smart focus tracking, Photographic Styles with texture and grain control, 4K time-lapse, and cinematic video edits after capture.
4. Proof that a photo is real
In a world of AI-generated fakes, Apple added “Apple Reference Image,” which signs a photo’s data at the moment it is taken. It also supports the SynthID standard for spotting AI-made content. Apple says this feature is not available in the EU or China.
5. Longer battery life and faster charging
- iPhone 18 Pro: up to 36 hours of video playback
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: up to 45 hours
- Wired charging to 50% in about 15 minutes
6. A smarter Siri and a smaller Dynamic Island
Siri now runs on Apple’s latest on-device AI models. It gains expressive voices and more accurate dictation, and gets its own app on the home screen. It can also act inside third-party apps such as WhatsApp and Outlook. In one demo, it added recipe ingredients straight to a grocery list.
The Dynamic Island is smaller but can now track three live activities at once. New colours for the Pro include Glacier and Burgundy.
Prices and availability
- iPhone 18 Pro: from $1,199 (on sale since September 18)
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: on sale since September 18
- iPhone Duo: from $1,999, available October 23
What about the regular iPhone 18? Apple has split its launch this year. The standard, non-Pro iPhone 18 was not announced in September and is expected in spring 2027.
Should you upgrade?
If you use an iPhone 15 or older, the A20 Pro, the camera upgrades and the battery gains are a big step up. If you have always wanted a phone that turns into a small tablet, the iPhone Duo is Apple’s most exciting launch in years, though its $1,999 price will put it out of reach for many buyers, especially in markets like Nigeria where import costs push prices higher still.