iPhone 18 Pro preorders open as Apple launches foldable Duo

Apple ↗ 1.75% on Wednesday unveiled its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, in the most notable overhaul of its flagship product since the iPhone X in 2017. New CEO John Ternus led the event from Cupertino, marking his first major product launch since succeeding Tim Cook on September 1.communicationstoday+1

The iPhone Duo, priced starting at $1,999, opens into a 7.6-inch horizontal display and is shaped like a passport with rounded edges. It will be available for preorder on October 16 and ships October 23. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, starting at $1,199 and $1,299 respectively — each $100 more than their predecessors — open for preorder on Saturday and go on sale September 18.youtube+2

New Chips, New Modem

Both the iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro run on Apple's A20 Pro chip, the first smartphone processor built on 2nm technology, manufactured by TSMC Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited ↗ 1.22%. The iPhone 18 Pro also introduces a variable-aperture camera system, a first for the iPhone line.youtube+2

Apple's new C2 modem, designed in-house to replace Qualcomm ↗ 2.88% chips, powers the iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro. The iPhone 18 Pro Max retains a Qualcomm modem in the United States, though international models use the C2. The transition continues Apple's yearslong effort to build its own cellular technology.rvmobileinternet+1

Memory Shortage Drives Prices Higher

The $100 price increases on the Pro models reflect a global memory chip shortage driven largely by surging demand from AI data centers. Research firm Counterpoint estimates smartphone DRAM prices rose roughly 83 percent in the second quarter of 2026 compared with the prior quarter. TrendForce data published in August estimated the iPhone 18 Pro's bill of materials jumped 38 percent above the equivalent iPhone 17 Pro, driven almost entirely by memory costs.redsharknews+1

Micron ↘ 0.22% CEO Sanjay Mehrotra attended the launch event — a rare move for Apple, which seldom gives suppliers a visible role at keynotes. The appearance underscored the strategic importance of memory suppliers as Apple integrates more AI features across its devices.communicationstoday

Foldable Market Implications

Ternus criticized existing foldable phones as "two phones that have been stuck together," positioning the Duo as a productivity device with split-screen multitasking and Apple Pencil support. IDC analyst Francisco Jeronimo said Apple "entered the foldable market and, in one keynote, set the price and the standard every rival will now be measured against". Samsung, which pioneered foldables in 2019, responded on X with a quip that Apple "copied us, too".youtube+2

IDC projects Apple will capture 40 percent of the foldable market by the end of next year.communicationstoday