The foldable iPhone was "next year's iPhone" for about five years running. It is finally here. At its "Surprise and Shine" event on 9 September 2026, Apple unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro, the iPhone 18 Pro Max, and its first folding phone - officially the iPhone Duo - launching alongside them.

Here is what Apple actually announced: the prices, the UK dates, and whether the 18 Pro or the Duo is the one to buy.

For the wider picture, I have rounded up every Apple product still coming in 2026 elsewhere on the site.

The dates: when you can buy

Apple held its keynote on Wednesday 9 September 2026, an event it called "Surprise and Shine". Pre-orders for the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max opened on Saturday 12 September, and the phones went on sale a week later, on Friday 18 September.

The iPhone Duo runs on a later schedule. Its pre-orders open on Friday 16 October, and it goes on sale on Friday 23 October - about five weeks behind the Pro models.

The foldable is real: meet the iPhone Duo

For years the foldable was stuck in development limbo. It is now a shipping product. The iPhone Duo is a book-style phone that opens into a small tablet - closer to Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold than a flip phone - and it runs the same A20 Pro chip as the Pro models.

It starts at £1,999, which makes it the most expensive iPhone Apple has ever sold, and Apple is pitching it as a flagship rather than a phone for everyone. Early supply is likely to be tight, so if you want one at launch, be ready on pre-order day.

That later date tells you how Apple sees the Duo: a halo product for early adopters, not the phone it expects most people to buy this year.

iPhone 18 Pro: what changed

The Duo grabs the headlines, but the 18 Pro is the phone most people will actually buy. The headline upgrades are a proper generational step:

A20 Pro chip - the first phone chip built on a 2-nanometer process, and the fastest Apple has put in an iPhone.
Variable aperture on the main camera, adjustable from f/1.48 to f/4.0 - real control over depth of field, not a software trick.
Storage up to 2TB, in four finishes: black, silver, glacier and a new burgundy.
Brighter displays - up to 3,000 nits outdoors - with ProMotion still topping out at 120Hz.

None of it is revolutionary on its own, but taken together it is a more meaningful update than the 17 Pro was.

If you shoot ProRAW on the current Pro models, that extra camera control pairs well with editing on-device - I have covered how to apply LUTs to iPhone ProRAW photos without needing Lightroom.

What it costs

No need to guess any more. The iPhone 18 Pro starts at £1,199 and the iPhone 18 Pro Max at £1,299 - a clear step up on last year. The iPhone Duo starts at £1,999, the most expensive iPhone Apple has ever sold.

There is a bigger force at work here too. The iPhone dodged Apple's mid-cycle price rises earlier this year, but the memory shortage pushing up Mac and iPad costs did not go away - and a new flagship is exactly where Apple chose to pass those costs on.

What is not coming until 2027

If you are after the cheaper end of the range, this is not your event. The standard iPhone 18 and the budget iPhone 18e are expected to launch separately in spring 2027, not this September. The autumn show is a Pro-and-foldable affair.

Which one should you buy?

If you want the best camera and chip, the 18 Pro is the easy pick, and it is on sale now. Upgrading from an older iPhone is painless: you can move everything across in one go when you set the new phone up.

The Duo is the harder call. First-generation Apple hardware is usually where Apple learns in public - think the original Vision Pro, or the first Apple Watch. Unless you specifically want a folding phone and are happy paying £1,999 to be an early adopter, the 18 Pro is the safer buy. If you shoot a lot on your phone, it is also the one that pairs best with a proper mobile rig - my iPhone Creator Pack is built around getting the most out of a Pro camera.

FAQ

When can you buy the iPhone 18 Pro?

It is on sale now. Pre-orders opened on Saturday 12 September 2026, and the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max reached shops on Friday 18 September.

Is the foldable iPhone real?

Yes. It is called the iPhone Duo, it has a book-style folding design, and it starts at £1,999. Pre-orders open on 16 October 2026, and it goes on sale on 23 October.

How much does the iPhone 18 Pro cost?

The iPhone 18 Pro starts at £1,199 and the iPhone 18 Pro Max at £1,299. The foldable iPhone Duo starts at £1,999.

When is the regular iPhone 18 coming?

The standard iPhone 18 and the cheaper iPhone 18e are expected to arrive later, in spring 2027, rather than at the September 2026 event.

Sources

Bloomberg / Mark Gurman - Apple's Foldable iPhone Remains on Track for September Debut
Mark Gurman on X - foldable on track for September debut with the iPhone 18 Pro
Tom's Guide - iPhone 18 Pro launch date tipped in new Gurman report
MacRumors - Apple to Release These 16 New Products Later This Year