Five takeaways from Apple’s biggest product showcase of the year

Apple unveiled its most ambitious product showcase of the year, introducing a foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, and a new lineup of iPhone Pro models. The event showcased the company's strategy under new CEO John Ternus to lead the AI age, emphasizing on-device AI performance, graphics processing, and battery efficiency. The Duo, powered by the new A20 Pro chip with a 2-nanometer process and a vapor-chamber cooling system, is Apple's thinnest iPhone when open, priced starting at $1,999.

It features a 7.6-inch display, Apple Pencil support, and a 2TB storage capacity, not available in rival foldable models. Pre-orders begin on October 16, with a launch on October 23. The Pro models carry a $100 price increase, starting at $1,199 and $1,299, due to surging memory chip costs. The devices are powered by the A20 Pro chip and introduce Apple's Reference Image photo-authentication standard and SynthID for AI-generated image identification.

Apple CEO Ternus highlighted privacy as a key differentiator in the AI era, positioning the iPhone as an "intelligent personal hub" with on-device AI processing and strong privacy protections. The company also unveiled the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, featuring a new S11 chip, improved health-sensing, and new AI tools. AirPods received a new generation, starting at $129, with active noise cancellation as a first for entry-level earbuds.