(VIDEO) Apple Set To Unveil $2,000 Foldable 'iPhone Duo' At High-Stakes Event This Wednesday In Cupertino

CUPERTINO, Calif. — Apple Inc. is set to unveil its first foldable iPhone, expected to be called the iPhone Duo and priced at roughly $2,000, at a wide-ranging product event Wednesday that marks the company's most consequential product launch in years.

The event, titled "Surprise and Shine," kicks off at 10 a.m. Pacific time from Apple Park in Cupertino, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Beyond the foldable device, the showcase is expected to feature the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, updated Apple Watch models and new AirPods, though the centerpiece of Wednesday's announcements will be the foldable smartphone itself, a device Apple believes will function both as a status symbol and as a way to help restore its reputation as a technology innovator.

Wednesday's presentation marks the first major public product launch overseen by John Ternus, who officially became Apple's chief executive on Sept. 1, succeeding Tim Cook. Cook is expected to attend the keynote in his new role as executive chairman, according to reporting on the event's leadership transition.

According to Gurman's reporting, the foldable device is being developed under the internal codename Project V68, an effort industry sources describe as roughly a decade in the making. The phone is expected to feature a 5.5-inch cover display alongside a larger 7.8-inch main screen when unfolded, effectively combining a smartphone and a small tablet into a single device. Additional details reported by MacRumors include a new A20 Pro chip built on an advanced 2-nanometer manufacturing process, Apple's proprietary C2 modem, dual 48-megapixel rear cameras, a 12-megapixel front camera, a magnetic hinge system, and support for the Apple Pencil stylus. Gurman had separately reported that Apple tested a smaller version of the Apple Pencil specifically designed for the foldable device, though he indicated an accompanying launch of that accessory appeared unlikely at this stage.

Pricing for the device is expected to start around $2,000, according to multiple reports citing Gurman's reporting, a figure that, while high, landed somewhat below some of the more extreme earlier price estimates that had circulated ahead of the event. According to MacRumors, the foldable iPhone is not expected to become available for purchase until at least October, meaning Wednesday's announcement will likely serve as a formal unveiling ahead of a later, staggered retail launch.

Beyond the foldable device, Gurman's reporting indicates the standard iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max models will see price increases of $100 compared with their current equivalents, a smaller jump than some analysts had feared heading into the event. Research firm TrendForce has separately published its own price estimates for the new lineup based on current hardware cost conditions, projecting increases across the Pro tier tied to rising component costs, including a well-documented global memory chip shortage that has affected pricing across the broader smartphone industry this year.

The Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 are also expected to debut Wednesday. According to Gurman, neither model is expected to feature major design changes compared with the current Series 11 and Ultra 3, despite earlier rumors suggesting Touch ID might be added to the Apple Watch lineup this year. Instead, the more significant addition is expected to be a new all-day voice recording and ambient audio capture feature, designed to support use cases including meeting transcription and quick voice memos, marking a notable software-driven upgrade for the wearable lineup even without significant changes to the physical hardware itself.

Rounding out the anticipated announcements, Apple is expected to unveil updated AirPods 5 models, alongside possible additional hardware including a new smart home device sometimes referred to in reporting as the Apple HomePad, along with an updated Apple TV 4K streaming device.

Apple confirmed the Sept. 9 event date and its "Surprise and Shine" tagline on Aug. 26, when invitations were sent to media outlets, with some analysts suggesting the "surprise" language itself may have served as an intentional hint toward the foldable device's unveiling. Following Wednesday's presentation, preorders for the newly announced iPhones are expected to begin either Sept. 11 or 12, according to Digital Trends' reporting, with the later date seen as more likely given Apple's potential desire to avoid launching preorders on the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Retail availability for the new devices is expected to follow beginning Sept. 18.

The foldable device's branding remains one of the more closely watched open questions heading into Wednesday's event. While earlier speculation had centered on the name "iPhone Ultra," more recent reporting from Gurman and other outlets, including Tom's Guide, points toward "iPhone Duo" as the device's likely official name. Some early commentary on that potential naming choice has drawn comparisons to Microsoft's earlier Surface Duo device, a dual-screen smartphone that used two separate display panels rather than a single flexible screen, distinguishing it technically from Apple's rumored single-screen folding design.

Apple's entry into the foldable smartphone category arrives years after competitors including Samsung and Google established themselves in the segment, with Samsung having released its original Galaxy Fold in 2019. Industry analysts have suggested that Apple's later entry, consistent with the company's historical pattern of entering established product categories after competitors, could still prove commercially significant given Apple's scale and the loyalty of its existing customer base, even at a price point well above what many consumers have indicated they would be willing to pay for a folding iPhone.

With Wednesday's event just hours away at the time of this report, Apple's official confirmation of the foldable iPhone's name, final specifications, complete pricing structure and broader fall product lineup is expected to resolve months of accumulated speculation, offering the clearest picture yet of how the company plans to compete in the foldable device category under its new chief executive heading into the critical holiday shopping season.