Apple's first event under Ternus pitches the iPhone as the AI hub, adds foldable Duo and listening watches

Apple held its Surprise and Shine event on Wednesday, its first fall launch under new CEO John Ternus, with Tim Cook now executive chairman. Ternus opened by arguing that the ideal AI device is an intelligent personal hub with personal context, on-device processing, cloud access, cameras, and microphones, and that the iPhone already fits that description. He also stressed that Apple cares more about data privacy than rivals. The headline product is the iPhone Duo, Apple's first foldable, with a 7.6-inch inner display and a 5.4-inch outer display. It starts at $1,999 with 256GB of storage, with preorders opening October 16 and availability October 23. Hardware chief Johny Srouji said AI algorithms match each hinge to its best-fit housing during manufacturing, and a confocal laser scan guides 3D printing of up to 25 micro layers of photopolymer to remove waviness. On the iPhone 18 Pro, a feature called Apple Reference Image captures signed sensor data that Private Cloud Compute turns into an unalterable digital negative for comparing against edited versions. Apple will offer developer APIs and support the SynthID standard for spotting AI-generated or altered images. The Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 add Audio Intelligence, Live Rewind, and Siri Recap features that process live audio and transcribe speech, which TechCrunch says may unsettle people around watch wearers. A redesigned Health app uses Apple Intelligence for an Insights tab, a readiness score, a Health Age calculation, and a Longevity tab, with a $119 50-biomarker lab panel offered through Quest.