In a joint interview with Tom's Guide and TechRadar, new Apple CEO John Ternus and marketing chief Greg Joswiak explained why the company waited until now to release a foldable, its design philosophy, and how it kept the iPhone Duo under wraps.
Ternus said the timing always comes down to when a product idea meets Apple's bar "for quality and durability, but also for design." He said the device "was like a greenfield of opportunity for us because it was an opportunity to rethink so many different things."
Apple took a hard look at what other foldable makers were offering and felt it "wasn't particularly inspiring," said Joswiak, adding that Apple's approach was "twofold – no pun intended."
First, Apple believes the device's wider 1:1.4 aspect ratio is the answer to designs that resemble two phones "awkwardly stuck together," said Joz. Second, Apple worked on the software to make the Duo "unlike any foldable that's out there."
As for the foldable display, Ternus said the inner screen's top layer is polymer, not glass, which meant devising an entirely new way of making Apple's nano-texture finish. Rival displays, he said, are "kind of cheap-feeling plastic surfaces. They don't feel good to touch, they're kind of wavy, wrinkly."
"The nano-texture just wipes that all out," he added. "It's beautifully flat. It feels amazing to touch and it's incredibly durable."
Joswiak said he is "super proud" that Apple kept the project relatively secret: "We put the extra security on it. We didn't talk about it to anybody. We had a very funny code name, which I won't even repeat, that had nothing to do with it. But we said we're going to keep this one extra secret because, look, people knew through leaks that we were working on a foldable."
Leakers did get the aspect ratio right, Joz conceded. "There were a lot of coincidental instances of people finding that an interesting aspect ratio. And this is when we said, okay, we're going to really keep this one locked down – and it worked."
As for the $1,999 starting price, Ternus mused: "Yes, it's more expensive than the other phones, but we think it's great value." Joz added: "It's called iPhone Duo for a reason. It's like two products."
You can watch the full interview via the embedded video above or on the YouTube website. Pre-orders for the iPhone Duo begin Friday, October 16, ahead of an October 23 launch.
Samsung Display has signed a three-year exclusive supply agreement with Apple to provide foldable display panels for the iPhone Duo and future models, reports Chinese leaker Instant Digital.
The iPhone Duo is the first device on the market to feature Samsung's M16 OLED material set, said to bring improvements to brightness, color performance, lifespan, and power efficiency over previous OLED generations. Apple will reportedly pay around $250 per panel, making it one of the device's priciest components.
The Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 have new Audio Intelligence features that include Sound Recognition, Music Recognition, Live Rewind, and Siri Recap. When these features are activated, the new Apple Watches are always listening to what's going on around the wearer.
With Siri Recap, the Apple Watch listens to your conversations throughout the day and takes notes. It uses Apple Intelligence to continually generate summaries that Apple says are meant to "jog your memory" on events so you can stay present in the moment.
Apple anticipated negative reactions to a wearable that's always listening, so it has a detailed explainer on the privacy features that have been added.
No speaker attribution - Siri Recap will not identify and attribute speakers. Names can be included if mentioned in the conversation, but nothing is directly attributed to a specific person.
Omitted information - Siri Recaps will omit potentially harmful content or sensitive data, which Apple says includes language that promotes self-harm or hateful speech, financial data, government-assigned identifiers, authentication data, and certain personal identifiers.
Caveats - Apple warns that Siri Recap summaries can be incomplete or inaccurate, and filtering may not remove all sensitive information.
No transcript - Apple says Siri Recap doesn't produce a full transcript of a conversation. It's just a summary, comparable to notes one might jot down after a conversation.
Condensed conversations - Encrypted, condensed text versions of a conversation are sent to Private Cloud Compute. The text is less than half the length of the original transcript, and distills the conversation to its core meaning. Conversation tone, non-essential language, filler words, and redundancies are removed.
No audio recording - Audio is sent to the Secure Exclave on Apple Watch and iPhone for processing and analysis. It can't be accessed by the operating system, apps, the user, or Apple, and no audio is recorded or stored.
Private Cloud Compute - Siri Recap uses Apple Foundation Models running on Private Cloud Compute to summarize and format the final output. Data is not accessible to Apple or anyone else.
Opt in, not opt out - Siri Recap can be turned on in the Apple Watch app on iPhone, and set to listen on a schedule. You can have it on only at work, or set it to never listen at night. There will be a quick access toggle in Control Center for turning it on and off.
Auto-delete - Summaries auto-delete after seven days if not saved to the Siri app.
Siri app - Summaries are saved to the Siri app and can be deleted at any time from all synced devices. Saved summaries can be exported to other apps like Notes.
Encryption - Summaries are end-to-end encrypted when synced to your other devices via iCloud so only your trusted devices can access them.
Apple suggests that Apple Watch wearers "be mindful" of the people around them. "While audio is not recorded and stored, and no speakers are attributed, consider those around you where conversations might be private or sensitive," reads Apple's document.
Siri Recap requires one of the new Apple Watch models and an iPhone 16 or later (except the iPhone 16e). The feature is launching later this year.
Apple removed GLONASS support from the Apple Watch Ultra 4, according to technical specifications listed for the device. The Ultra 4 supports GPS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou, while the prior-generation Ultra 3 supported GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou.
GPS, Galileo, BeiDou, and QZSS use CDMA-based signaling and support multiple frequencies for more accurate positioning. Consumer devices typically only receive an L1 signal from GLONASS, so it is less useful on devices with dual-frequency support. GLONASS also uses a different signal architecture, and receivers have to correct for hardware timing delays on a per-satellite basis, which can lead to positioning errors.
Apple did not say why GLONASS support was removed, but dropping it could improve accuracy, reduce processing, and possibly improve battery life.
The Apple Watch Series 12 continues to support GLONASS, likely because the L1-only limitation is less relevant on a single-frequency device.
T-Mobile will charge customers $5 per month to use iPhone Handoff, an e-SIM feature that allows the same phone number to be used on two separate iPhones.
iPhone Handoff requires carrier support, and at launch, only T-Mobile users in the U.S. and Deutsche Telekom users in Germany will be able to use it.
T-Mobile says customers can use their number across two compatible iPhone models and elect which phone is active at any given time. Features like calls, texts, data, mobile hotspot, Scam Shield, and T-Satellite will work on both devices with an eligible plan.
Apple is adding support for iPhone Handoff in iOS 27. It requires two iPhones running iOS 27 or later that are connected to Wi-Fi and signed into the same Apple Account with FaceTime, iMessage, and Messages in iCloud turned on. It can be turned on when activating a new iPhone or in the Settings app.
When iPhone Handoff is enabled, one iPhone serves as a main iPhone and the other iPhone is the secondary device that shares the same number. Moving between the main iPhone and secondary iPhone happens automatically when you unlock one of the devices.
A phone number can only be active on one iPhone at a time when using iPhone Handoff. Payment cards in the Wallet app and car keys can work across both iPhones, but Apple warns some Wallet items like transit passes, IDs, or corporate badges might only work on one iPhone at a time. iPhone Handoff also does not transfer an Apple Watch from one iPhone to another.
iPhone Handoff works with Dual SIM as long as both eSIMs are from carriers that support iPhone Handoff. Both eSIMs will switch simultaneously when you unlock your iPhone. Each eSIM has to be set up separately.
Once set up, iPhone Handoff remains activated until you contact your carrier to turn it off. More information can be found in Apple's support document for the feature.
iOS 27 is set to launch on Monday, September 14, and the new iPhone 18 Pro models will launch on Friday, September 18.
With the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, Apple is adding Live Rewind, which relies on an S11 processor and new continual listening features.
Live Rewind listens to what's happening around the wearer, and when activated with a double press on the Digital Crown, offers a transcript of what was said in the last 15 seconds. Apple says the feature will let users catch something they missed or are less familiar with. Snippets can be referred to Siri for further evaluation or saved to the Siri app.
Apple users are already expressing privacy concerns about Live Rewind, and likening it to Meta's much-maligned smart glasses, but no Apple Watch user will be able to activate it surreptitiously.
When the Digital Crown is pressed for Live Rewind, the Apple Watch will sound an audible chime from the speaker. The chime will sound even if the Apple Watch is on silent or if headphones are connected. At the same time, a full-display animation and microphone indicator will appear, with the combination meant to alert those nearby that the feature has been activated.
Apple says Live Rewind only activates with a deliberate press on the Digital Crown and all processing is done on-device. It shows the last 15 seconds of speech as a text snippet on the display, and does not continue to transcribe in the background. It can be turned on or off through the Watch app on the iPhone.
The Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 have an S11 chip equipped with a Secure Exclave. Apple describes the Secure Exclave as a hardware-isolated compartment that processes sensor data separately from the rest of the system. Data processed and analyzed in the Secure Exclave is not accessible by the operating system, apps, the user, or Apple.
Live Rewind and other Audio Intelligence features do not generate audio recordings. Audio flows into the Secure Exclave, is processed, and then deleted.
According to Apple, Live Rewind text snippets "disappear permanently" from the Apple Watch approximately 30 seconds after the Apple Watch display dims, unless the info is saved to the Siri app.
Live Rewind requires an Apple Watch Series 12 or Apple Watch Ultra 4 paired with an iPhone 16 or later, though the iPhone 16e is not compatible. Apple Intelligence and Siri AI are required, and the feature is not available for users under 13. The feature will launch later this year and won't be in the initial versions of watchOS 27 and iOS 27.
Apple reintroduced a ceramic case for the Apple Watch Series 12, but if you don't have AppleCare+, repairs are unusually expensive.
It costs $599 to fix "other damage," which covers any repair besides a battery replacement. Battery service is priced at $99.
Repairing a ceramic Series 12 is more expensive than getting an Apple Watch Ultra 4 repaired. That repair costs $549 without AppleCare+ (up $50 from the prior model). A repair for a cellular aluminum Series 12 of the same size is $349.
Apple Watch Series 12 models in the Pearl White or Night Blue ceramic options are priced starting at $899, while the Apple Watch Ultra 4 is priced starting at $799.
With AppleCare+, Apple Watch users will only need to pay a $69 service fee for damage to the ceramic Apple Watch Series 12 or $79 for the Apple Watch Ultra 4. Battery service is free if a watch's battery capacity drops below 80 percent, and theft or loss has a $119 deductible.
AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss for the Apple Watch Series 12 is $4.99 per month, and it's $5.99 per month for the Ultra 4. Customers can also opt for AppleCare One, Apple's $19.99 per month option that covers up to three devices. Starting on September 14, Apple is also offering AppleCare One Family, which is $49.99 per month for up to six family members.
macOS 26.2 added an Edge Light feature to Macs with the M1 chip or newer, and it has now been rumored that this feature will expand to the iPhone.
According to pdfu, who has been digging through code in Apple's software updates in recent weeks, the iOS 27 Release Candidate contains evidence of the Edge Light feature coming to the iPhone Duo at a minimum. However, it appears that the feature is still in development, as they said the color temperature setting is not fully implemented.
On the Mac, Edge Light illuminates the borders of the screen to evenly illuminate your face in low-light conditions. The feature is essentially a virtual ring light, and there are settings to adjust the width of the white line around the screen and a color temperature slider to make the light it produces appear more or less warm.
Edge Light is coming to iPhone.
iOS 27 RC gates the feature behind a device subtype that points to iPhone Duo. The color temperature setting isn't fully implemented. pic.twitter.com/dc4pQmikJc
— pdfu (@itspdfu) September 10, 2026
Based on a video of the feature in action on a simulated iPhone, it appears that the feature will work in a similar manner and have the same brightness and color temperature settings on the iPhone. It is unclear if Edge Light will be available on the iPhone Duo when the device launches on October 23, or if it will expand to other iPhone models.
Some of pdfu's other Apple-related code findings have already proven to be right, so the user has an accurate track record so far.
Apple's repairability scores suggest the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are slightly easier to repair than the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Apple released the repairability data in a product information sheet required by EU energy labeling regulations [PDF].
The EU requires smartphone makers to self-rate repairability across categories like disassembly depth, fasteners, tools, spare parts, software update duration, and repair information. Each category gets a 0–5 score, which is combined into the overall index number. Here are the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max scores compared to the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max scores.
Overall index - 3.14, up 0.10 from 3.04
Disassembly depth - 2.75, up 0.10 from 2.65
Fasteners - 3.80, no change
Tools - 2.55, up 0.50 from 2.05
Spare parts - 4.00, no change
Software updates - 1.00, no change (EU only awards a higher software core when manufacturers agree to support devices beyond the five-year minimum)
Repair info - 5.00, no change
It looks like the iPhone 17 Pro models and the iPhone 18 Pro models have similar builds and are repaired in largely the same way, but there are small gains in tools and disassembly depth. Apple may have new tools for accessing some components, but the regulatory filings don't go into specifics. Both devices are class C on the A-E scale that appears on the iPhone's label.
We won't have to wait long to see what's changed inside the new iPhone models, because repair site iFixit is likely planning a teardown of one of the new iPhones on or shortly after the September 18 launch date.
Since the iPhone Duo isn't available for pre-order yet, Apple hasn't published similar repair data for the device.
For many months, tech blogs like ours used the name iPhone Ultra to refer to Apple's rumored foldable iPhone, but the device ended up being named iPhone Duo.
The name iPhone Duo was not a complete surprise. Daring Fireball's John Gruber accurately guessed that the device would be named iPhone Duo all the way back in April, and the name made the rounds again on social media last week.
To his credit, Gurman ended up confirming the iPhone Duo name in a last-minute report published shortly before Apple announced the device.
Apple avoiding the name iPhone Ultra makes sense, as the device now known as the iPhone Duo is not the most "ultra" version of the iPhone available. Yes, the iPhone Duo has a large 7.6-inch inner display when opened, but on the other hand the device lacks features such as a dedicated Telephoto camera, Face ID, and an Action button.
Apple has used Duo branding in the past for its PowerBook Duo line of laptops in the 1990s and the MagSafe Duo Charger in the early 2020s. In the case of the iPhone Duo, the word Duo obviously refers to the device's dual screens.
Apple does have some products and services with Ultra branding, including the Apple Watch Ultra, CarPlay Ultra, and the M1 Ultra through M5 Ultra line of chips. And with Apple rumored to be a planning a special 20th-anniversary iPhone, perhaps there will still be an opportunity for the company to use the name iPhone Ultra in the future.
Some Apple Watch users who upgrade to the Series 12 or the Ultra 4 might temporarily lose access to hypertension notifications.
On the watchOS feature availability page, Apple says notifications might not be available on the Series 12 or Ultra 4 at launch because regulatory clearances are in process.
Hypertension Notifications may not be available on Apple Watch Series 12 or Ultra 4 in your region, as additional regulatory clearances for these devices are in process.
The warning applies to 33 countries and regions, including Canada, Australia, India, Brazil, Singapore, Japan, Taiwan, South Africa, South Korea, and the UAE, with a full list on Apple's website.
The Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 have revamped sensors and a new Health Sensing System. Apple added new optical and electrical heart sensors for more frequent and accurate tracking, and the change appears to require new regulatory approval in some locations.
What's new:
ECG - The electrodes in the watch cover more surface area for improved skin contact during ECG readings.
Optical sensing - Redesigned photodiodes are organized in a ring to capture light more efficiently.
Heart rate measurement - Larger, power-efficient green LEDs in the optical heart rate sensor allow the new watches to measure heart rate every five seconds all day, offering more data on a user's fitness and physiological state. Real-time heart rate is available in the updated Heart Rate app, and Exercise and Move Activity rings are more accurate. HRV is also measured as often as every five minutes.
Apple Watch users who get these notifications today may lose the option when upgrading to the Series 12 or Ultra 4 until regulatory clearance is granted.
Countries not on Apple's list with a footnote will continue to get notifications as usual. This includes the United States, UK, and all EU countries.
Apple is planning a major redesign of the Health app on iPhone and iPad, with a long list of new features set to be added. Apple announced the Health app changes at yesterday's iPhone event.
The Health app is getting an update because Apple overhauled the sensors in the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4. There's a Health Sensing System with three main improvements: increased electrode surface area for better skin contact during ECG readings, redesigned photodiodes arranged in a ring to capture light more efficiently for optical sensing, and power-efficient green LEDs for capturing continuous heart rate data.
The new watches take heart rate readings every five seconds throughout the day, and more frequently measure heart rate variability (HRV). All of the data collected is sent to the Health app on iPhone. Apple says in a head-to-head study against other wearables using an ECG chest strap as reference, the new Apple Watch had the most accurate heart rate sensing.
Apple Intelligence Guidance
The Health app will turn the data and metrics that it collects into personalized guidance thanks to Apple Intelligence integration. There are several new sections coming to the Health app.
Insights - The Insights tab offers an Apple Intelligence-generated summary of timely information like your latest sleep metrics or a new peak in VO2 max. There are options to get custom advice on readiness, fitness, heart health, and more in the For You section.
Personal Guidance - Personal guidance is part of the Insights tab. It knows what's important to you, and will make relevant suggestions. Apple says if you're working on your cardio, you might see a suggestion to incorporate intervals into your morning run. Recommendations adapt to each user and their data.
Readiness - The new Apple Watch models calculate a readiness score that takes into account recent activity, vitals, and sleep score. It gives a 0–10 score with recommendations on activity level. Readouts include Recover, Pace Yourself, Ready, or Go For It. Info is shown on the watch, in the Fitness app, and in the Health app's Insights tab.
Fitness - Insights incorporates your daily activity and it updates throughout the day.
Vitals - The Vitals option in the Health app has new overnight views and daytime views. HRV is incorporated as a metric, offering a better look at your ability to recover from stress. It measures overall HRV and recovery HRV.
Longevity - There is a new Longevity tab in the Health app. It uses metrics from your iPhone and Apple Watch to assess overall health across heart health, sleep, mental wellbeing, movement health, metabolic health, hearing, and nutrition. The section shows you how well you're doing in each category, and how each metric is classified against the latest clinical guidance.
Health Age - Health Age is part of the Longevity tab. It uses metrics like VO2 max, resting heart rate, HRV, sleep, and biomarkers from blood work to determine how your health metrics compare to your actual age. It will help you figure out what habits make the biggest impact on your health, and how you can improve.
Lab Results
Health Age and Longevity can be more useful with lab results. Users can upload lab results manually or sync medical records.
Apple has also partnered with Quest to offer U.S. users an option to buy a full bloodwork panel that covers more than 50 biomarkers. The test is priced at $119, and users will be able to buy it right in the Health app. It'll require a visit to a Quest lab location, and results are combined with data from the Apple Watch and analyzed on iPhone. Apple says users will get videos from clinical experts related to their results.
According to Quest, the panel delivers preventive health insights and includes biomarkers for assessing cardiometabolic health and organ function. It also includes biometric readings that measure blood pressure, height, weight, and waist and hip circumferences. Since the test isn't available in the Health app yet, a full list of what's included isn't known.
Apple competitor Oura offers a similar testing option through Quest. The $99 test checks more than 50 biomarkers, and Oura runs discounts.
Quest has approximately 2,000 locations across the U.S. Results appear in the Health app shortly after testing.
Movement Evaluations
Apple is adding new at-home health assessments you can complete, such as a VO2 max test. The test uses the iPhone camera to track your movements as you follow moves and instructions from a trainer. The tests offer real-time audio and visual feedback.
There are in-depth physical assessments for measuring flexibility, strength, balance, and movement mechanics in addition to VO2 max.
Apple says the tests are useful to see how well your body is moving or to track your progress recovering from an injury. Tests run on device with no video recorded or stored, and users get an exercise plan after completing a test.
Cycle Tracking
Apple is adding perimenopause and menopause support to Cycle Tracking in the Health app.
Device Requirements
Apple Watch users with an Apple Intelligence-capable iPhone will get the updated Health app when it launches, but readiness, more frequent heart rate readings, and more frequent HRV readings require a Series 12 or Ultra 4.
Launch Date
Apple says the new Health app is coming in late 2026, but the company did not give a specific launch date. It will be available in U.S. English at launch, with more languages to follow.
Ever since the Apple Watch Series 4 in 2018, the larger-sized aluminum Apple Watch has started at $429 in the U.S., but that has changed with the Apple Watch Series 12.
While the Apple Watch Series 12 with a 42mm case maintains a starting price of $399, the 46mm model has received a $20 price increase and now starts at $449.
In other words, stepping up to a 46mm case now costs an extra $50 instead of $30.
Apple Watch Series 12 models with a ceramic case are physically larger than the same model in aluminum or titanium, according to Apple's own tech specs.
At 46mm, Apple's tech specs page lists the aluminum and titanium case at 46mm by 40mm by 9.7mm, while the ceramic case sold under the same 46mm name measures 47mm by 41mm by 9.85mm, a millimeter taller, a millimeter wider, and 0.15mm thicker. The 42mm size follows the same pattern: 42mm by 37mm by 9.7mm for aluminum and titanium, versus 43mm by 37mm by 9.85mm for ceramic, a millimeter taller and 0.15mm thicker, with the width unchanged.
The display is unaffected. Apple lists the same 1,196 sq mm display area at 46mm and 970 sq mm at 42mm across all three materials, meaning the extra size is entirely case, not screen.
The ceramic models are also heavier. At 46mm, the Pearl White ceramic case weighs 51.3 grams and Night Blue weighs 52.9 grams, against 39.5 grams for the equivalent aluminum model and 44.9 grams for titanium, up to 34% heavier than aluminum and 18% heavier than titanium. The 42mm ceramic models weigh 41.7 grams in Pearl White and 42.8 grams in Night Blue, against 32.2 grams for aluminum and 36.5 grams for titanium, up to 33% heavier than aluminum and 17% heavier than titanium.
This appears to be the first time Apple has sold different physical case dimensions under the same nominal watch size. The increased size is presumably a design compromise owing to the entirely different material, although the earlier ceramic Apple Watch Edition models used identical case dimensions across materials at a given size, with only the weight changing between them.
Ceramic returns to the Apple Watch lineup with the Series 12 after a six-year absence, having last been offered on Series 5 in 2019 before Apple dropped it for Series 6 in 2020.
Apple Watch Series 12 in ceramic starts at $899, compared with $399 for aluminum and $699 for titanium, in Pearl White or Night Blue finishes. It launches on September 18.
Apple unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro models just one day ago, but there are already rumors about a redesigned "iPhone 20" launching next September.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman recently reported that Apple plans to release a special 20th-anniversary iPhone next year with the biggest design changes since the iPhone X. Of course, there is always a new iPhone around the corner, but it sounds like the so-called "iPhone 20" will have significant changes that some customers may wish to wait for.
Unveiled by Steve Jobs in 2007, the iPhone turns 20 next year. To mark the occasion, the report said Apple plans to release a 20th-anniversary iPhone with "curved glass around all corners and edges" and thinner bezels around the screen.
"It will be the biggest overhaul to what is now the iPhone Pro line since the iPhone X," the report said, but no further details were provided.
Released in 2017, the iPhone X was the first iPhone with Face ID. The removal of the Touch ID button allowed for the iPhone X's screen to extend more towards the edges of the device compared to previous models. It seems like the 20th-anniversary iPhone would go a step further than this by truly having the screen wrap around the corners and edges of the device, for a seemingly all-glass appearance.
Rumors about the 20th-anniversary iPhone have gone back and forth, but based on Gurman's latest reporting, the device seems to be in the works still. However, it remains to be seen if Apple can fully achieve the ambitious design changes that are apparently in development, or if plans for the device will ultimately be scaled back.
As for the iPhone 18 Pro, key new features include an A20 Pro chip with up to a 20% faster CPU and up to a 40% faster GPU compared to the A19 Pro chip, a smaller Dynamic Island, variable aperture for the main 48-megapixel Fusion camera, longer battery life, and a larger vapor chamber cooling system for improved heat dissipation.
If those upgrades do not sound interesting to you, waiting for the redesigned "iPhone 20" might prove to be worthwhile, but only if rumors come to fruition.
The Apple Watch Series 12 pairs a smaller display with a wider case than Series 10 and Series 11, even though the pixel resolution hasn't changed, according to Apple's own tech specs.
For the 46mm Series 12, Apple's tech specs page lists the display area at 1,196 sq mm, down 2% from 1,220 sq mm on Series 10 and Series 11. The 42mm size shows a similar 1.9% drop, from 989 sq mm to 970 sq mm. Pixel counts are identical across all three generations: 416 by 496 at 46mm, and 374 by 446 at 42mm.
The case grows as the screen shrinks. Apple's Series 12 tech specs list the 46mm case at 46mm by 40mm by 9.7mm, a millimeter wider than the 46mm by 39mm by 9.7mm case on Series 10 and Series 11, a roughly 2.6% increase in case footprint. The 42mm case grew from 42mm by 36mm to 42mm by 37mm over the same span, about 2.8%, with depth unchanged at 9.7mm for both sizes.
A smaller display combined with a bigger casing means bigger borders around the display, and it looks like Apple has also tweaked the design of the Series 12 to recede the casing and expand the front glass, which makes the borders look even larger.
There's recent precedent for a change like this translating into a visibly thicker bezel. Series 10 went through a similar shift when it replaced Series 9 in 2024, growing the case around the display. The Series 10's visible aluminum edge had actually shrunk by around 33% versus Series 9, while the total bezel, including the black glass border, had grown by about 17%, even though the case and display figures looked like an improvement on paper.
It looks like the Series 12 repeats that pattern, although to a less extreme extent. Unlike the Series 9 to Series 10 change, which was a full case redesign, Series 10, Series 11, and Series 12 all share the same approximate case design. The Apple Watch Series 12 starts at $399 and launches on September 18.
If you're wondering why the under-screen camera on the iPhone Duo's inner display isn't placed in the top-right corner, Chinese leaker Instant Digital has provided an explanation.
"The iPhone Duo's under-display camera wasn't placed in the top-right corner of the inner screen because of engineering difficulties," said the leaker in a Weibo post this morning. "The next generation will likely move it there, aligning it perfectly with the outer screen's camera." That sounds like a real engineering challenge, since the opposing rear cameras are the thickest things in the whole phone, but let's wait and see.
It's iPhone pre-order week, which means anyone looking to get the new iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max will likely be looking for new cases and protection for the smartphones. Below we're tracking all of the best case and screen protector options from the most popular accessory brands, including ZAGG, Nomad, and more.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Most of these retailers aren't offering discounts on these new case accessories, but at ZAGG you can get 20 percent off your order when you purchase any two accessories. This is a perfect opportunity to save some money with a new case and screen protector for your new iPhone.
ZAGG - iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo cases and screen protectors (20% off two items)
There are some iPhone Duo case and screen protector options available from these retailers as well, but shoppers should remember the Duo itself won't launch until later in October. If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.
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Interested in hearing more about the best deals you can find in 2026? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!
Samsung Display has signed a three-year exclusive supply agreement with Apple to provide foldable display panels for the iPhone Duo and future models, reports Chinese leaker 
If you're wondering why the under-screen camera on the iPhone Duo's inner display isn't placed in the top-right corner, Chinese leaker Instant Digital has provided an explanation.
