What Apple announced, and what it costs in Lithuania

On 9 September 2026 Apple introduced its new generation of devices. For the first time in fifteen years the event was opened and hosted by Apple’s new chief executive, John Ternus, who replaced long-serving Tim Cook on 1 September.

iPhone Duo – the first folding iPhone

The biggest news of the event is the iPhone Duo, the first folding iPhone. Closed, it is a compact phone with a 5.4-inch outer screen (90% of the iPhone 18 Pro’s screen area). Opened, there is a 7.6-inch inner display, 50% larger than the iPhone 18 Pro Max, with a nano-texture coating that reduces glare and makes the crease less visible. Unfolded, it is the thinnest iPhone ever built.

The body is grade 5 titanium with Ceramic Shield 2 on the front (3x more scratch resistant) and IP68 dust and water resistance.

The camera gains features no other iPhone has: Smart Take fires automatically once everyone is posing, Duo Preview shows a preview on the outer screen, and Duo FaceTime lets people standing next to you join the call through that outer screen. The camera is a 48MP Fusion Main with built-in 2x optical zoom — but the variable aperture the 18 Pro received is not here.

One design choice worth noting: Touch ID instead of Face ID, built into the side button.

Inside is the same A20 Pro as in the 18 Pro models. Battery: up to 31 hours using the inner screen, up to 44 hours on the outer screen alone. Unlike the 18 Pro, the iPhone Duo is eSIM-only worldwide — no physical SIM tray in any market.

The price in Lithuania starts at €2,389 (256 GB), in star white and night sky. Orders open on 16 October at 15:00. Worth noting that this is a month later than everything else announced on the day.

iPhone 18 Pro – variable aperture and a 2 nm chip

These phones stand out in four areas — the camera, A20 Pro performance, battery, and Siri AI.

The new 48MP Fusion Main camera gets a variable aperture, a first in iPhone history. It moves from ƒ/1.48 (for dark frames) to ƒ/4 (for group shots), with ƒ/1.8 for portraits. New Pro controls allow manual adjustment of aperture, shutter speed and white balance. Samsung tried something similar with the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S10, and most people never really noticed. It will probably go the same way here.

Less advertised, but more interesting to me, is Apple Reference Image. The sensor signs every pixel so that a photograph can later be checked for editing. A real answer to the problem of AI-generated images.

The A20 Pro is built on a 2-nanometre architecture — a GPU up to 40% faster than the A19 Pro, and 50% more memory bandwidth. The most interesting part is a new vapour-chamber cooling system, which gives up to 40% better sustained (not peak) performance. Gamers and anyone running heavy AI models on the phone will feel that; for everyday use it will make no difference.

The iPhone 18 Pro promises up to 36 hours of video playback and the iPhone 18 Pro Max up to 45. The biggest gain goes to the eSIM-only models (US, Japan, UAE and others), which we are unlikely to get in Lithuania.

The new Siri AI can see what is on screen, read mail and messages, and take actions. It will not be available in Europe at all, because of privacy requirements.

Colours: black, silver, Glacier and a new burgundy. Prices in Lithuania start at €1,499 (Pro) and €1,659 (Pro Max). Orders open 12 September at 15:00, on sale 18 September.

Is it worth upgrading from a 17 Pro? Hardly. From a 15 Pro or older, it is worth thinking about.

AirPods 5 – noise cancelling in an open-ear design

The new open-ear AirPods 5 offer 50% better noise cancelling than the AirPods 4 — the best open-ear ANC on the market. Adaptive Audio switches between Transparency and ANC automatically depending on your surroundings.

Siri AI and live translation are hands-free: a voice command, or a squeeze of both stems at once. The earbuds are also more resistant to water and dust.

The more expensive model with the wireless charging case runs up to 5 hours with ANC on (an hour longer than the AirPods 4) and adds a volume sensor on the stem, a first in open-ear earbuds.

Prices in Lithuania: €149 for the base set and €169 with the wireless charging case. On sale 18 September from 08:00.

Apple Watch Series 12 – a readiness score and a more accurate pulse

The Apple Watch Series 12 gets a new health sensing system and the S11 chip. Apple says it is the most accurate heart rate measurement in a wearable, and the pulse is now sampled every 5 seconds around the clock.

The biggest software addition is Readiness: a daily score from 0 to 10 with a recommendation (Pace Yourself, Ready, Go For It and so on), calculated from activity, training load and sleep quality.

Battery: up to 24 hours of normal use. Charging is faster — 15 minutes gives up to 12 hours of additional running time.

The most interesting part is Audio Intelligence. Live Rewind (a double press of the Digital Crown shows what was said in the last 15 seconds), Siri Recap (a summary of a conversation) and Sound Recognition (alerts for sirens or a doorbell, which matters for the hard of hearing). All of it is processed in isolation inside the chip and not stored — at least, so Apple says. This one will not reach the EU at first either.

Design: new dark bronze and light gold finishes, plus titanium and ceramic versions.

The price in Lithuania starts at €459 (GPS, 42 mm); the largest version with Cellular and a 46 mm case is €629.

Apple Watch Ultra 4 – up to 84 hours off the charger

The Apple Watch Ultra 4 gets the same Health Sensing System, Readiness score and Audio Intelligence as the Series 12. But since this is a sports and adventure watch, the real differences are the battery and the GPS.

Everyday use runs to 50 hours, and Low Power Mode to 84. For outdoor training there is Max Extended Workout mode at up to 45 hours, which should be enough to finish a 100-mile race. Apple also claims this is the most accurate GPS in a sports watch.

The case is titanium only, in natural or black.

The price in Lithuania is €899 (GPS + Cellular, 49 mm, titanium with the Alpine Loop band).

Prices and dates in Lithuania

Phone prices by storage:

What to know before buying

iPhone Duo – a first generation, a high price, limited supply. It suits you if you want a large screen for work or content and are prepared to pay for novelty. If you are not sure the folding format is something you need at all, wait for the second generation.

iPhone 18 Pro / iPhone 18 Pro Max – worth it if you are on a 16 Pro or older and the camera genuinely matters to you. If you have a 17 Pro, you will not feel much difference day to day.

AirPods 5 – a good choice if you wanted ANC in an open-ear design at a sensible price but are not ready to pay for the Pro line. If you already have AirPods Pro, there is no point switching.

Apple Watch Series 12 – worth attention if more accurate pulse and HRV tracking or the new Readiness score matter to you. If your watch is mostly the time and notifications, there is no hurry.

Apple Watch Ultra 4 – for people who genuinely need long battery life and accurate GPS outdoors: running, hiking, diving. If you train rarely or briefly, the Series 12 should be enough.

Photographs: Apple Newsroom.