iPhone Duo finally debuts, but with price increases across models, Apple's 4Q26 shipments will take hit

DIGITIMES says the most closely watched model in Apple's high-end iPhone 18 lineup, launched in September 2026, is the long-anticipated first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo. The 256GB version starts at US$1,999 pre-tax in the US market, below general expectations, but its camera specs aren't top-tier and remain a weakness. The iPhone 18 Pro series' main hardware upgrades over the previous-generation models are the main processor and the camera. Apple raised prices for the new iPhone 18 Pro series and did not introduce lower-priced iPhone 18 and Air 2 models, compared with the launch of the 2025 iPhone 17 generation. DIGITIMES estimates combined shipments of the three fall iPhone 18 models at 71 million to 75 million units.

The iPhone 18 Pro series switches its processor from the iPhone 17 Pro series to the A20 Pro chip built on TSMC 2nm process technology, with a 6-core CPU, 7-core GPU, and dual 16-core NPU. The rear camera maintains a triple-camera system. The main wide-angle camera offers variable aperture options of ƒ/1.48, ƒ/1.8, ƒ/2.8, and ƒ/4.0.

This report covers the hardware specifications of the new iPhones compared to previous generations, how prices have changed, and provides shipment forecasts for the fourth quarter of 2026.