Apple Unveils iPhone Duo, Foldable iPhone, iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max

Locked into my 16 pro max for another year with my carrier and the way the discounts I received are applied. Otherwise I’d be tempted to grab the Duo.

Probably for the best to let other people work out all the kinks in the design anyway. And if they don’t start sticking the best cameras on the back for the price premium they want to charge, I don’t think I would buy it over a pro max. Even though I would much prefer the larger screen for reading manga.
 
zehoo said:
Locked into my 16 pro max for another year with my carrier and the way the discounts I received are applied. Otherwise I’d be tempted to grab the Duo.

Probably for the best to let other people work out all the kinks in the design anyway. And if they don’t start sticking the best cameras on the back for the price premium they want to charge, I don’t think I would buy it over a pro max. Even though I would much prefer the larger screen for reading manga.
Click to expand...
I'm torn on a camera upgrade. I frequently use my telephoto lens, but having tried the Galaxy Z Fold 7, that telephoto gives it a wild camera bump. I'd want Apple to address that (likely involving a reworked camera array) before including one.

I'll say this: I've also tried the Galaxy Z Fold 8, and it's addictive. You have both a compact phone and an easy-to-wield tablet at the same time. I'd be sorely tempted by the iPhone Duo just because it offers that experience in the ecosystem I use most.
 
Aurelius said:
I'm torn on a camera upgrade. I frequently use my telephoto lens, but having tried the Galaxy Z Fold 7, that telephoto gives it a wild camera bump. I'd want Apple to address that (likely involving a reworked camera array) before including one.

I'll say this: I've also tried the Galaxy Z Fold 8, and it's addictive. You have both a compact phone and an easy-to-wield tablet at the same time. I'd be sorely tempted by the iPhone Duo just because it offers that experience in the ecosystem I use most.
Click to expand...
The camera upgrade of the 18 pro max is almost worth it for me to upgrade. But for the last few phones I've owned I've been trying to hold back 3-4 years unless the new features are really worth it. Last upgrade was from the 13pm to the 16pm. And it was mostly for the better microphones (and to try out the ai that turned out to be snake oil).
 
zehoo said:
The camera upgrade of the 18 pro max is almost worth it for me to upgrade. But for the last few phones I've owned I've been trying to hold back 3-4 years unless the new features are really worth it. Last upgrade was from the 13pm to the 16pm. And it was mostly for the better microphones (and to try out the ai that turned out to be snake oil).
Click to expand...
IMO the 17 pro was a big upgrade off the 16 pro simply because it can actually perform now without overheating. The 18 pro over the 16 pro is a massive upgrade just in the performance. The 17 pro was the first phone since the 11 pro that I thought was solid because all the pros in between had serious issues with heat soak.
 
Puterguru said:
Hmmm I was considering buying one of those. What issues?
Click to expand...
These are my training type issues I have with it and other issues; the Ultra 4 is probably a better watch that possibly corrects the below, I don't know
  • Flight of stairs, Apple indicates a 10 foot height to register as a flight
    • After doing 65 flights, up 65 times down 65 times, 10'1" change in height - it registered 2
    • I went to another stairs we had which is around 12 foot, 50 flights up and down gave me 5, better but not much
    • Inaccurate, useless data, fail
  • Treadmill
    • All calibration is done by actual running, except running on a treadmill is different than an actual run
    • Running 3 miles on the treadmill can be over/under .5 miles off and vary from one session to the next, speed etc.
    • What is worst is you cannot change it in the software or log the actual miles ran nor make any comments for future reference such as what was ate, fueling and so on
    • So comparing one session to another with inaccurate data, heart rate for a given pace, pace calculated is wrong, pointless, inaccurate - fail
  • Gymkit, where you can go to any Gymkit enabled machine like at Family Fitness
    • It worked great when I first got the watch, stepped on the treadmill, did nothing and the watch automatically put up the Inside Run workout screen and was connected to the treadmill, started session on the treadmill and on the watch, it recorded everything, treadmill showed heart rate
    • In less than a month after an update, all that went away, for months. Then some work arounds by turning off watch was found and when restarting watch to immediately going to the Inside Run Workout screen
    • Then another update broke even that, making the feature worthless
    • Then an update and the watch when by the machine would pop up Applepay with your credit card
      • Fail
    • It works now as a note, not as good when watch first bought but it works
    • Only high-end gym machines incorporate this feature, the machine has to have a proprietary Apple module installed. I was going to buy a Bowflex T-9 threadmill since it says supports Apple watch. Then I found out it is not really a Gymkit machine, it will only read your heartrate and not record actual distance, pace, time.
  • Sleep, inaccurate, misses multiple sessions or a whole section, that is if one can wear the rather bulky uncomfortable watch to bed
    • Watch recovery type calculations
  • SPO2, use your watch to measure your Oxygen level and you cannot read it on the watch, you can only read the measured value using your phone - useless for performance measurements
  • Heartrate, unless you are in a Workout session, there is no watch face or setting to show your heartrate continuously, you can force measure it for a period of time using the Heartrate app
    • Do a set of pull ups, exercise snack, you can instantly see how your heart rate responds on a Garmen watch, on the Apple Ultra, you have to select to measure your heartrate and wait, wait, wait by the time it starts measuring it is not accurate at first, it is too late to get anything useful from it. Start the heart rate app, move you hand down and it turns off. Pull your wrist up and it restarts but you have to wait until it gets a stable count
  • Some other general issues, Dick Tracy's Watch
    • Watch tries to be like a jake of all spades, like a calculator but why use a tiny watch face to crunch numbers, doable yes, efficient or even worth it? No.
    • This goes for text messages
    • Answering the phone, yes you can answer and talk, works well with earbuds in, works terrible without, still can be done, it has a tiny speaker which is not very loud
  • A number of other phone apps you can load which most I've found pointless or unless to try to run on the watch especially if you have your phone right there
    • A constant irritating sign for advertisers, unless you individually turn off notifications on every app or apps you don't won't notifications - your watch is one big advertising gateway
    • You will look because text messages maybe important, emails too
Absolutely beautiful display, usable touch interface but limited, poor battery life compared to other watches, two days maxed if you don't do too much while other watches are 7 days. Always on is not always on even when the setting says Always On. Focus settings which are in other settings will affect if the display is on or off. Watch band interchange is outstanding, easy to slide on and off, designed well plus readily available bands can be found everywhere.

For me it is a poor fitness watch with unusable data, uncomfortable, heavy mammoth.
 
Last edited:
noko said:
These are my training type issues I have with it and other issues; the Ultra 4 is probably a better watch that possibly corrects the below, I don't know
  • Flight of stairs, Apple indicates a 10 foot height to register as a flight
    • After doing 65 flights, up 65 times down 65 times, 10'1" change in height - it registered 2
    • I went to another stairs we had which is around 12 foot, 50 flights up and down gave me 5, better but not much
    • Inaccurate, useless data, fail
  • Treadmill
    • All calibration is done by actual running, except running on a treadmill is different than an actual run
    • Running 3 miles on the treadmill can be over/under .5 miles off and vary from one session to the next, speed etc.
    • What is worst is you cannot change it in the software or log the actual miles ran nor make any comments for future reference such as what was ate, fueling and so on
    • So comparing one session to another with inaccurate data, heart rate for a given pace, pace calculated is wrong, pointless, inaccurate - fail
  • Gymkit, where you can go to any Gymkit enabled machine like at Family Fitness
    • It worked great when I first got the watch, stepped on the treadmill, did nothing and the watch automatically put up the Inside Run workout screen and was connected to the treadmill, started session on the treadmill and on the watch, it recorded everything, treadmill showed heart rate
    • In less than a month after an update, all that went away, for months. Then some work arounds by turning off watch was found and when restarting watch to immediately going to the Inside Run Workout screen
    • Then another update broke even that, making the feature worthless
    • Then an update and the watch when by the machine would pop up Applepay with your credit card
      • Fail
    • It works now as a note, not as good when watch first bought but it works
    • Only high-end gym machines incorporate this feature, the machine has to have a proprietary Apple module installed. I was going to buy a Bowflex T-9 threadmill since it says supports Apple watch. Then I found out it is not really a Gymkit machine, it will only read your heartrate and not record actual distance, pace, time.
  • Sleep, inaccurate, misses multiple sessions or a whole section, that is if one can wear the rather bulky uncomfortable watch to bed
    • Watch recovery type calculations
  • SPO2, use your watch to measure your Oxygen level and you cannot read it on the watch, you can only read the measured value using your phone - useless for performance measurements
  • Heartrate, unless you are in a Workout session, there is no watch face or setting to show your heartrate continuously, you can force measure it for a period of time using the Heartrate app
    • Do a set of pull ups, exercise snack, you can instantly see how your heart rate responds on a Garmen watch, on the Apple Ultra, you have to select to measure your heartrate and wait, wait, wait by the time it starts measuring it is not accurate at first, it is too late to get anything useful from it. Start the heart rate app, move you hand down and it turns off. Pull your wrist up and it restarts but you have to wait until it gets a stable count
  • Some other general issues, Dick Tracy's Watch
    • Watch tries to be like a jake of all spades, like a calculator but why use a tiny watch face to crunch numbers, doable yes, efficient or even worth it? No.
    • This goes for text messages
    • Answering the phone, yes you can answer and talk, works well with earbuds in, works terrible without, still can be done, it has a tiny speaker which is not very loud
  • A number of other phone apps you can load which most I've found pointless or unless to try to run on the watch especially if you have your phone right there
    • A constant irritating sign for advertisers, unless you individually turn off notifications on every app or apps you don't won't notifications - your watch is one big advertising gateway
    • You will look because text messages maybe important, emails too
Absolutely beautiful display, usable touch interface but limited, poor battery life compared to other watches, two days maxed if you don't do too much while other watches are 7 days. Always on is not always on even when the setting says Always On. Focus settings which are in other settings will affect if the display is on or off. Watch band interchange is outstanding, easy to slide on and off, designed well plus readily available bands can be found everywhere.

For me it is a poor fitness watch with unusable data, uncomfortable, heavy mammoth.
Click to expand...
My god. Thanks for all of the info. Scratching off my list then.
 
noko said:
Heartrate, unless you are in a Workout session, there is no watch face or setting to show your heartrate continuously, you can force measure it for a period of time using the Heartrate app
  • Do a set of pull ups, exercise snack, you can instantly see how your heart rate responds on a Garmen watch, on the Apple Ultra, you have to select to measure your heartrate and wait, wait, wait by the time it starts measuring it is not accurate at first, it is too late to get anything useful from it. Start the heart rate app, move you hand down and it turns off. Pull your wrist up and it restarts but you have to wait until it gets a stable count
Click to expand...
This is specifically addressed with the latest crop of Apple Watches. They not only include high-frequency heart rate tracking, but include complications that will show your current heart rate.
 
Aurelius said:
This is specifically addressed with the latest crop of Apple Watches. They not only include high-frequency heart rate tracking, but include complications that will show your current heart rate.
Click to expand...
If the newer watches have heartrate complications, that should be available for the previous generation? The software alone would make me shy away from a newer Apple watch ever again.
 
weird that Apple added the variable aperture lens to the iPhone 18 meanwhile Samsung added it awhile back but then removed it from later phones...Samsung must not feel it's a worthwhile feature...I wonder if Samsung will add it back in 2027
 
noko said:
If the newer watches have heartrate complications, that should be available for the previous generation? The software alone would make me shy away from a newer Apple watch ever again.
Click to expand...
It wouldn't be as effective as past watches only periodically check heart rate (outside of workouts and the heart rate app, of course). This is one of those times when the hardware is genuinely necessary for a software feature.
 
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polonyc2 said:
weird that Apple added the variable aperture lens to the iPhone 18 meanwhile Samsung added it awhile back but then removed it from later phones...Samsung must not feel it's a worthwhile feature...I wonder if Samsung will add it back in 2027
Click to expand...
Samsung may have removed it as it didn't move the needle at the time. We're in an era of much more capable cameras, and the iPhone 18 Pro's system has four apertures versus the Galaxy S9's two.

Will Samsung bring it back? I wouldn't rule it out, as Samsung likes to chase Apple. But it's also pretty late in the Galaxy S27's development, so if a variable-aperture camera wasn't already part of the plan, it might not make the cut.
 
Aurelius said:
It wouldn't be as effective as past watches only periodically check heart rate (outside of workouts and the heart rate app, of course). This is one of those times when the hardware is genuinely necessary for a software feature.
Click to expand...
With a changing mind, Apple repented and is giving me $430 for my Ultra 3, I ordered the Ultra 4. I may still end up with dual watch usage with the Garmin watch.
 
noko said:
With a changing mind, Apple repented and is giving me $430 for my Ultra 3, I ordered the Ultra 4. I may still end up with dual watch usage with the Garmin watch.
Click to expand...
Eager to hear how you like it. I have the 11 and some things are just stupid. Last night it won't me up at 3:56 AM to tell me that I had one more hour to go for my standing goal. The night before it gave me a terrible sleep score when I woke up and grabbed it from my bedside table. I wasn't even wearing it. I mean this is BASIC stuff.
 
Aurelius said:
It wouldn't be as effective as past watches only periodically check heart rate (outside of workouts and the heart rate app, of course). This is one of those times when the hardware is genuinely necessary for a software feature.
Click to expand...
One difference is that the Samsung had two-stage aperture control (basically either max or min aperture) whereas the iPhone one has a few midway aperture settings. I'm personally somewhat skeptical about how much use I would get out of this.
 
Puterguru said:
Eager to hear how you like it. I have the 11 and some things are just stupid. Last night it won't me up at 3:56 AM to tell me that I had one more hour to go for my standing goal. The night before it gave me a terrible sleep score when I woke up and grabbed it from my bedside table. I wasn't even wearing it. I mean this is BASIC stuff.
Click to expand...
I will be putting it through a number of tests, altimeters accuracy, compass accuracy (my Ultra 3 is notoriously bad) on both above. GymKit at family fitness on various machines, heartbeat monitoring comparing accuracy against Garmin chest strap, sleep accuracy. Some running and other stuff.
Will let you know, you might want to sell back your Ultra 3 to Apple for $430.
 
noko said:
I will be putting it through a number of tests, altimeters accuracy, compass accuracy (my Ultra 3 is notoriously bad) on both above. GymKit at family fitness on various machines, heartbeat monitoring comparing accuracy against Garmin chest strap, sleep accuracy. Some running and other stuff.
Will let you know, you might want to sell back your Ultra 3 to Apple for $430.
Click to expand...
I never owned the Ultra 3. Only the Apple 4 watch and now the Apple 11.
When you wake me up at 3:56 AM to tell me it’s time to stand, when I am sleeping. It’s time to consider other alternatives.
 
So anyone got their hands on an iPhone 18 Pro yet? I am sitting close to buying one to replace my iPhone 11, since I have my Japan trip coming up, I was holding out for the 18 Pro to see how it was..Rather just take a newer phone then remember how to use my Sony A6400 camera and kit lense :D, and have to carry that around also.
 
MrGuvernment said:
So anyone got their hands on an iPhone 18 Pro yet? I am sitting close to buying one to replace my iPhone 11, since I have my Japan trip coming up, I was holding out for the 18 Pro to see how it was..Rather just take a newer phone then remember how to use my Sony A6400 camera and kit lense :D, and have to carry that around also.
Click to expand...
Jumping from any iPhone 11 model will feel like a leap forward, both in design and capability. While a mirrorless like the A6400 can still be better in the right circumstances, you really can leave it at home and expect good photos. Let's put it this way: I take photos for work at times, and my 16 Pro already delivers photos that you might mistake for a mirrorless camera. I don't have one, but I know the 18 Pro is a few steps beyond that.

I would also highly recommend the 18 Pro for the battery life. The tests I've seen generally back up Apple's claims that the base 18 Pro lasts as long as the 17 Pro Max, and that the 18 Pro Max is in another league. You might not have the luxury of a mid-day recharge during your trip, so that's worth considering.
 
Aurelius said:
Jumping from any iPhone 11 model will feel like a leap forward, both in design and capability. While a mirrorless like the A6400 can still be better in the right circumstances, you really can leave it at home and expect good photos. Let's put it this way: I take photos for work at times, and my 16 Pro already delivers photos that you might mistake for a mirrorless camera. I don't have one, but I know the 18 Pro is a few steps beyond that.

I would also highly recommend the 18 Pro for the battery life. The tests I've seen generally back up Apple's claims that the base 18 Pro lasts as long as the 17 Pro Max, and that the 18 Pro Max is in another league. You might not have the luxury of a mid-day recharge during your trip, so that's worth considering.
Click to expand...
Good to know, certainly is going to be a big upgrade, looking at a 512GB model, since I had my 11 for about 5 years, thinking I will have this one for about the same time, even if I get 3 years out of it, most likely, that makes the price tag nor hurt so bad, and I've managed with 64GB on my 11, just have to remember to move pictures off.

Was my thought, while my A6400 is a great camera and can take great pics, personally I go on trips and I enjoy it, I might grab a pic here and there, but often times, unless it is something that catches my eye, I am not the "touristy" type to take pics of every single hot spot and such..
 
MrGuvernment said:
So anyone got their hands on an iPhone 18 Pro yet? I am sitting close to buying one to replace my iPhone 11, since I have my Japan trip coming up, I was holding out for the 18 Pro to see how it was..Rather just take a newer phone then remember how to use my Sony A6400 camera and kit lense :D, and have to carry that around also.
Click to expand...
I got one for my wife who was upgrading from a 15 Pro. That a far, far smaller leap than you'd see from an 11! So, I don't think our perspective will be very helpful. Versus the 15 Pro, the 18 is definitely quicker with the games she plays, and the telephoto camera is kind of game-changing for her. Otherwise it's mostly the same experience, just faster/newer/quicker.
 
The 18 pro max 1TB models are using QLC instead of TLC.

Apple’s latest iPhone 18 Pro series went on sale last week, and the company’s decision to use QLC-based NAND for higher-capacity storage variants appears to come with a trade-off. Bilibili channel Homolab recently tested a 1TB iPhone 18 Pro Max and found that its storage performance can drop significantly under sustained heavy workloads. Since QLC stores four bits of data per memory cell when compared to three bits with TLC, it allows manufacturers to offer higher capacities using the same physical space. However, this higher storage density comes at the cost of slower performance, particularly when handling large amounts of data.
Click to expand...
 
Puterguru said:
I never owned the Ultra 3. Only the Apple 4 watch and now the Apple 11.
When you wake me up at 3:56 AM to tell me it’s time to stand, when I am sleeping. It’s time to consider other alternatives.
Click to expand...
Well I was suppose to get it on Monday of this week. UPS received it at location where it should go out to my house. I then got a message from UPS it is being sent back because of Address issues? Which was correct on my Order from Apple. It is now back at Apple and I am getting a refund. Then on the same very page, Apple email, "How to prepare your current device for trade-in" ??? I talked to Apple Support on Monday, they would not answer how address was incorrect, could not correct, would not resend it. I guess they didn't want to deliver a watch to me. If they want the Ultra 3 back for $430, they can have it.
 
Aurelius said:
I suspect this is Apple's way of mitigating absurd memory prices. 2TB of TLC could be wildly expensive.
Click to expand...
They didn’t really raise prices by a whole lot compared to most everything else on the market. It’s crazy how expensive even a 2TB NVME drive is now.
 
sphinx99 said:
I got one for my wife who was upgrading from a 15 Pro. That a far, far smaller leap than you'd see from an 11! So, I don't think our perspective will be very helpful. Versus the 15 Pro, the 18 is definitely quicker with the games she plays, and the telephoto camera is kind of game-changing for her. Otherwise it's mostly the same experience, just faster/newer/quicker.
Click to expand...
Bit the bullet, got an iPhone 18 Pro 512GB yesterday for my upcoming Japan trip, and cause I needed a new phone any ways, the 11 lasted me well for the 5,6 years I had it, so hopefully this one will last as long for me!
 
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MrGuvernment said:
Bit the bullet, got an iPhone 18 Pro 512GB yesterday for my upcoming Japan trip, and cause I needed a new phone any ways, the 11 lasted me well for the 5,6 years I had it, so hopefully this one will last as long for me!
Click to expand...
Jumping that far ahead is going to be an absolute treat. Dramatically faster, a far nicer display, much better cameras, and significantly longer battery life (even compared to when your iPhone 11 was new). It should be considerably better at lasting five-plus years.
 
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