For the first time in a while, I didn’t feel much excitement for the iPhone 18 event, Surprise and Shine. I’m satisfied with my iPhone 17 Pro, and while I felt curious about the folding iPhone, now called the iPhone Duo, I knew it would be pricier than desired.
But I couldn’t NOT watch the Apple Event. I needed to be in the know, and I’ve spent the last twenty years watching them.
Plus, this was a significant moment in Apple’s history. They have a new CEO and this would be his first event.
So, even though I had a sick kid at home who distracted me during important moments, here are my collected thoughts on Apple’s Surprise and Shine event.
The New Guy In Charge And All The Lovely People
The event started with an interesting video about how to open a film, which I found intriguing at first. Someone would say, “this is how it should open” and then they would visually show that clip. It felt cute for the first couple, but I felt like it went on a little long. However, the final one focused on Tim Cook for a moment before he passed the camera off to “the other guy,” Apple’s new CEO John Ternus.
I thought it was a great way to hand things off, without lingering too long or stepping on anyone’s toes.
Ternus did a fine job as the MC for these videos. He gave some info, then would pass things off to other people for more details, similar to how Tim Cook did. Ternus also hinted at things Steve Jobs said in his keynotes like when he mentioned our devices being an intersection or a digital hub.
I don’t think there’s much to really glean from this first event. He’s learning the ropes and not wanting to rock the steady ship, but as things go on, I’ll be interested to see how he makes it more his own thing.
As many have mentioned, the videos looked busier this year. When someone presented something, there were always people in the background. I really liked the way they did the camera section on a studio lot with tons of different extras running around. It gave the moments a little extra warmth.
The video was fine and compact, but it left me wishing for a live event. I would love to see the audience reaction to some of these announcements.
Siri AI Again
Apple kicked off the announcements with a Siri AI retread. They went over everything that Apple announced at WWDC 27, and I don’t remember anything new from this section.
I’ve used Siri AI, and I think it works great. I love that it doesn’t ship off my data anywhere and that Apple can’t even access it.
When they announced the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, they also discussed some new health features that will be coming to iPhones thanks to Artificial Intelligence, which I’m looking forward to getting to use later this year.
With AI, Apple will look at your collected health data and help you make plans to improve your health. For example, Siri can provide a suggestion to do an interval run instead of a long run.
There will also be a tab for longevity to help you improve your health for a longer life by breaking down your data into actionable items.
I’m really looking forward to using these features later this year when it comes to iOS 27, but I’m unclear on how much I’ll be able to use without a new Apple Watch.
The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max
The iPhone has been a bit boring for a while now, and I don’t think the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max did anything to change that.
This year is much like every year in that the processor, camera, and battery got improvements. The processor is smaller, faster, and more designed for AI workloads than ever, but I’m not sure how many AI companies are actually doing anything on device—instead they are building server farms and destroying our water supply.
The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will offer a variable aperture which will help the camera control the amount of light coming into a shot. It seems very technical and cool, I’m sure the pictures will be better than ever. However, I’m curious if the moving aperture will make noise when it moves and how much of a difference it will make in the lives of normal people.
The battery on the device sounds spectacular, though. The iPhone 18 Pro Max will get up to 44 hours of battery use. I love that they extended the batteries. While my iPhone 17 Pro can usually last me all day, I’ll be lower than I want to be by bedtime, and I sometimes have to top off while I’m cooking dinner. You can also get a faster plugged in charge. 15 minutes plugged into a high-speed charger will get you 50% battery.
The pop of orange of the iPhone 17 Pro line is gone. I thought it looked fun, but it is no more for now. Instead, Apple will offer Burgundy, Glacier, Silver, and Black. The two-tone of the 17 Pro line is gone, with the glass matching the aluminum better. Otherwise, the device remains mostly unchanged, although the 18 Pro is slightly lighter than before.
The price of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro max has increased $100, which doesn’t seem that bad compared to what Apple did to some of its prices earlier this year. Still, with the AI revolution still going on, RAM and storage continue to increase in price.
Apple Care Family
As Apple discussed the price of the 18 Pro line they also mentioned a new service, Apple Care One Family. As the Apple guy of a family with multiple devices, it feels like a good thing that I could sign my family up to insurance like this.
For $49.99 per month, you can cover the Apple devices of up to six people. I’m not sure that I would want to pay $50 a month, but it seems like a good deal for covering many devices.
The service hasn’t launched yet, and the only thing I can find on it is the included screenshot from Apple’s website. I’m not sure when it launches, and I’ll have to do some math to figure out if it is worth the price.
AirPods 5
AirPods 5 came up next.
There are a few things different here, but nothing groundbreaking. The AirPods have been redesigned (again) to improve noise cancelation and durability.
There will still be two models. The standard AirPods 5 have noise cancelation, squeeze controls on the AirPod stems, and the charging case will lack wireless charging. Those cost $129.
The more expensive version opens up the AirPods to swipe controls on the stems and wireless charging for the case. They also boast a bit longer battery life. These will cost $20 more at $149.
If you’re trying to save money or still charge your iPhone by plugging it in to a USB-C cable, you could probably save your money and be happy. I like having wireless charging for my AirPods case so I can just use the same charger as my iPhone or Apple Watch.
Apple Watch 12 and Ultra 4
New Apple Watches are coming. Unlike last year, this seems to be a pretty solid upgrade to the Apple Watch.
The sensors on the 12 and Ultra have been rearranged to provide better and more constant sensor data. There is apparently double the RAM from the last few years in this new version as well. Surprisingly, the base price of the devices hasn’t increased, but you will pay a little more for the larger watch face than before. It goes from a $30 upgrade to $50.
Siri will be able to do more on your watch now, including recording conversations to refer to. I’m not sure how I feel about this from a few different standpoints.
I can’t imagine having a conversation with someone and scrolling back on my watch to see if I understood something correctly versus just asking them to clarify. The example Apple used was a waiter offering the daily specials and then having someone scroll back through them. I don’t know, I just don’t see the use of that in day-to-day life.
I also don’t know how I’d feel about being recorded and not knowing it, or even knowing it and wondering why. It is a brave new world, I guess.
One More Thing—The iPhone Duo
Finally, Ternus announced there was one more thing, and they showed off the iPhone Duo.
The Duo is interesting because it is more than an iPhone, but not an iPad, but also not the best iPhone even though it costs the most.
Ternus positioned this device for people who want the biggest iPhone screen possible, but want it to fit in a pocket still. Apple’s first folding phone can do just that.
When it is folded up, the device is smaller and wider than all the other current iPhones. Users can unfold the device and get a 7.6-inch screen to work with. Apple also brought in different modes for when the phone is in different fold states. For example, you open it halfway and set it up like a teepee, or flip it to look like a laptop. You can also set it horizontally and look at your device that way.
I was very impressed with everything Apple had brought to their first foldable. No, they weren’t the first. They might not even be the best at it, but this first generation does a lot.
But they didn’t just bring iOS over, they personalized it to the device. Since the device is shorter and wider when folded, Apple used that extra space on the sides of the User Interface. The dock and control center are now moved over to the right side of the screen when opened or closed. It makes some sense, but I’m not sure how I like it until I get my hands on it. And I often use my phone in my left hand. Will that make it more difficult to use, or will I be able to flip it around and not notice anything?
When you open the screen, the animation looks like you are just flowing from the outside to the inside. In fact, most of the interaction with the device had some type of joy that sprang up with it. Like using FaceTime on the device allows you to use multiple cameras and screens to have a three-way conversation. By the way, Apple put a FaceTime camera underneath the larger screen, so you might not notice, but it also won’t be as high quality as some other cameras.
But there’s a bit of whimsy, delight, and excitement about this new device. I want to get my hands on it and try it out. I’ve almost talked myself into selling my iPhone 17 Pro and iPad Pro M2 if I find it useful. But will I want to give up two devices for one pricier than both?
I also like the camera system on this phone. While it has a few FaceTime cameras (like the one under the screen) it does have two others which can compare to some of the more recent iPhones. It offers an ultra-wide and a wide fusion camera, so this allows the device to zoom in up to x2 before moving to a more digital zoom. Moving to the iPhone Duo would be a step-down camera quality-wise for me.
However, using the cameras looks like a great experience. You can allow your subject to see the shot on the front screen, so they can help direct you and prepare. There’s the ability to use the folded phone as a tripod and have it automatically take group shots for you. You’ll no longer have to push the button and run or look at your watch to get it going.
Unfortunately, the iPhone Duo comes at a whopping $2,000. That’s an expensive phone/tablet. It’s actually less than I expected right now, so that’s nice, but I really hate the price-creep that’s been happening for a while. If they can push the price up, they will, and we will keep buying it.
However, this costs more than a MacBook Air. Would it be worth it to replace my iPhone and iPad with one super expensive device? I’ll have to mull it over a little while before I decide anything. I’ll probably write about it in my weekly newsletter if you’d like to see my thought process.
Closing Out The Surprise and Shine, iPhone Duo Event
I think the most exciting moment from the event came down to the delight of the iPhone Duo and how the camera works on it. Everything else felt pretty on par for what we expect from these events. It didn’t help that most of this stuff gets leaked out months to years beforehand.
However, all the hardware is continuing to impress and improve. Nothing here is making me want to abandon my iPhone 17 Pro from last year, but I am tempted to try out the iPhone Duo.
If you’re looking to upgrade your iPhone, then you can’t go wrong with the iPhone 18 Pro, however, if you can get the 17 model, you could save some money and still be pretty happy.
The iPhone Duo brings something new and exciting, but it also has a pretty high entry fee.
What was your favorite announcement from the event? Let me know in the comments.
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