Apple launched five products. The UK price ladder runs from £119 to £3,199.

Apple's September event stretches from £119 AirPods to a £3,199 iPhone. The photograph is the foldable iPhone Duo, but the more useful story is the ladder beneath it: the same A20 Pro processor appears in Duo and iPhone 18 Pro, both new Watches share Apple's S11 and Health Sensing System, and both AirPods 5 versions include active noise cancellation.

That means the expensive model is not automatically the technically complete one. Each step buys a specific physical system: a folding display, a larger battery, a titanium outdoor case or a different charging case. Here is the UK price, specification and availability picture on launch day, with Apple's claims kept separate from conclusions that still require independent testing.

Every launch and its UK starting price

Product	UK price	Pre-order	Available
AirPods 5	£119	Now	18 September
AirPods 5, Wireless Charging Case	£139	Now	18 September
Apple Watch Series 12	From £369	Now	18 September
Apple Watch Ultra 4	From £749	Now	18 September
iPhone 18 Pro	From £1,199	12 September, 13:00 BST	18 September
iPhone 18 Pro Max	From £1,299	12 September, 13:00 BST	18 September
iPhone Duo	From £1,999	16 October, 13:00 BST	23 October

A20 Pro is the common platform, not the whole performance story

Apple puts A20 Pro in iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. It is built using what Apple calls its latest 2-nanometre process technology. That label names a semiconductor process generation. It is not a literal measurement of every feature inside the chip, and Apple has not identified the foundry, die area or transistor count in its launch material.

The published architecture is substantial. A20 Pro has a new six-core CPU with integrated Neural Accelerators, a seven-core GPU with Neural Accelerators and hardware-accelerated ray tracing, plus two 16-core Neural Engine blocks. Apple therefore counts 32 dedicated Neural Engine cores. Against A19 Pro, Apple claims up to 20 per cent faster CPU performance, up to 40 per cent faster GPU performance, twice the AI compute and 50 per cent more unified memory bandwidth. Those are relative Apple figures, not independently reproduced results.

More memory bandwidth can help high-resolution imaging, graphics and local AI models avoid waiting for data. It does not reveal how much RAM is installed, the absolute transfer rate or whether an application becomes 50 per cent faster. Twice the theoretical Neural Engine compute likewise creates headroom, but does not make every Siri action twice as fast. Software, model size, storage and Private Cloud Compute can all affect a response.

Cooling is where the phones can diverge despite sharing a chip. Apple says the M-series-inspired package places the die beside memory and connects the chip directly to a vapour chamber. In the Pro phones that chamber has three times the surface area of the prior design, with a claimed sustained-performance gain of up to 40 per cent over iPhone 17 Pro. Duo uses its own package and chamber and carries a separate claim of up to 35 per cent over iPhone 17 Pro.

These are separate Apple tests. The five-point difference is not a measured Duo-versus-Pro result. Duo also drives two displays and has different space and battery constraints. Long gaming, video-export and AI-inference tests will say more than a short peak score.

Two other chips sit around A20 Pro. N1 provides Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and Thread. C2 is the cellular modem. Apple says the Pro's C2 uses 15 per cent less energy than C1X and provides faster uploads, subject to network conditions. Neither is part of A20 Pro.

A20 Pro: published and still missing

Part	Apple publishes	Apple does not publish
Process	Latest 2nm generation	Foundry, density, die size, transistor count
CPU	6 cores; up to 20% faster than A19 Pro	Clock speeds, caches, core split, power limit
GPU	7 cores; up to 40% faster; ray tracing	Full benchmarks, test duration, power draw
Neural Engine	Dual 16-core; twice A19 Pro AI compute	Model-by-model latency and energy use
Memory	50% more unified bandwidth	RAM capacity and absolute bandwidth
Thermals	Direct vapour-chamber path	A controlled Duo-versus-Pro result

The £700 gap between a 256GB Duo and Pro Max is not payment for a higher processor tier. It pays for the hinge, titanium folding structure, second display, dual batteries and the software built around them.

iPhone Duo costs £700 more than Pro Max before storage changes

The 256GB Duo is £1,999 against £1,299 for Pro Max. Pro costs £1,199, £1,399, £1,799 and £2,399 across 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB. Pro Max is £100 more at each level. Duo costs £1,999, £2,199, £2,599 and £3,199.

Duo opens to a 7.6-inch, 1878 by 2670 OLED display at 430ppi. Closed, it has a 5.4-inch, 1398 by 2034 outer OLED display at 460ppi. It is 5.2mm deep open, 11.3mm closed and weighs 254g. Pro Max has a conventional 6.9-inch screen, is 8.75mm deep and weighs 249g. Duo is only 5g heavier, but its closed shape is shorter and wider.

The form earns its cost when the inner screen changes a repeated task. Apple shows two-app multitasking, a canvas spanning both halves and seated or standing modes. Those can separate content from controls or hold the camera without a tripod. They do not prove every app will use the space well.

Duo uses Touch ID rather than the Pro models' Face ID. Its outer screen can show a camera preview to the subject and support rear-camera selfies. Smart Take uses on-device models to capture when subjects pose. These are distinctive folding-camera interactions, while Pro concentrates on a stronger camera system and manual controls.

Apple quotes up to 31 hours of video on Duo's inner display, 44 hours on its outer screen and 24 hours when both displays are used equally. Pro and Pro Max reach up to 36 and 45 hours respectively for eSIM-only models. Different display conditions make a direct headline comparison misleading.

iPhone 18 Pro is the safer flagship purchase

Both Pro sizes use A20 Pro and the larger Pro thermal system. The 6.3-inch Pro weighs 211g; the 6.9-inch Pro Max weighs 249g. The £100 step buys screen and battery rather than another chip or camera platform.

The main camera is a 48MP Fusion sensor with a six-blade variable aperture and four settings, from f/1.48 for more light to f/4 for more depth. Pro controls cover aperture, shutter speed, white balance and a histogram. A 48MP telephoto, 18MP Center Stage front camera and up to 4K 120fps Dolby Vision round out the system.

Apple Reference Image captures signed sensor data in a special mode and uses Private Cloud Compute to develop an unalterable comparison image. It could help photojournalism and evidence workflows. Its trust model, export path and third-party verification still need scrutiny beyond Apple's demonstration.

The Watch choice is a £380 use-case decision

Series 12 begins at £369; Ultra 4 begins at £749. Both use the S11 chip and new Health Sensing System. Apple says Series 12 can sample background heart rate every five seconds and measure heart-rate variability up to 24 times more frequently. Those signals feed a zero-to-ten readiness score using activity, training load, vitals and sleep.

Apple calls this the most accurate heart-rate sensing in a wearable and cites a study of more than 1,000 people. The claim needs the study design and independent comparison. Readiness is a wellness aid, and Apple says the Vitals app is not for medical use.

Series 12 comes in 42mm and 46mm sizes, reaches 2,000 nits, has 50-metre water resistance and is rated for up to 24 hours. Ultra 4 uses a 49mm titanium case, precision dual-frequency GPS, WR100 resistance, recreational diving to 40 metres, an Action button and satellite communications. It is rated for up to 50 hours or 84 hours in Low Power Mode.

Apple includes satellite Emergency SOS, Find My and Messages for two years with Ultra 3 or later. Find My and Messages require a carrier plan; SMS also needs a paired iPhone powered and connected somewhere, although it need not be nearby. The shared sensing platform makes Series 12 the rational health purchase. Ultra's premium buys endurance, navigation, diving and off-grid capability.

Series 12 versus Ultra 4

Decision	Series 12	Ultra 4
Price	From £369	From £749
Case	42mm or 46mm	49mm titanium
Battery	Up to 24 hours	Up to 50 hours
Low Power	Up to 38 hours	Up to 84 hours
Water	50m resistance	WR100; diving to 40m
Navigation	GPS	Precision dual-frequency GPS
Satellite	No	Emergency SOS, Find My and Messages

AirPods 5 has a £20 decision hidden inside the name

Both versions include active noise cancellation, Adaptive Audio, Transparency, Personalised Spatial Audio, Live Translation and Siri AI. The £119 model has a USB-C case and up to four hours with ANC. The £139 model reaches five hours and 22 hours with its case, and adds on-stem volume swipe, Apple Watch and Qi charging, plus a case speaker for Find My.

The £20 wireless-case option changes charging, control and battery every day. It does not add ANC because ANC is standard. AirPods Pro 3 remains £219 with a silicone seal, stronger claimed ANC, eight hours per charge and Hearing Test, Hearing Aid and Hearing Protection. AirPods 5 expands open-ear ANC rather than replacing Pro.

Five weeks separate the two iPhone launches

The Watches and AirPods are available to pre-order now and ship 18 September. Pro pre-orders open at 13:00 BST on 12 September for delivery from 18 September. iOS 27 and watchOS 27 arrive 14 September where supported.

Duo pre-orders wait until 13:00 BST on 16 October and shipping begins 23 October with iOS 27.1. Reviewers therefore have five weeks to test Pro before buyers must decide on Duo. Siri AI launches in beta. Some Watch audio features arrive later in 2026, depend on a compatible iPhone, carry daily limits and will not initially be available in the EU.

What Apple has not proved on launch day

No independent evidence establishes Duo hinge durability, ordinary battery life, A20 Pro sustained output, Watch sensor accuracy across populations or AirPods ANC performance. The correct next tests are fold-cycle and repair analysis; sustained gaming, video and AI workloads with temperature and power recorded; independent sensor validation; and repeatable ANC and battery comparisons.

Choose by the job, not the event photograph

You need	Best fit	Why
A folding screen used daily	iPhone Duo 256GB	The display is the reason for the premium
A Pro camera in a smaller phone	iPhone 18 Pro	Same Pro platform for £100 less
Largest conventional screen and battery	iPhone 18 Pro Max	The £100 step buys size and endurance
Everyday health and readiness	Watch Series 12	Shared sensing without the Ultra premium
Long workouts, diving or satellite	Watch Ultra 4	Its physical systems match those tasks
Lowest-price open-ear ANC	AirPods 5	ANC starts at £119
Wireless charging and volume swipe	AirPods 5 Wireless Charging Case	The £20 step changes daily use

The foldable owns the launch image, but it is a specialist device at £1,999 before a case, AppleCare or plan. If the inner display does not replace another screen or enable a repeated workflow, the £700 premium over Pro Max buys novelty rather than utility.

The stronger value story sits lower down. AirPods 5 brings ANC to £119. Series 12 gets the same sensing platform as Ultra 4. iPhone 18 Pro shares its processor with Duo and has the more complete camera system. The right purchase is the least dramatic model that solves the buyer's actual problem.