What's New in Fall 2026: Apple's Latest iPhones, AirPods, and Apple Watches

Janet Ingber

Apple has released several new products for fall 2026, including the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and its first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo. Apple also introduced two versions of the AirPods 5 and two new Apple Watches. These devices offer improvements in performance, battery life, health monitoring, and artificial intelligence. Some of the new features may be especially useful for people who are blind or have low vision. AccessWorld will keep you updated about the new operating systems.

New iPhones

The iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and iPhone Duo all have the same A20 Pro chip. Apple describes it as its most powerful iPhone chip. All three phones support Siri AI, an upgraded version of Siri that began rolling out in beta with iOS 27.

Siri AI can use information from your messages, emails, photos, and other sources to answer questions and perform tasks. It can also understand information displayed on your screen and take actions in apps. For example, you can ask Siri to find information in an email and add it to your calendar. Siri AI can also answer questions about your surroundings through the new Siri Camera mode. This feature could be especially useful for people who are blind or have low vision.

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max

The camera on these phones supports variable aperture, a feature that was not previously available on Apple iPhones. A variable aperture controls how much light enters the camera. The aperture can adjust automatically, and users can also make manual adjustments. The new phones offer additional camera controls, including adjustments for shutter speed and white balance. These features are primarily designed for photographers, although their accessibility with VoiceOver will be worth examining.

The Pro and Pro Max phones have a smaller Dynamic Island, which can show up to three Live Activities in a roughly rectangular interface at the top of the screen. It displays live alerts, system activities, and multitasking controls.

Apple rates the eSIM-only iPhone 18 Pro for up to 36 hours of video playback and the eSIM-only iPhone 18 Pro Max for up to 45 hours. These phones also support faster wired charging. According to Apple, the iPhone 18 Pro can charge to approximately 50 percent in 15 minutes using compatible charging equipment. Wireless charging takes approximately 30 minutes to reach the same level.

The Pro starts at $1,199 while the Pro Max starts at $1,299, both with 256GB of storage. Both models offer storage options up to 2TB.

iPhone Duo

The iPhone Duo is Apple's first foldable phone. Apple says it is approximately the size of a passport when closed and can fit in your pocket. The outer screen measures 5.4 inches diagonally. When unfolded, the phone opens like a book to reveal a 7.6-inch inner screen.

The Duo has a Touch ID sensor built into the side button. More than one fingerprint can be registered. Face ID is not available. The Duo can also be unlocked with your Apple Watch.

Two apps can be used side by side on the larger screen. You can also open two windows of the same app and save pairs of apps for later use. Anything you are doing on the smaller cover screen will automatically transfer to the larger inner screen when the phone is opened. Apple has modified the iOS 27 interface to accommodate the folding design.

The Duo has a redesigned Dynamic Island that appears along the side of the display. It also supports the new Siri Camera mode, which lets Siri answer questions about what the camera sees. Apple has announced that support for the USB-C Apple Pencil will arrive in a software update later in 2026.

There are additional camera features on the Duo. However, the variable aperture feature available on the Pro models is not included.

Apple rates the iPhone Duo for up to 31 hours of video playback on the inner screen and up to 44 hours when using the smaller outer screen.

The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 for 256GB of storage. Storage options are available up to 2TB.

The Duo's larger screen and redesigned interface may offer new possibilities for users with low vision. However, the accessibility of its folding interface and multitasking features with VoiceOver will need to be evaluated.

AirPods 5

There are two versions of the AirPods 5. Both versions have improved active noise cancellation. According to Apple, the new AirPods can remove up to 50 percent more external noise than the previous AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation. Both models use an open-ear design, which does not require silicone ear tips.

The AirPods also have an improved Transparency mode, which allows users to hear sounds around them. Adaptive Audio automatically adjusts the amount of noise cancellation and outside sound based on the environment. Conversation Awareness lowers the volume of whatever you are listening to when you begin speaking.

The new AirPods support Siri AI when paired with a compatible iPhone. You can ask Siri questions, have it find information in messages or email, and perform tasks without touching your phone. You can also respond to certain Siri prompts by nodding or shaking your head.

Another feature is Live Translation, which can translate conversations between supported languages when the AirPods are paired with a compatible Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone. Live Listen and Headphone Accommodations are also supported.

The AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case add volume adjustment on the stem, wireless charging, and better battery life. With active noise cancellation enabled, the base model offers up to 4 hours of listening time on a charge, while the more expensive model offers up to 5 hours.

The basic AirPods 5 model costs $129 while the AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case costs $149.

Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4

These two watches have a new, more powerful S11 chip. Both also feature a new Health Sensing System with improved heart sensors and additional health monitoring capabilities.

Health and Fitness Improvements

The watches have improved optical and electrical heart sensors on the underside of the watch. There are also improved sensors for ECG readings. Heart rate readings are now taken every five seconds throughout the day, providing more frequent information than previous Apple Watches.

Heart rate variability, or HRV, is now measured up to 24 times as often as on previous watches. According to Apple, HRV is an indicator of how the body responds to stress and recovery. The watches provide separate measurements for recovery HRV and overall HRV. Users can also view daytime and overnight health measurements.

Another new feature is Readiness. It uses information about your recent activity, exercise, sleep, and health measurements to determine how prepared your body is for the day. Readiness provides a score from 0 to 10, along with one of four recommendations: Recover, Pace Yourself, Ready, or Go For It. The score can change throughout the day as new information becomes available.

Apple has also improved step counting and workout tracking. The Series 12 offers up to 24 hours of battery life with normal use and up to 10 hours during an outdoor workout. According to Apple, 15 minutes of charging can provide up to 12 additional hours of battery life.

The Ultra 4 offers up to 50 hours of battery life with normal use and up to 84 hours in Low Power Mode. Its extended workout modes provide additional battery life for outdoor activities, and Apple has improved its GPS capabilities.

Apple has announced a redesigned Health app for later in 2026. It will include an Insights section with information about health trends and a Longevity section with a Health Age feature. Health Age will compare information about your health with what is typical for someone your age.

Audio Intelligence

Both watches support Audio Intelligence, which uses their microphones and the S11 chip to provide information about sounds and conversations.

Sound Recognition can detect sounds such as doorbells, alarms, and sirens and notify you, even when your iPhone is not nearby. Music Recognition uses Shazam to identify songs playing around you and display their titles and artists.

Two additional Audio Intelligence features, Live Rewind and Siri Recap, are scheduled for beta release later in 2026.

Live Rewind will let you review the previous 15 seconds of a conversation as text. The feature is activated by double-pressing the Digital Crown. The text can be saved or used to ask Siri questions about what was said. Live Rewind does not continuously save transcripts of conversations.

Siri Recap

Siri Recap needs to be activated manually. It lets Siri process conversations throughout the day and subsequently presents a summary of key points and other relevant information. Unlike a transcription service, Siri Recap creates summaries rather than a word-for-word record of what was said.

You can choose when Siri Recap is active, including setting schedules based on time or location. It can also be turned on or off through Control Center. Summaries can be viewed, edited, saved, or deleted in the Siri app. Unsaved summaries are automatically deleted after seven days.

According to Apple, Siri Recap and Live Rewind do not create or store audio recordings. Saved summaries and text are end-to-end encrypted when synchronized through iCloud.

Both Live Rewind and Siri Recap require an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone 16 or later, excluding the iPhone 16e. These features have not yet been released and are expected to arrive in beta later in 2026.

The Apple Watch Series 12 starts at $399 and the Apple Watch Ultra 4 starts at $799.