iPhone 18 Pro Price Leak Brings Good News, but the iPhone Duo Steals the Show

Apple's big iPhone event is almost here, and the latest leak brings some good news for anyone waiting for the iPhone 18 Pro. Apple may keep the price increase much smaller than earlier reports claimed. At the same time, its first foldable iPhone now has a possible name, price and one feature I didn't expect.

Say hello to the iPhone Duo, a $2,000 foldable that may even work with the Apple Pencil.

We've heard some scary price rumors over the past few months. Some reports suggested that Apple could raise the price of the iPhone 18 Pro by as much as $300 due to higher memory and component costs.

The latest information is much better.

Apple is now expected to raise the starting price by around $100. That would put the iPhone 18 Pro at about $1,199, while the Pro Max could start around $1,299 or slightly higher.

Apple is said to be taking some of the extra cost itself instead of passing all of it to buyers. That's probably the right move. A $300 increase would be very hard to accept when the changes this year look more like normal Pro upgrades than a complete redesign.

The new phones should use Apple's A20 Pro chip, built on a 2nm process. Longer battery life and a new vapor chamber are also expected, while the Pro Max could add a variable aperture to its main camera.

The bigger surprise is Apple's first foldable. We've spent months calling it the iPhone Fold or iPhone Ultra, but the final name could actually be iPhone Duo.

I wasn't expecting that name, but it makes sense. The phone has two displays and can work as both a normal iPhone and a small tablet when opened. The price is also lower than some earlier rumors. Apple is said to be aiming for $2,000 for the 256GB model, rather than the $2,500 figure we've heard before. That's still very expensive, of course, and versions with more storage could move close to $3,000.

The phone is expected to arrive in white and dark blue.

This may be the part that interests me most. The iPhone Duo is now expected to support the Apple Pencil.

Apple has kept Pencil support away from the iPhone for years, even as Samsung offered stylus support on several Galaxy phones. A normal iPhone screen probably doesn't need one, but a foldable with a large inner display is a different story.

Open the Duo and you're basically working with a small iPad. Being able to write notes, mark documents or edit photos with the Pencil could make the larger screen much more useful.

I actually think this could be one of the Duo's best features. Foldables are great at giving you more screen space, but companies still need to give us good reasons to use that space. Apple Pencil support does exactly that.

The iPhone Duo is expected to be announced with the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, but you may not be able to buy it right away.

Current plans point to an October release, while the regular Pro models should arrive earlier. That wouldn't be too surprising for a first-generation product with a more complex display and hinge.

Other rumored specs include Apple's C2 modem and a dual rear camera setup with 48MP and 12MP sensors. The foldable should also support side-by-side apps and a new form of multitasking made for its larger screen.

We'll know what's real very soon. Apple's event is taking place today, and the iPhone Duo will easily be the product I'm watching most closely.

A $2,000 starting price is still painful, but it's better than the $2,500 rumors. Add Apple Pencil support and proper multitasking, and Apple's first foldable suddenly sounds much more useful than just an iPhone that bends in half.