Apple’s first dedicated cases for its folding phone reached store shelves today, the same day preorders opened for the device itself. Buyers who secured an iPhone Duo for delivery next week can walk out with protection already in hand, even as phone stock thins and shipping dates stretch into January for many configurations. Two options sit on the racks: a $79 Case two-part shell and a $129 Folio with a built-in stand.

Preorders for Apple’s first foldable iPhone opened at 5 a.m. Pacific time this morning through the company website and Apple Store app, and the available stock disappeared almost at once. Buyers who managed to complete an order in the first few minutes received delivery estimates for Friday, October 23, the official launch day in more than 70 countries. Everyone who arrived even slightly later watched the dates jump forward by three full months.

Fresh iPhone 17 and iPhone Air owners are already asking the same thing. If battery is the only reason to spend more, do the new iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max actually earn the upgrade. Tech Chap tried to answer that by running those two new Pros against last year’s 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, and the thin iPhone Air until every phone died, then he ran the whole thing a second time with a Galaxy S26 Ultra in the mix.

REWA Technology posted one of the first teardown videos of the iPhone 18 Pro hours after the phone reached stores, working on the physical SIM version rather than the eSIM-only models sold in the United States and a few other markets. That choice matters because the SIM tray model carries a slightly smaller battery than the versions without a tray. The unit they opened weighs 209.3 grams and looks almost identical on the outside to last year’s phone, so older cases still snap on without trouble.

Photo credit: MKBHD
Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro keeps last year’s aluminum frame, 8.75 mm thickness, and camera plateau almost unchanged, so first glance will fool most people into thinking nothing moved. Engineers did color-match the rear glass to the frame, killing the two-tone look that marked the 17 Pro. Burgundy shifts between deep red and purple with the light and has become the color most reviewers mention first. Glacier is a quieter light blue, Silver finally looks clean, and Black is the darkest Pro finish Apple has offered.

Apple spent Wednesday morning rolling out iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, a pair that look familiar until you start poking at the main camera and the battery ratings. Same aluminum unibody as last year’s Pros, same camera plateau across the back, same Action Button and Camera Control on the side. Ceramic Shield 2 still covers the front glass, Ceramic Shield still covers the rear, and IP68 still covers a six-meter dunk for half an hour. Four finishes this time: black, silver, glacier, and a new burgundy.

Apple spent years watching other companies ship foldable phones. John Ternus used his first September event as CEO to close that gap with iPhone Duo, a short, wide book-style handset that closes like a passport and opens into a 7.6-inch Super Retina XDR display. Ternus called it the most transformational change to iPhone since the original.