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Apple rolls out new AI-powered Siri at annual WWDC
Sabrina Ortiz, senior AI reporter at The Deep View, joins LiveNOW's Andy Mac to discuss Apple's new "Siri AI."
LOS ANGELES - On Wednesday, Apple unveiled new versions of its latest top-end phones, including the company’s first foldable iPhone called Duo.
The news was announced during the tech giant’s annual fall keynote. The company's new CEO, John Ternus, who took over from Tim Cook on Sept. 1, introduced the latest lineup at the Steve Jobs Theater.
Apple announces foldable iPhone called Duo
Big picture view:
Called Duo, the phone has the "largest display ever on an iPhone, yet fits into your pocket," Ternus said during the presentation.
The phone opens to a 7.6 inch display that is 80% larger than the newest iPhone 18 Pro. It will let people use an Apple Pencil on the phone, a capability previously reserved only to iPad users.
The Duo also lets users split the screen to use two different apps on the device, or two windows on the same website for things like comparison shopping.
iPhone Duo features a 7.6-inch inner display that provides a large canvas for viewing content, gaming, and multitasking. Closed, it’s similar in size to a passport with a beautiful 5.4-inch outer display. (Credit: Apple)
Ternus said the new version "will redefine the experience of using a foldable phone."
Apple’s iPhone Duo rivals previous Android releases of foldables, including the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold and Google Pixel Fold, released in 2019 and 2023 respectively.
The Duo starts at $1,999. Customers can preorder the phones starting on Sept. 12, and the Duo will be available on Oct. 23.
"The foldable launch is straight out of Apple’s playbook: Wait for the product to work out its kinks and for the market to offer glimpses of viability, then enter and shape the category," Forrester analyst Dipanjan Chatterjee told The Associated Pres. "The difference is that foldables still represent a minuscule share of the smartphone market. The test of Apple’s ambition will be whether it can expand that niche into a meaningful new segment."
Apple unveils iPhone 18 Pro lineup, other items
Dig deeper:
Apple also announced the release of the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max phones, as well as a revamped version of Siri called Siri AI. Siri AI acts as a personal chatbot for users.
iPhone 18 Pro will be available in four elegant finishes: black, silver, glacier, and burgundy. (Credit: Apple)
The new models also feature a long battery life – 45 hours of video playback for the Pro Max – and faster charging. The camera offers what Apple called "cinematic effects" from regular video captured on the phone, as well as new options for manual controls and "smart focus tracking," which lets users focus on a single moving subject, such as a kid during a soccer game.
The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 and the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at $1,299 with lease options through Apple Upgrade. These phones will be available on Sept. 18.
Apple’s race to develop AI features
The backstory:
The race to develop artificial intelligence capabilities has sent the price of computer memory skyrocketing. Technology companies from Microsoft to Dell to Samsung, and more, have needed to raise the prices of their laptops significantly because the costs for them to buy RAM have gotten so high. Sony even blamed the shortage for raising the prices of PlayStation 5 consoles.
Earlier this year, outgoing CEO Cook told the Wall Street Journal that Apple has tried to absorb the rising prices of memory, but it is soon going to need to pass some of that cost onto consumers. Cook was quoted as saying, "Unfortunately, price increases are unavoidable." Apple has also introduced a leasing program for many of its products.
RELATED: Renting an iPhone? Apple Upgrade offers leasing option amid rising prices
Based on the response to the similarly-sized Samsung Galaxy Fold8 foldable phone, the Duo could prove a success. However, that price tag may put it out of the range of most smartphone shoppers.
This year’s iPhone event is the first since Cook stepped down as CEO. The longtime Apple executive, who took over for Steve Jobs in 2011, took the reins after one of the greatest runs of new products in technology history and drove the company to unprecedented heights.
Under his leadership, Apple became the first company to cross the $1 trillion mark for valuations, becoming the first publicly traded business to reach those milestones. At the time of Cook’s retirement, it was worth more than $4 trillion.
During that time, Apple introduced multiple products that became common sights around the world, including the Apple Watch and AirPods.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from The Associated Press, Fox Business, Apple. This story was reported from Orlando and Los Angeles.