A fair assessment of the iPhone Duo will have to wait for hands-on experience, Vietnamese tech experts say. Meanwhile, the new colors of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max have caught attention, though their pricing remains a major talking point.

In the early hours of September 10, Apple officially unveiled its latest iPhone lineup: the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and its first foldable smartphone, named the iPhone Duo.

As earlier leaks suggested, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max come in new Glacier and Burgundy finishes, with Apple describing Burgundy as a distinctive and sophisticated color.

There are not many major upgrades to the new iPhones. Among the most notable are the A20 Pro chip, manufactured on a 2nm process, with a six-core CPU comprising two high-performance cores that are 20% faster and four efficiency cores; a 48-megapixel Fusion main camera with a variable aperture; and, according to Apple, longer battery life.

The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at $1,299. Pre-orders for the iPhone 18 Pro open on September 12, with sales beginning September 18.

The iPhone Duo, Apple’s first foldable smartphone, takes inspiration from the iPad.

It features a 7.6-inch Super Retina XDR display when unfolded and a 5.4-inch outer display, with both supporting Apple Pencil.

With a customized nano-texture design, the iPhone Duo’s inner display appears flat when viewed head-on while offering 40% greater rigidity than other designs in the industry.

Its hinge contains more than 100 components. The phone starts at $1,999, with storage options ranging from 256GB to 2TB. Pre-orders begin October 16, with the device going on sale October 23.

According to Tuan Le of Vietnamese technology news site GenK, who previously attended Apple’s iPhone 17 series launch, the features of the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max were largely in line with earlier leaks. What impressed him most, however, were the new colors, particularly Burgundy.

He said the new shade could look striking when paired with the right outfit and accessories, though pulling off the combination would not necessarily be easy.

Another feature that impressed Tuan Le is the six-blade aperture in the new camera lens, which gives users greater flexibility in photography and video recording.

Apple, he said, has finally become more “open” with its Camera app, which in the past relied heavily on automatic settings.

This could suggest that Apple is no longer targeting only users who simply want to point their phone at a subject and immediately get a good shot. Instead, it may increasingly be seeking to attract professionals and enthusiasts who want more control over photography and filmmaking.

In previous years, Apple introduced features such as Cinematic mode. This year, it has added more control over color temperature, aperture and shutter speed, which Tuan Le described as an interesting development.

As for the iPhone Duo, Tuan Le said that aside from its nano-texture display technology, previously used on the iPad Pro, he has yet to see features that clearly distinguish the device from other foldable smartphones already on the market.

A more objective assessment will require hands-on experience, he said. The ecosystem and new-generation A20 Pro chip are two areas worth watching, as both have traditionally been among Apple’s strengths and are likely to remain so with this model.

Meanwhile, Hoang Dung, better known as Ga Tong, a technology reviewer who has gained considerable attention in Ho Chi Minh City, said the arrival of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max at Apple’s latest event offered few surprises, as previous leaks had proved almost entirely accurate.

He was more impressed by the iPhone Duo, particularly Apple’s use of under-display camera technology for the selfie camera on the inner screen.

However, he said the camera would need to be tested in real-world conditions to determine whether it suffers from the same weaknesses seen in similar under-display solutions previously introduced by Android manufacturers.

Huy Nguyen, a technology KOL from Schannel, was more focused on the prices Apple announced for its new iPhone lineup.

In his view, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max offer relatively few major changes, with the most significant differences being their colors and prices.

Apple’s $100 price increase for these models is substantial enough to affect the upgrade decisions of many users, he said.

Meanwhile, he considered the iPhone Duo’s $1,999 starting price for the 256GB version excessively high. Users planning to keep the device for the long term would typically opt for the 512GB model, meaning they would have to spend considerably more.

Le My