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Apple’s “Get Ready” process for the iPhone Duo is live today on apple.com and in the Apple Store app. You can lock in your exact configuration — color, storage, carrier, accessories, AppleCare+, trade-in, payment method, and shipping details — so that when pre-orders open on Friday, October 16, at 5 a.m. Pacific Time (8 a.m. Eastern), checkout takes just a couple of taps.

This is especially useful because early supply is expected to be limited. Completing Get Ready does not reserve inventory, but it removes friction when the window opens and demand is high.

• Starting today (October 12) through much of October 15.

• Friday, October 16, at 5 a.m. PT / 8 a.m. ET.

• Friday, October 23, in more than 70 countries and regions (including the U.S., Canada, UK, China, Japan, India, and others), with 28 more markets on October 30.

U.S. pricing starts at $1,999 for 256GB. Other configurations: $2,199 (512GB), $2,599 (1TB), and $3,199 (2TB). Colors are Star White and Night Sky. Financing options include roughly $83.29 per month for 24 months on the base model, or an Apple Upgrade lease starting around $57.99 per month. Trade-in credits and carrier offers are available during setup.

The iPhone Duo is Apple’s first foldable iPhone. Closed, it has a 5.4-inch Super Retina XDR outer display. Open, it becomes the thinnest iPhone yet (5.2 mm) with a 7.6-inch inner display that is 50% larger than the iPhone 18 Pro Max, both with ProMotion up to 120Hz, Always-On, and high peak brightness. The inner screen has a nano-texture finish to reduce glare and crease visibility. It uses a grade 5 titanium frame, Touch ID in the side button (no Face ID), an A20 Pro chip with vapor-chamber cooling, a dual-battery system (up to 44 hours of video playback on the outer display), and a 48MP Dual Fusion camera system (Main + Ultra Wide, with optical-quality 2x). Unique features include Split View multitasking, StandBy, hands-free use, Smart Take, Duo Preview, and an under-display FaceTime camera.

It ships with iOS 27.1 and is eSIM-only worldwide.

1. Go to the Apple Store online or open the Apple Store app and sign in with your Apple Account.

2. Select your color (Star White or Night Sky) and storage capacity.

3. Confirm carrier options (or choose to connect later), add any accessories (such as the case or folio), AppleCare+ if desired, and a trade-in.

4. Enter payment and shipping/billing details.

5. Save the configuration. When pre-orders go live on October 16, return to the same place and finish in a couple of taps.

Update the Apple Store app beforehand and double-check saved payment and address info so nothing slows you down on the morning of the 16th. Supplies could move quickly, so having everything prepared gives you the best shot at your preferred model.

If you want one of the first iPhone Duos, we strongly recommend heading to Apple.com or the Apple Store app and completing the Get Ready steps today!

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Source link: https://macdailynews.com/2026/10/12/set-up-your-iphone-duo-pre-order-with-apple-now/

Apple has set October 13th for a product launch under the tagline “Welcome home,” pointing to a long-delayed push into the smart home.

On Thursday, October 8th, Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, posted a short teaser on X. The clip shows hands stitching the company’s retro rainbow logo into fabric, then cuts to the line “Welcome home. October 13.” At the same time, the company sent media invitations to an “Apple Experience” in Tribeca, New York, scheduled for 9:00 a.m. ET that day. Apple has not said whether the session will include a full keynote livestream or mainly hands-on time with new hardware.

Welcome home. October 13. https://t.co/ChelGSDOTI

— Greg Joswiak (@gregjoz) October 8, 2026

Reporting from MacRumors, 9to5Mac, and Bloomberg News’ Mark Gurman centers on three home products that have been delayed, in part while Apple waited on a more capable version of Siri.

The centerpiece is a new smart home hub, often referred to in coverage as a HomePad or under the internal code name J490. It is described as a cross between an iPad and a HomePod: a roughly 6-inch square display meant for multiple people in a household. Voice is expected to be the main way to interact with it, with Siri AI handling control of lights and other accessories, FaceTime calls, video, news, weather, and calendar items. A camera and presence sensor are rumored to recognize who is in the room and surface a personalized layout of widgets and apps.

Two form factors are widely expected: a wall-mountable version and a tabletop model with a half-dome speaker base reminiscent of the iMac G4. Apple is said to picture buyers placing one in several rooms. Pricing has been floated around $350, though that figure is unconfirmed.

Alongside the hub, Apple is expected to refresh two existing products that have gone years without major updates:

• The first revision since the 2020 original. Reports point to new colors (including green, pink, and blue in software leaks), an N1 networking chip for stronger Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and a faster S-series processor built to run Siri AI.

• The first new model since 2022. Expectations include an A19 or A19 Pro chip, more RAM, the same N1 networking chip, and an updated Siri Remote, with the existing design largely unchanged.

Macs that Gurman and others have said are still planned before the end of the year are not expected at this launch. An OLED iPad mini has also been in development rumors, but it is not tied to the October 13 home event. A larger HomePod update and a higher-end hub with a motorized arm have been described as later projects.

Apple has not confirmed any product names, prices, or specs. The “Welcome home” framing and the New York invitation are the only official details; everything else comes from prior supply-chain and software-code reporting that lined up with the date weeks before Joswiak’s post.

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Source link: https://macdailynews.com/2026/10/08/its-official-apple-to-hold-welcome-home-product-event-on-october-13th/