Image: The Apple Post
October is shaping up to be one of Apple’s busiest months of 2026, with iPhone Duo pre-orders and availability, a new smart home launch and another reported wave of Mac and iPad announcements all packed into the next few weeks.
Some of the dates are already confirmed by Apple, while others come from reporting around the company’s late-October product plans. Here is what to expect, date by date.
Apple’s online store is telling customers to return on Monday, October 12 to get ready for iPhone Duo pre-orders. The step gives buyers time to choose a configuration and prepare ahead of orders opening later in the week.
Apple has invited selected media and creators to a private “Welcome home” experience in New York City on Tuesday, October 13, with the gathering beginning at 9 a.m. ET / 2 p.m. UK time.
The launch is expected to focus on Apple’s smart home lineup, including an all-new home hub, a refreshed HomePod mini and a new Apple TV 4K. We have already rounded up everything expected from Apple’s October 13 launch.
Apple is describing the New York gathering as an “experience” rather than a conventional keynote-style event, so the announcements are expected to arrive differently from the company’s major streamed launches.
iPhone Duo pre-orders officially open at 5 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. UK time on Friday, October 16. Apple says customers in more than 70 countries and regions, including the U.S. and U.K., will be able to place orders from that date.
Apple says iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 in the U.S. and £1,999 in the U.K.
Friday, October 23 is iPhone Duo launch day in the first wave of more than 70 countries and regions. Pre-orders placed the previous week will begin arriving, while the device will also become available through Apple Stores and other retailers.
Apple could then turn its attention to the Mac and iPad. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple is planning a second October product launch on or around Tuesday, October 27.
The late-October announcements are expected to include Apple’s first touchscreen MacBook Pro, a new iPad mini, and updated versions of the 14-inch MacBook Pro and iMac with M6 chips.
The month closes with the second wave of iPhone Duo availability. Apple says the foldable iPhone will launch in another 28 countries and regions on Friday, October 30.
That means Apple’s October calendar stretches from pre-order preparation on October 12 through to a wider iPhone Duo rollout on October 30, with two separate product-launch periods in between.
For the latest coverage as Apple’s October launches unfold, download The Apple Post app for iPhone and iPad.