There was once a time when a new smartphone announcement felt like a genuine technological event. Bigger screens, dramatically better cameras, facial recognition and entirely new ways of interacting with our devices gave consumers a reason to pay attention. Today, a new phone announcement often feels much more predictable: a better camera, a faster processor, a longer-lasting battery and a handful of new software features. Apple’s newly announced iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo may be impressive pieces of technology, but are companies running out of ways to make phones exciting?