New Apple chief Ternus debuts foldable iPhone and Pro phones
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
Apple has unveiled its first foldable handset, the iPhone Duo, as the closing surprise of a launch event that also introduced the iPhone 18 Pro line, new AirPods and Apple Watch models under incoming chief executive John Ternus. Rather than adopting the square-when-folded format used by some rivals, the Duo takes a wider, shorter "passport-like" shape, which Apple argues handles everyday single-app use far better than a square aspect ratio. The device goes on sale next month starting at $1,999, a price broadly in line with foldables from Samsung and Google, positioning Apple as a late but well-resourced entrant to a market others have served for close to a decade.
The Duo combines a 5.4-inch outer display, with an asymmetric design featuring pointed corners near the hinge, with a 7.6-inch inner Super Retina XDR foldable screen; both keep a 1:1.4 aspect ratio. Its screen uses layered flexible glass, a titanium base and a stiffer custom polymer coating that Apple says virtually eliminates the visible crease seen on rival foldables, while a reinforced titanium frame with ceramic fibres, a 100-plus-component hinge and IP68 water and dust resistance target durability. It runs the same A20 Pro chip as the flat iPhone 18 models, promises up to 24 hours of mixed-use battery life, and includes an under-display selfie camera and Apple Pencil support on both screens — features Samsung has since dropped from its own foldables — alongside iOS software tweaks such as improved split-screen multitasking and hinge-aware layouts.
- Sources
- 4
- Outlets
- 3
- Left · Centre · Right
- 1 · 0 · 0
In short
- Apple launches its first foldable, the iPhone Duo, at $1,999
- Passport-shaped design avoids the square fold used by rivals
- Features crease-resistant screen, A20 Pro chip, under-display camera
How this story developed
- 2 months ago Apple then detailed the rest of the launch lineup, confirming the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max (from $1,199, out 18 September) replace a standard iPhone 18, alongside noise-cancelling AirPods 5 and new Apple Watch models with a "Siri Recap" transcription feature, while fixing the Duo's ship date at 23 October.
- 2 months ago Apple followed up with fuller specifications for the Duo, confirming a $1,999 starting price, a passport-shaped closed profile, a 7.6-inch inner and 5.4-inch outer display, and retained features like an under-display camera and Apple Pencil support that rivals such as Samsung have dropped.
- 2 months ago Apple debuted its foldable iPhone Duo alongside refreshed iPhone Pro, AirPods and Apple Watch lines at its first event under new CEO John Ternus, with early reviewers praising its crease-minimising hinge and book-style folding design.
Full account
Apple unveiled its long-awaited first folding handset, the iPhone Duo, at a Cupertino product event on Wednesday that also marked the public debut of John Ternus as the company's chief executive. Taking over the keynote duties long associated with Tim Cook and, before him, Steve Jobs, Ternus opened the so-called "Surprise and Shine" showcase with a self-deprecating video sketch before addressing staff and press directly, telling the audience it was "an extraordinary privilege" to represent Apple's teams. Coverage of the event focused as much on the changing of the guard at the top of the $4.5 trillion company as on the hardware itself, with commentators noting Ternus's understated, low-key manner after 25 years inside Apple's hardware division contrasted with the theatrical stage presence long associated with Jobs.
The centrepiece announcement, held back until the traditional "one more thing" moment roughly an hour into proceedings, was the iPhone Duo, Apple's first foldable device. It closes into a passport-like shape rather than the squarer form used by some rival foldables, opening out to a 7.6-inch inner display alongside a 5.4-inch outer screen, both said to share the same aspect ratio. Apple described the device as its thinnest iPhone yet, built around a titanium frame reinforced with ceramic fibres, a multi-layer folding glass panel and a nanotexture coating intended to cut glare and minimise the visible crease that has dogged earlier folding phones from other manufacturers. It runs on the new A20 Pro chip and Apple's own C2 modem, has a 48-megapixel camera, and is said to offer up to 31 hours of video playback on its inner screen or 44 hours using the outer display alone. The iPhone Duo will go on sale on 23 October in two finishes, starting at $1,999, a price broadly in line with rival folding phones from Samsung and Google.
Alongside the foldable, Apple concentrated its standard smartphone updates on two Pro-tier models, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, skipping a standard iPhone 18 this cycle. Both feature a redesigned 48-megapixel main camera with variable aperture, new manual camera controls, the A20 chip, and an expanded Dynamic Island capable of displaying multiple live activities at once. Apple said the phones run its most capable on-device AI system yet, with an upgraded Siri able to work across some 300,000 apps. Pricing starts at $1,199 for the Pro and $1,299 for the Pro Max, which also gains a new 2TB storage tier; both launch on 18 September in four finishes. The event additionally brought updates to the AirPods and Apple Watch ranges, including active noise cancellation arriving on the entry-level AirPods for the first time.
Reporters who tried the iPhone Duo after the announcement described a smooth, water-resistant hinge, a matte inner display that coped well with glare, and a fold so tight it was difficult to feel by touch, alongside software touches such as a gradual screen transition when opening or closing the device and support for a laptop-style mode with apps such as Netflix, Zoom and Slack already adapted for the larger canvas. The launch caps roughly a decade of speculation about an Apple foldable, during which Samsung and other Android manufacturers built up a considerable head start in the category; one analyst suggested the symbolism of Ternus, rather than Cook, introducing the device was itself notable, framing it as the start of a new product era under fresh leadership rather than simply a belated response to competitors.
Where outlets differ
From the full account, which is AI-written from the sources:
The Guardian centres its account on the leadership transition itself — Ternus's background, demeanour, dress and the symbolic weight of a new CEO unveiling Apple's first foldable — treating the phone's specifications as secondary to the corporate narrative, and includes an analyst's comment on what the moment signals for Apple's direction.
The Verge's hands-on report is the most device-focused, dwelling on tactile impressions such as the screen finish, hinge feel, crease visibility and the animated open/close transition, rather than on pricing, chip specifications or the corporate context.
The Verge's roundup piece is the most comprehensive on hard specifications and pricing across the whole product line-up (Duo, iPhone 18 Pro/Pro Max, AirPods, Watch), giving exact prices, colours and release dates that the other accounts either omit or mention only partially.
The fourth source dwells most on design philosophy and engineering detail — Apple's stated rationale for the passport-shaped aspect ratio, its criticism of square-format foldables, and explicit comparisons with Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the wider foldable market — which the other reports touch on more briefly or not at all.
Explained simply
Apple's iPhone Duo, a folding handset, marks its first big product launch under John Ternus, who took over as chief executive from Tim Cook. Rather than releasing a standard iPhone 18 alongside it, Apple has focused its regular phone range on two higher-end "Pro" models, positioning the fold as a separate, premium addition to the line-up.
The wider announcement also covers new AirPods and Apple Watch models, released at the same time as the phones. These updates matter because Apple is one of the world's biggest technology companies, and changes to its product strategy and leadership can influence pricing, design trends and competition across the smartphone and wearable tech industry.
Foldable phones remain a relatively new category, with rivals such as Samsung already selling similar devices. Apple's entry into this market, alongside a change in its usual line-up structure, is being watched as an early signal of direction under its new chief executive.
Coverage · 4 sources
Americas Business Companies Gadgets Technology World