Apple unveils foldable iPhone as new CEO Ternus makes debut

Apple's new chief executive, John Ternus, gave his first extended public glimpse of his leadership style on Wednesday, coming across as calm and unpretentious as he unveiled the company's first foldable handset, the iPhone Duo, at its "Surprise and Shine" event in Cupertino, California. Analysts said the moment carried particular symbolic weight: with the foldable phone in development for years, it fell to Ternus, rather than his predecessor Tim Cook, to introduce it to the world, signalling the start of a new product era under his leadership at the $4.5tn company.

Ternus, a 25-year Apple veteran who rose from the hardware engineering team to head the entire hardware division by 2021, opened the keynote in a maroon jumper and jeans following a light-hearted video featuring Cook's voice, before pulling the Duo from his back pocket nearly an hour in and describing it, with wider displays and multidirectional cameras, as a device that "will redefine the experience of using a foldable phone". The event also included upgrades to standard iPhones, AirPods and the Apple Watch. Commentators contrasted Ternus's understated presenting style with Steve Jobs's showmanship and Cook's steadier mantra-driven approach, noting that while much of Ternus's leadership approach remains publicly unknown, he is known internally for a methodical, detail-focused manner.