Apple Unveils iPhone Duo, Its First Foldable, in John Ternus's Debut Keynote as CEO

Apple pulled back the curtain on its first foldable device, the iPhone Duo, at a September 9 event at Apple Park — a launch notable both for the hardware itself and for who introduced it: John Ternus, delivering his first keynote since succeeding Tim Cook as Apple's chief executive on September 1.

The Duo opens book-style into a 7.7–7.8-inch inner display and closes to a roughly 5.4-inch outer screen, making it, per Apple, the thinnest iPhone ever built. It's powered by the new A20 Pro chip with a 7-core GPU (Apple says up to 40% faster graphics than the outgoing generation), and runs a dual-battery system rated for up to 44 hours of video playback on the outer display or 31 hours on the main screen, with 50% charge in 20 minutes via a 60W charger. The camera system is pared back to two rear lenses — Wide and Ultra Wide, no Telephoto — and the device drops Face ID's TrueDepth array in favor of a return to Touch ID, reportedly built into the power button.

Early hands-on reviews have focused heavily on the crease question that has dogged every foldable rival to date. Outlets including Tom's Guide, TechRadar and The Verge described the fold line as barely visible and not perceptible by touch, crediting Apple's use of optically clear adhesives that let display layers glide during folding; the Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern reportedly said she saw "no crease whatsoever." Apple isn't disclosing exactly how it engineered that result.

Pricing starts at $1,999 for the base model, rising to roughly $3,000–$3,199 for top-spec storage — making it Apple's most expensive iPhone to date. Pre-orders open October 16 at 5:00 a.m. PT, with availability from October 23.

The leadership backdrop is itself part of the story: Ternus, a 25-year Apple veteran who previously ran hardware engineering across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Watch and Vision Pro, became Apple's eighth CEO in a transition the board approved unanimously and announced back in April. Cook, CEO since 2011, moves to executive chairman. Apple shares rose on the day the handover took effect, and the Duo's reception will be an early, high-visibility test of product execution under the new leadership.