Apple’s First Foldable, the ‘iPhone Duo,’ Unveiled—The Ternus Era Begins

【Financial News New York=Reporter Lee Byung-chul】Apple has unveiled the biggest change to the iPhone in years: its first foldable iPhone, the ‘iPhone Duo (Duo).’ The starting price is $1,999. John Ternus, who became CEO last week, introduced the Duo himself at his first product launch event, signaling the beginning of the ‘post-Tim Cook’ era at Apple.
Apple held its new-product launch event on September 9 local time at Apple Park in Cupertino, California, unveiling the iPhone Duo as well as the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.

The product that drew the most attention was Apple’s first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo. It starts at $1,999.
The Duo is a smartphone that fits in a pocket when folded, but unfolds into a large display closer in size to a tablet. Its expanded inner screen can run two applications simultaneously. Users can watch a video while sending messages, or display an email inbox on one side while reading an email on the other. It also features an outer display that can be used when the device is folded.
Apple’s entry could revive the stagnant foldable-phone market. Since Samsung Electronics first launched the Samsung Galaxy Fold in 2019, foldable phones have emerged as a new battleground for major smartphone makers, but growth has recently slowed. According to International Data Corporation (IDC), global foldable-phone shipments fell 15% year over year in the first half of this year.
However, IDC predicted that Apple would reshape the market. Although the Duo will launch just over three months before the end of the year, IDC forecast that it would account for 44% of global foldable-phone revenue this year.



Prices have increased. The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are priced at $1,199 and $1,299, respectively—$100 more than their predecessors. Apple was unable to avoid higher cost pressures as semiconductor prices for memory and storage in smartphones have soared fivefold since last fall.
The increase, however, is smaller than some in the market had expected. Analysts say Apple may have accepted some pressure on its profit margins to protect sales volume.
The Pro models are equipped with the upgraded A20 chip. Apple highlighted on-device artificial-intelligence (AI) features powered by the chip. The cameras also feature variable apertures that automatically open and close depending on the amount of surrounding light, much like a human pupil.
Preorders for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max begin on September 12. Preorders for the Duo start on October 16. The standard iPhone 18 and the second-generation iPhone Air were absent from the event. Those products are expected to launch next year. Consumers seeking the latest iPhone this year will therefore have to choose between the relatively expensive Pro models and the Duo.

The person introducing the products attracted as much attention as the products themselves.
Ternus, who became Apple’s CEO last week, took the stage with a broad smile. It was effectively the first official public appearance of Ternus, Apple’s third CEO since Steve Jobs returned to the company in 1997.
Addressing hundreds of reporters, Ternus said, "We have imagined so much," adding, "I think you’re going to love what you’re about to see." Former CEO Tim Cook watched from the front row alongside other Apple executives.
Since 2021, Ternus has overseen Apple’s hardware engineering and led the team developing the foldable iPhone. He also spearheaded efforts to successfully apply Apple-designed semiconductors to the Mac.
Apple’s decision to feature a foldable iPhone at Ternus’s first product launch immediately after the CEO transition is considered symbolic. A major criticism of Apple during the Cook era was that it had failed to introduce an innovative product capable of disrupting the market after the iPhone.
The iPhone Duo was developed during Cook’s tenure. But Ternus was the first to introduce it to the world. By placing its first $1,999 foldable iPhone and its new CEO on the same stage, Apple sent the market a message that a ‘new era of innovation’ had begun.

[email protected] Reporter Lee Byung-chul Reporter