John Ternus Opens His Apple Era With the Foldable iPhone Duo
In his first Apple keynote since stepping into the CEO role just a week ago, John Ternus unveiled the company’s most groundbreaking iPhone in years. At the “Surprise and Delight” event today (Sept. 9), Ternus announced Apple’s first foldable device, the iPhone Duo, and the iPhone 18 Pro, alongside two new Apple Watches (Series 12 and Ultra 4) and the AirPods 5. Both new iPhones are powered by Apple’s new A20 Pro chip optimized for A.I. workloads.
The standout release of the event was the iPhone Duo, a passport-sized device starting at $1,999, which is both the thinnest iPhone ever released and the model with the largest screen: a 7.6-inch Super Retina XDR inner display. It features a 48MP Dual Fusion Camera system, a 12MP Center Stage front camera and an under-display FaceTime camera housed within a grade 5 titanium frame and hinge cover.
“For a device that plays such a central role in your life, a larger display would open up entirely new possibilities,” Ternus said. “We think the best way to achieve that is with a foldable design.”
Powered by the new A20 Pro chip, the foldable design supports Split View multitasking, seamless orientation changes and flexible positions—from a “seated” mode for watching videos to a standing mode for display as a clock or gallery. It delivers exceptional battery performance with up to 31 hours of video playback on the inner screen, 44 hours on the outer screen, and fast wireless charging that hits 50 percent in roughly 20 minutes. Rounding out its top features is Smart Take, a new capability that automatically snaps a photo once everyone in the frame is ready.
Available in white and a navy blue color called “Night Sky,” the iPhone Duo is available for pre-order on Oct. 16 and in stores on Oct. 23.
Continuing its classic lineup, Apple introduced the iPhone 18 Pro (starting at $1,199) and Pro Max ($1,299), available in 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch sizes across four colors: Burgundy, Glacier, Silver, and Black. Both models feature a customizable Action Button, a Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion, an upgraded camera array (48MP Fusion Main with variable aperture, 48MP Ultra Wide and 48MP Telephoto), and up to 30 hours of battery life. Under the hood, the A20 Pro chip’s 16-core Neural Engine delivers 50 percent more memory bandwidth to accelerate A.I. tasks. Preorders start Sept. 12, with full availability beginning Sept. 18.
In addition to the new phone lineup, Apple unveiled the Apple Watch Series 12, featuring a redesigned health-sensing system that delivers its most accurate heart rate tracking to date, and the Apple Watch Ultra 4 with the longest battery life of any Apple Watch. There’s also the new AirPods 5, which features A.I.-powered features like live translation, up to 15 seconds of “live rewind” of any real-time conversation, and “Siri recap” that automatically summarizes a conversation as it takes place.
Throughout the presentation, Ternus and his colleagues repeatedly emphasized that Apple’s A.I. approach prioritizes user privacy above all else. For example, Apple promises that its AirPods handle real-time processing entirely locally without recording, storing or transmitting audio files to external servers. Users can also turn off audio recording and translation at any time.
“Apple’s message was clear that the next generation of computing should be personal, private and intelligent,” Emarketer analyst Jacob Bourne told Observer via email. “From deeper third-party integration with Siri and Apple Intelligence to camera features designed to verify authenticity, Apple is trying to apply A.I. to real-world problems while reinforcing the iPhone’s continued relevance as a device hub.”
