Apple unveils folding iPhone duo as new CEO takes center stage

Apple introduced its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, on Wednesday at its “Surprise and Shine” event at Apple Park in Cupertino, the biggest change to the iPhone in its nearly 20-year history.

The device, which opens like a book, features a 5.4-inch outer screen when folded and a 7.6-inch internal screen when unfolded, and will retail starting at $1,999, roughly $700 more than the entry-level iPhone 18 Pro that Apple also announced at the same event.

The Duo goes on sale starting October 23. Apple is not the first to market with a folding handset as rivals Samsung and Huawei have sold similar devices since 2019, though their early models struggled with durability issues.

The unveiling also marked the public debut of Apple’s new chief executive, John Ternus, who took over from Tim Cook at the start of the month, with Cook remaining on as executive chair of the company’s board.

Ternus, a mechanical engineer by training who has spent most of his Apple career on the product side, used the moment to signal a renewed focus on hardware innovation.

Analysts quoted in early coverage suggested he may be positioned to recapture some of the design ambition associated with the Steve Jobs era, after critics argued that Apple’s products lacked the same “wow factor” during Cook’s tenure, even as the company’s market value grew nearly 13-fold under his leadership.

Alongside the Duo, Apple rounded out its product lineup with updates including the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, AirPods 5, the Apple Watch Series 12, and the Apple Watch Ultra 4, and it introduced a new leasing option for customers following recent price increases across its device range.

The company also positioned its latest hardware around onboard artificial intelligence, with an upgraded Siri assistant expected to arrive in beta form in October.

Yet the launch comes with headwinds: industry observers cited in reporting on the event pointed to tough macroeconomic conditions and rising component costs as key risks, questioning whether consumers already burdened by higher prices and stagnant wages will be persuaded to upgrade, particularly when many new software features will also be available on existing iPhones.