Ternus launches Apple’s first foldable, iPhone Duo. All the news from Cupertino

In Cupertino Apple opened a new phase in its history with the first major event led by CEO John Ternus. On the Apple Park stage, for il keynote “Surprise and shine”the group presented the new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max range, the first foldable iPhone in its historyiPhone Duo, together with the new Apple Watch and AirPods 5. However, the underlying theme of the hardware innovations was above all artificial intelligence, with the debut of the new Siri AI and greater integration of Apple Intelligence in the devices.

Ternus, who took over from Tim Cook on September 1, opened his first event as CEO by outlining his vision for the iPhone’s role in the coming years. The new CEO described the smartphone as the center of an “Intelligent Personal Hub”, an ecosystem in which artificial intelligence accompanies the user in applications and different user experiences. “If you had to design the ideal version of this hub from scratch, how would you do it? First, you would want something that is always with you, deeply personal and capable of bringing intelligence to the moments where it matters most,” Ternus said from the Apple Park stage.

An approach that several industry observers have compared to Steve Jobs’ historic presentations: starting from the characteristics of the ideal device and then arriving at the iPhone. “Today we will take these experiences even further with the next generation of iPhone,” added Ternus as he introduced the new smartphones. The new CEO therefore put artificial intelligence at the center of his debut, even before the hardware specifications. “AI enables completely new experiences,” he said, presenting a strategy in which iPhone, Siri AI and Apple Intelligence become parts of the same personal system.

Apple’s first ‘foldable’, iPhone Duo

The iPhone Duo, the first foldable iPhone in Apple’s history, presented today in Cupertino in the first major event led by the new CEO John Ternus, will have a starting price of $1,999. Pre-orders will open on October 16th, while the arrival in stores is scheduled for October 23rd. The price is in line with that of the main competitors in the segment, but slightly lower than the expectations of analysts, many of whom expected a figure above 2,000 dollars.

When opened, iPhone Duo offers a 7.6-inch internal display (approximately 19 cm) and is, according to Apple, the thinnest iPhone ever made. The screen uses a special nano-texture finish designed to reduce reflections. When closed, the external display measures 5.4 inches (just under 14 cm) and offers, according to the company, 90% of the screen surface of the iPhone 18 Pro in a more compact format. The two displays have the same aspect ratio, so as to maintain proportions and continuity of contents when moving from the external screen to the internal one. The device, explains Apple, uses a new precision hinge and a grade 5 titanium structure, with a polished finish, and is available in star white and night sky colors.

Apple’s folding phone is officially called “iPhone Duo” pic.twitter.com/7k3C93CDRH

— Apple Design (@TheAppleDesign) September 9, 2026

iPhone Duo is equipped with the new A20 Pro chip, a specially designed vapor chamber for thermal management and a dual-battery architecture. Apple engineers, speaking on stage, promise Pro-level performance and battery life for the whole day. The photographic system also takes advantage of the foldable design to introduce new ways of using the camera. iOS 27 has also been adapted to dual screen and multitasking, while Apple Intelligence and Siri AI integrate new artificial intelligence functions into the device based also on the user’s personal context. “For a device that plays such a central role in your life, a larger screen would open up completely new possibilities,” the CEO said, and as such, “we think the best way to achieve this is with a foldable design.” Ternus also criticized the solutions proposed on the market so far because they give the sensation of being “two phones stuck together”.

Official Trailer – iPhone Duo pic.twitter.com/i8fDATWifI

— Apple Design (@TheAppleDesign) September 9, 2026

Finally, for the new CEO, iPhone Duo is “the most radical change of the iPhone from the original model” because “with a completely new design and intuitive experiences, it shows what is possible when hardware and software are designed together and redefines what it means to use a foldable phone”. Thanks to its features, “iPhone Duo helps you be more immersed and productive everywhere, whether it’s consuming content, working with multiple applications at the same time or playing games,” he concluded.

The new iPhones will cost more, due to the lack of memory

John Ternus launched a video to present the new iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, an evolution of last year’s professional range with new features especially on the camera, battery life and charging. The iPhone 18 Pro introduces a 40-megapixel Fusion main camera with variable aperture, capable of automatically adjusting during shooting. For more experienced users it will be possible to manually intervene on aperture and shutter speed through the new Pro controls. On the battery life front, iPhone 18 Pro reaches up to 24 hours on a single charge, while the Pro Max model reaches 30 hours.

Apple called this latest achievement “the largest increase in battery life ever seen on an iPhone.” Wireless charging is also faster, which can reach 50% in 15 minutes. The new models also adopt a color-coordinated aluminum and glass rear body and will be available in black, silver and the new ‘glacier and burgundy’ shades.

During the Cupertino event, Apple announced a price increase for the new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, in a context marked by the global shortage of components, in particular memories. The iPhone 18 Pro will start at $1,199, $100 morecompared to the launch price of last year’s iPhone 17 Pro. The new iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a starting price of $1,299, again with an increase of $100. The two models will be available for pre-order from Saturday, while deliveries will begin on September 18th.

iPhone 18 Pro (Ron) Burgundy. pic.twitter.com/CiqLj37QJz

— Joanna Stern (@JoannaStern) September 9, 2026

The new Siri with AI

During the Cupertino event, Apple also announced the debut of the new version of Siri based on artificial intelligence, presented for the first time last June. In a promotional video, the company called it “a completely new version of Siri” and explained that the assistant can “perform actions in apps you already use, including third-party ones.” According to Apple, Siri AI is capable of interacting with over 300,000 applications, thus extending its capabilities beyond the services developed directly by the company.

Apple Watch Ultra 4

Ternus also presented the Watch Ultra 4, with new health and fitness functions, greater battery life and the new S11 chip. The device introduces a new health detection system, more frequent measurements of heart rate and heart rate variability and a new readiness score to evaluate the state of physical preparation. Battery life reaches up to 45 hours during outdoor workouts, while Apple claims a more precise GPS. A new Health app will also arrive on iPhone later in the year, with a section dedicated to longevity and a Health Age function that will compare some parameters with the user’s age. The S11 chip will also enable new Audio Intelligence features and, with watchOS 27, Siri AI will bring greater understanding of personal context to the watch.

The new chip for iPhone

The new A20 Pro, the chip intended for the iPhone 18 Pro, was also launched. It is the first smartphone processor produced on a large scale with 2 nanometer technology from TSMC, the most advanced node of the Taiwanese group. The chip was designed primarily to accelerate artificial intelligence functions directly on the device, reducing the need for the cloud. It integrates CPU, GPU, memory and a Neural Engine dedicated to AI workloads. According to Apple, the six-core CPU is up to 20 percent faster, while the new seven-core GPU offers up to 40 percent faster performance.

Tim Cook was also spotted at the event

Also present at the Cupertino event was Tim Cook, now Executive Chairman of Apple after leaving the operational leadership of the company to John Ternus. Cook was spotted at Apple Park shortly before the start of the keynote, appearing very calm and relaxed, then sat in the front rows to enjoy the presentation. His presence underlines the continuity with the previous management, despite the handover at the top.

New Apple Executive Chairman Tim Cook sighted! #appleevent pic.twitter.com/KMQXtQWqMs

— Ray Wong (@raywongy) September 9, 2026

John Ternus’s debut as CEO

The appointment also had a strong symbolic value on a corporate level. It was the first major product event with John Ternus at the helm of Apple. The former head of hardware engineering took over as CEO on September 1, succeeding Tim Cook, who remained in the group as Executive Chairman. Having joined Apple in 2001, Ternus built his entire career within the company until he became Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering in 2021.

pic.twitter.com/CLu9eRDP5b

— John Ternus (@johnternus) September 9, 2026