CUPERTINO, California — Apple officially entered a new era on Wednesday as newly appointed CEO John Ternus took the stage at the Steve Jobs Theater to unveil the company’s latest hardware lineup. While the event featured updates to the Apple Watch and AirPods, the spotlight was dominated by the debut of the highly anticipated foldable iPhone, dubbed the “Duo.”
Ternus, who officially assumed the role of CEO on September 1 following the tenure of Tim Cook, channeled the spirit of the company’s legendary co-founder by saving the device for a final reveal. In a nod to the late Steve Jobs’ famous “one more thing” tradition, Ternus introduced the Duo as a device with “the largest display ever on an iPhone, yet fits into your pocket.”
The Duo features an expansive 7.6-inch foldable display, providing 80% more screen real estate than the standard iPhone 18 Pro. Apple is positioning the device as a productivity powerhouse, introducing support for the Apple Pencil—a capability previously exclusive to the iPad line—and a multitasking interface that allows users to split the screen for dual-app usage or side-by-side window comparisons.
While competitors like Samsung, Motorola, and Google have populated the foldable market for years, Apple’s entry follows its long-standing strategy of waiting for emerging technologies to mature. “The foldable launch is straight out of Apple’s playbook: Wait for the product to work out its kinks and for the market to offer glimpses of viability, then enter and shape the category,” said Forrester analyst Dipanjan Chatterjee.
Alongside the Duo, Apple introduced the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max. These models boast significant internal upgrades, including enhanced battery life—the Pro Max now offers up to 45 hours of video playback—and advanced camera features like “smart focus tracking,” which allows the device to lock onto a moving subject, such as a child in motion, with cinematic precision.
These flagship phones will start at $1,199 and $1,299, respectively, reflecting a $100 price increase over previous generations, a shift partially attributed to ongoing global memory chip shortages. The premium Duo model will command a starting price of $1,999. Preorders for the 18-series begin September 12, with a retail release on September 18, while the Duo is scheduled to arrive on October 23.
A central theme of the event was Apple’s aggressive integration of artificial intelligence into its ecosystem. Ternus emphasized that the new iPhone lineup uses AI to bolster the capabilities of Siri while maintaining a rigorous focus on privacy and user security, a distinct strategy intended to differentiate Apple from tech rivals currently racing to dominate the generative AI space.
For Ternus, Wednesday’s event served as both a product launch and a critical introduction of his leadership style to investors and consumers. As Chatterjee noted, the new CEO faces the daunting challenge of maintaining the momentum established by his predecessor while preparing the company for a future where the smartphone may no longer be the primary way users interact with the world.
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