New Apple CEO unveils latest iPhone line-up, including a foldable model called Duo

Apple on Wednesday unveiled its latest generation of iPhones, including a widely anticipated foldable version called Duo.

The company’s new CEO, John Ternus, who took over from Tim Cook on September 1, introduced the latest line-up at the company’s Cupertino, California, headquarters.

After cycling through other updates to the iPhone, the Apple Watch, and AirPods, Ternus told the audience inside the Steve Jobs Theater that “actually, there is one more thing”, in a nod to the trademark phrase from Jobs that the company’s legendary late founder himself borrowed from the 1970s detective show “Columbo”.

The foldable phone has the “largest display ever on an iPhone yet fits into your pocket”, Ternus said.

The phone opens to a 7.6-inch display that is 80 per cent larger than the newest iPhone 18 Pro. It will let people use an Apple Pencil on the phone, a capability previously reserved for iPad users. Duo, Ternus said, “will redefine the experience of using a foldable phone”.

The Duo lets users split the screen to use two different apps on the device, or two windows of the same website for things like comparison shopping. With a starting price of US$1,999, it is the most expensive iPhone yet.

The Duo “was always going to eclipse Apple’s other announcements at the event”, said Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight. “The device adds a distinctive new design to the iPhone line-up and marks the company’s entry into the niche foldable smartphone category.”

Wood said that while there is certain to be demand for the Duo, which costs less than some analysts had anticipated, foldables still account for less than 5 per cent of the overall smartphone market.

New iPhone 18 models

The iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max, Ternus said, bring improvements to the battery, camera, and performance. They will start at US$1,199 and US$1,299, respectively. Customers can preorder the phones starting on September 12, and they will be available on September 18 although the Duo will be available on October 23.

The new models feature a long battery life – 45 hours of video playback for the Pro Max – and faster charging. The camera offers what Apple called “cinematic effects” from regular video captured on the phone as well as new options for manual controls and “smart focus tracking,” which lets users focus on a single moving subject, such as a kid during a soccer game.

Apple is also focusing on Siri’s new AI capabilities, with the new phones, emphasising privacy and security to stand apart from rivals who are further along in incorporating AI.

Many of Apple’s biggest rivals, such as Samsung, Motorola, and Google, have already come out with foldable smartphones. But Apple is not one to rush on new technologies.

“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. But he added that the question will be whether it can expand demand for what is still a niche product category.

Compared with earlier generations, the iPhone 18 costs about US$100 more due partly to a global memory chip shortage. The iPhone 17’s price ranges from US$799 to US$1,999, depending on the model.

Earlier this year, Apple unveiled artificial intelligence advances, including upgrades to its Siri assistant, emphasising a focus on privacy and day-to-day use as the company tries to catch up with rivals on AI.

Ternus takes centre stage

The keynote address for Ternus was his opportunity to set the tone for his vision of Apple’s future, Chatterjee said.

“John Ternus inherits perhaps the most successful consumer technology juggernaut in modern times. That is both a boon and a burden for him. Tim Cook’s perfected execution, scale, and monetisation set a high bar, and Ternus must extend that run,” Chatterjee said. “But he must sustain that momentum while positioning Apple to disrupt itself in the near future, when the iPhone, or any smartphone for that matter, will cease to be the consumer’s primary conduit to the world.”

Wood noted that with all the excitement around the Duo, the official arrival of Ternus as CEO “felt like less of a story” than he had expected.

“This event marks a seamless transition from Tim Cook, and its timing to coincide with the iPhone Duo was undoubtedly planned,” Wood said. “However, despite the media frenzy about this new device, it is the broader strength of Apple’s hardware, software and services that will drive the company forward.”

AP