Apple’s new boss bets £1,999 on first folding iPhone

John Ternus has put a radically redesigned handset at the centre of his first major product launch as chief executive, with the iPhone Duo opening into Apple’s biggest-ever phone display

Apple’s new chief executive has made one of his first big product bets just over a week into the job, unveiling the company’s first folding iPhone with a starting price of £1,999.

John Ternus, who replaced Tim Cook as chief executive on September 1, has launched the iPhone Duo as Apple enters a foldable-phone market in which rivals have already spent years developing competing designs.

The new Apple Duo opens to reveal a 7.6-inch inner screen – the largest display yet fitted to an iPhone – while a 5.4-inch outer display allows it to be used like a conventional handset when folded. Apple says the closed device is similar in size to a passport.

The launch gives Ternus an unusually conspicuous opening act as CEO. Rather than relying solely on another conventional iPhone upgrade, Apple is asking customers to embrace a new form factor at almost £2,000, and betting that its arrival can broaden demand for a category still dominated by manufacturers including Samsung and Huawei.

Pre-orders begin on October 16, with the phone going on sale on October 23 in more than 70 countries and regions including the UK, U.S, France, Germany and Japan. It will be available with between 256GB and 2TB of storage.

Ternus, formerly Apple’s head of hardware engineering, joined the company in 2001 and spent most of his career developing its devices before being chosen to succeed Cook, who remains the firms’s executive chairman.

His promotion was announced in April following what Apple described as a long-term succession process.

Unveiling the Duo, Ternus said: “iPhone Duo is the most transformational change to iPhone since the original. 

“With an entirely new design and intuitive experiences, it shows what’s possible when hardware and software are engineered together and redefines what it means to use a foldable phone.”

He added: “With the largest display ever on iPhone that still fits easily in your pocket, combined with the power of A20 Pro, iPhone Duo helps you stay more immersed and productive wherever you go, whether you’re enjoying content, multitasking across apps, or gaming.”

Apple has redesigned iOS 27 around the folding screen, allowing two apps to run side by side for the first time on an iPhone. Users will also be able to open two windows from the same app, save pairs of apps and use Apple Pencil on either display later this year.

The handset runs on Apple’s new A20 Pro chip and uses two batteries, one on each side of the fold. Apple claims up to 24 hours of mixed use when both screens are used equally, rising to 44 hours of video playback when using only the outer display.

Its hinge contains more than 100 components and the inner screen uses layers of glass, polymer and titanium designed to cope with repeated folding. The device is rated IP68 for water and dust resistance.

The Duo also carries 48MP main and ultra-wide cameras, while the folding design allows users to preview photographs on the outer screen, take higher-resolution selfies using the rear cameras and prop the handset up without a tripod.

READ MORE: Europe leads world in quantum research despite deep industry scepticism. Europe accounts for around 30 per cent of quantum publications among the world’s 15 leading research countries, yet nine-in-10 professionals believe the technology’s impact is still years away or may never arrive, according to a new international study.

Do you have news to share or expertise to contribute? The European welcomes insights from business leaders and sector specialists. Get in touch with our editorial team to find out more.

_{Main image: Apple’s new iPhone Duo, shown in star white and night sky, features a foldable design with a 5.4-inch outer display and 7.6-inch inner screen. Credit: Apple}