From TechRadar · · 2m
Apple's CEO just showed us which iPhone he wants you to buy
At the Emmys, John Ternus pulled a $1999 foldable from his tux pocket, and that few seconds said more than any keynote.
In brief
At the Emmys, John Ternus pulled a $1999 foldable from his tux pocket, and that few seconds said more than any keynote. Apple won't say it, but Ternus showing off the iPhone Duo on the Emmys red carpet makes the foldable the phone Apple most wants to sell. Originally reported by TechRadar.
A strangely small lineup
There's no base, thin, Plus or mini iPhone this year. Buyers get only the iPhone 18 Pro, the 18 Pro Max and the new foldable iPhone Duo.
“Not since the early days of the iPhone almost 20 years ago have we seen such a limited lineup.”
The CEO on the red carpet
At the 78th Primetime Emmys, new Apple CEO John Ternus took questions in a tuxedo about Apple TV's awards run with shows like Shrinking and Windows Bay.
The Duo from his pocket
When a Deadline reporter asked about the new phones, Ternus pulled the iPhone Duo from his breast pocket right away and unfolded its matte, nearly creaseless screen.
“Without hesitation, Ternus pulled the stunning new iPhone Duo from his breast pocket”
A phone few had seen
Apple has barely shown the passport-sized foldable since revealing it as the event's "one more thing." It ships almost a month after the 18 Pro models.
A calculated choice
He could have pulled out a burgundy iPhone 18 Pro, but he didn't. Showing off the Duo on one of TV's biggest stages looked deliberate.
“Apple is steering all eyes toward its $1999 iPhone Duo.”
Late to a risky market
Foldables are a tiny market, and Samsung owns most of it with phones from the Flip to the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. Apple is late, and nobody knows yet if its phone is the best.
“With its late entry into the folding space, Apple is taking a risk.”
What Samsung never managed
Samsung's foldables show up in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but nobody uses them on screen. Ellen's famous 2014 Oscars selfie sold social media, not the Galaxy phone that took it.
Why this moment worked
The Emmys gave Apple a tech-loving reporter and a CEO with the Duo in his pocket. The author doubts she'd have asked, or he'd have shown it, if he'd only had an 18 Pro.
A few seconds, a clear signal
It lasted seconds and was no real ad, but Ternus made the most of it. The Duo is where Apple hopes you spend your next iPhone dollars.
“For Apple, it was a golden opportunity to steer consumers toward the new iPhone form factor”
What it means
Apple won't say it, but Ternus showing off the iPhone Duo on the Emmys red carpet makes the foldable the phone Apple most wants to sell.
