# 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.
- Title: Apple's CEO just showed us which iPhone he wants you to buy
- Summary: 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…
- Keywords: apple, iphone duo, foldable phones, john ternus, samsung, technology, Apple's, CEO, just, showed, which, iPhone
- Source: TechRadar — https://techradar.com/phones/iphone/now-we-know-which-iphone-apple-really-wants-you-to-buy-and-john-ternus-gave-us-the-key
- Published: 2026-09-15T20:50:53+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: apple, iphone duo, foldable phones, john ternus, samsung, technology
## 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
## Key takeaway

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.