IT House reported on September 11 that after this week’s Apple conference, new CEO John Ternus and Senior Vice President of Marketing Greg Joswiak were jointly interviewed by Tom’s Guide and TechRadar. They further talked about the iPhone 18 Pro and the first folding screen phone iPhone Duo, including why Apple did not enter the folding screen market until now, the design ideas behind the products, how to maintain the core design in the face of constant supply chain leaks, and Ternus’ feelings after taking over as CEO.
Talking about why Apple waited until now to launch iPhone Duo, Ternus said that the key has always been when the product idea can meet Apple’s standards for quality, durability and design. “For Apple, the key is always when a product idea meets our standards for quality, durability and design. What’s particularly great about the Duo is that the hardware and software truly come together to create a very special product.”
Ternus said that iPhone Duo also gives Apple an opportunity to rethink the form of foldable screen phones. “Duo was almost a new space for us to start from scratch, and there were so many things that we could rethink. Whether it was hardware, software or design, you could see this change. All the pieces finally came together and we felt that this was the product we wanted.”
Joswiak admitted that Apple had studied foldable screen phones that other manufacturers had launched, but did not find them “particularly exciting.” Apple believes that many folding screen phones on the market look like two phones “clumsily stuck together”, so it chose to adopt a wider 1:1.4 screen ratio for iPhone Duo and redesign the software experience, hoping to make Duo different from other folding screen products.
Ternus also has a very direct impression of the folding screens of its competitors. “If you look at the products on the market, a lot of the screens feel like cheap plastic. They don’t feel good and have undulations and wrinkles on the surface.”
The top layer of the iPhone Duo’s inner screen is made of polymer instead of glass, so Apple has also redeveloped a nano-texture surface process for the folding screen. “The nanotexture treatment eliminates all of these problems,” Ternus said. “The screen is very flat, feels great to the touch, and is extremely durable.”
Apple believes that some competitors may have already grasped some of the Duo’s design directions in advance through the supply chain and leaks.
Joswiak said bluntly: “Leaks have let everyone know that Apple is developing folding screen products. Unfortunately, they even knew the screen ratio, and then there were many ‘coincidences’, and many people suddenly found this ratio very interesting.” However, Apple ultimately succeeded in keeping one of the most critical secrets of the iPhone Duo – the foldable nano-texture display. “What I’m most proud of is that we really kept it a secret until the very end. We took extra steps to keep it secret and didn’t tell anyone.”
To further prevent leaks, Apple also gave the project an internal codename that had nothing to do with the product itself. Joswiak said that the outside world has already known through various sources that Apple is developing a foldable screen mobile phone, so the company decided to adopt stricter confidentiality measures for the Duo project.
Even so, the leaker accurately grasped the 1:1.4 screen ratio. “There were a lot of coincidences where people happened to be interested in this aspect ratio,” Joswiak admits. “So we decided, OK, we’re going to really shut down the project this time. And it worked.”
Talking about the starting price of US$1,999 (IT Home Note: Approximately 13,449 yuan at the current exchange rate), Ternus admitted that the iPhone Duo is indeed more expensive than other mobile phones, but the company believes that the product is still worth the money. Joswiak said: “Of course there is a reason why it is called iPhone Duo. It is equivalent to combining two products together.”
In the interview, Ternus, who had just taken over as Apple CEO for a week, also talked about his feelings when he first learned that he would succeed Tim Cook. “It’s incredible, it’s such an extraordinary honor. At the end of the day, I love Apple so much, it’s in my blood. I’ve been here half my life, and I love working with these people around me, and I love being able to build these products with everyone. It was really goosebumps and very exciting. I’m really, really looking forward to the future.”
Compared with Cook, who has always been more restrained and calm, Ternus, who is an engineer, seems more excited when talking about products. When he saw the iPhone Duo display prototype for the first time, he even laughed outright: “Oh, that’s it! That’s what I want.”
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