On Wednesday, Apple unveiled its latest generation of iPhones, among which was a highly anticipated foldable model dubbed the Duo.

The company’s newly appointed CEO, John Ternus, who assumed the reins from Tim Cook on Sept. 1, unveiled the latest lineup 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,” a nod to the trademark phrase from Jobs that the company’s legendary late founder himself borrowed from the 1970s detective show “Columbo.”

Ternus remarked that the foldable phone boasts “the largest display ever on an iPhone, yet fits into your pocket.”

The phone unfolds to reveal a 7.6-inch display, which is 80% larger than that of the latest iPhone 18 Pro.

It will enable users to employ an Apple Pencil on the phone, a functionality hitherto confined to iPad users.

According to Ternus, Duo “will redefine the experience of using a foldable phone.”

The Duo enables users to split the screen in order to operate two distinct applications on the device, or two windows of the same website for purposes such as comparison shopping.

Priced from $1,999, it is the most expensive iPhone to date.

The Duo “was always going to eclipse Apple’s other announcements at the event,” remarked Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight.

“The device introduces a distinctive new design to the iPhone lineup and signifies the company’s foray into the niche foldable smartphone category.”

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

According to Ternus, the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max introduce refinements to the battery, camera, and performance.

Priced from $1,199 and $1,299, respectively, they will be available for preorder as of Sept. 12, with general availability commencing on Sept. 18, while the Duo is slated to launch on Oct. 23.

The latest iterations boast an extended battery lifespan — 45 hours of video playback for the Pro Max — alongside accelerated charging capabilities.

The camera delivers what Apple has termed “cinematic effects” derived from standard footage captured on the device, in addition to novel options for manual controls and “smart focus tracking,” which enables users to maintain focus on a single moving subject, such as a child during a soccer match.

Apple is also turning its attention to Siri's new AI capabilities in its latest phones, highlighting privacy and security to set itself apart from rivals who are further ahead in integrating AI.

Numerous formidable competitors of Apple, including Samsung, Motorola and Google, have already unveiled foldable smartphones.

Apple, however, is hardly inclined to hasten its adoption of nascent 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, the question will be whether it can expand demand for what’s still a niche product category.

In contrast to preceding generations, the iPhone 18 is priced roughly $100 higher, a rise attributable in part to a worldwide scarcity of memory chips.

The iPhone 17, by contrast, is priced between $799 and $1,999, contingent upon the model selected.

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

According to Chatterjee, the keynote address represented Ternus’s opportunity to set the tone for his vision of Apple’s future.

“John Ternus inherits arguably the most successful consumer technology juggernaut of modern times.

That is both a blessing and a burden for him.

Tim Cook’s flawless execution, scale, and monetization have set a very 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, amid all the excitement surrounding the Duo, Ternus’s official arrival 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.”