As iPhone Duo pre-orders start, Apple CEO John Ternus calls early foldables cheap and crappy

Apple has opened iPhone Duo pre-orders in India as John Ternus explained its delayed foldable debut. The launch highlights Apple's focus on reducing display creases and improving durability.

In Short

• Ternus filed a patent for foldable device technology with Apple engineers back in 2011
• The Apple CEO pushed the hardware team to create a custom nanotexture display surface
• His focus on innovation led to a complex new hinge that makes the screen crease almost invisible

Apple CEO John Ternus has explained why the company took years to launch its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo. In a recent interview with TIME, he criticised early foldable phones from rival brands, calling them "cheap and crappy". The highly anticipated iPhone Duo is Apple's most expensive phone yet, and Indian buyers can finally secure theirs today.

iPhone Duo pre-orders start today in India

Apple fans in India can pre-order the iPhone Duo starting today, October 16, at 5:30 PM IST. Customers can book the device through Apple's official online store, authorised retailers, and major offline platforms.

The iPhone Duo starts at Rs 2,99,900 for the base 256GB model, while the highest end 2TB variant is priced at Rs 4,49,900. It is available in two colours: Star White and Night Sky. Retail store availability and general open sales will kick off next week on October 23.

Why Apple waited to launch a foldable phone

Ternus, who officially took over as Apple CEO on September 1, noted that the company saw the potential of flexible OLED displays very early on. He and a team of five other Apple engineers even filed a patent for foldable electronic devices back in 2011. While competitors like Samsung rushed to release their first foldable phones in 2019, Apple chose to hold back. Ternus felt that those early rival devices did not meet Apple's high standards due to durability issues and very visible display creases.

How Apple fixed the display crease

To avoid the mistakes of earlier foldable phones, Apple spent years perfecting the hardware and software experience. The iPhone Duo features a large 7.6-inch folding inner display along with a 5.4-inch outer screen.

Apple's VP of Product Design, Richard Dinh, pushed the hardware team to create a custom polymer surface and a nanotexture finish. Paired with a complex hinge made of over 100 tiny parts, this design makes the crease almost invisible, according to Apple.

The phone is built with a lightweight titanium frame and is powered by the A20 Pro chip. Apple also built a brand-new display engine using advanced Apple silicon to make the switch between the inner and outer screens seamless. To make the large screen easier to use, iOS has been tweaked to move key controls to the right side, so they are always within a thumb's reach.

The iPhone Duo steps into a premium market where competitors like Samsung and Google already have a strong head start with multiple generations of folding phones. However, with Ternus confident that Apple has finally solved the biggest problems with foldable screens, the iPhone Duo could set a new benchmark for the industry. It will be interesting to see how Indian consumers react to Apple's most ambitious device yet.

- Ends