Apple's 'Surprise and Shine' Event: Foldable iPhone Duo Debuts as Ternus Takes the Stage
At 1 a.m. Beijing time on September 10, Apple held its 'Surprise and Shine' fall event, with new CEO John Ternus hosting the keynote for the first time, succeeding Tim Cook after 15 years. Seen as Apple's most significant launch in over a decade, the event broke a nearly 20-year tradition by dropping the standard iPhone, focusing instead on two iPhone 18 Pro models and the first foldable iPhone, nearly a decade in the making.
Confirmed
- The foldable iPhone Duo appeared as the 'One More Thing,' starting at 15,999 RMB in China (256,499 RMB for the top configuration), shipping October 23
- Hardware: 5.4-inch outer display, 7.6-inch inner display, nano-texture etching to visually hide the crease, under-display FaceTime camera
- The iPhone 18 Pro lineup and new Apple Watch models were also introduced (per APPSO and Zhidxiang previews)
- Zhidxiang's on-site coverage reported that the A20 Pro chip doubles on-device AI compute
Timeline
- September 9: BLCNYY, APPSO and Zhidxiang published previews on Ternus's debut and the foldable iPhone; leakers including Gurman suggested a $2,000 starting price or 14,999 RMB for China
- Early September 10: The event confirmed the iPhone Duo alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, with the China price finalized at 15,999 RMB
Why it matters
This is Apple's biggest product-strategy shift in two decades—killing the standard iPhone while making foldables a core new category—and marks the start of the Ternus era. Bloomberg called the foldable iPhone one of the most important products Apple has ever prepared; its pricing and market performance will shape Apple's product roadmap for the next three years.
2026-09-09 ~ 2026-09-10 · 5 related posts
Primary sources
- Apple fall event preview: iPhone Duo foldable and biggest product pipeline in years — APPSO · 2026-09-09
- Apple's Fall Event Preview: First Foldable iPhone Duo From ~$2,000, 2nm A20 Pro — 智东西 · 2026-09-09
- Apple Event in 2 Hours: Ternus's First Keynote, First Foldable iPhone Expected — BLCNYY · 2026-09-09