#Foldable

Apple CEO John Ternus has used a new interview with TIME to explain why Apple took so long to enter the foldable market, describing some early rival foldables as feeling "kind of cheap and crappy," according to MacRumors and 9to5Mac, which summarized the piece.

Ternus is on the cover of TIME's Best Inventions of 2026 issue, which MacRumors says is due October 26. The interview centers on the iPhone Duo, Apple's first foldable, which opens for pre-orders today, October 16, ahead of its October 23 on-sale date.

According to 9to5Mac's reading of the interview, Ternus was involved in Apple's foldable research as far back as 2011, when he and five other engineers filed a patent application covering the batteries and circuit boards such a device might need…

Apple has detailed how customers can pay for and accessorise the iPhone Duo as pre-orders open today, October 16, at 5 a.m. PT on apple.com and in the Apple Store app. According to an updated Apple Newsroom post, buyers can choose home delivery or pickup at a local Apple Store.

Apple says eligible iPhone 13 or later models can receive instant trade-in credit ranging from $175 to $885, which can also reduce monthly payments. Through the Apple Upgrade programme, which is run with Klarna, customers can choose a 12- or 24-month lease; Apple lists a 24-month lease from $57.99 per month, before taxes and trade-in credit. Apple Card Monthly Installments are offered at 0% APR in the U.S., with 3% Daily Cash earned up front.

Apple has opened a "get ready" step for the iPhone Duo, its first foldable iPhone, letting buyers prepare their order before pre-orders go live on Friday, October 16. According to a MacRumors report published on October 15, customers have until 9 p.m. Pacific time on Thursday to complete the step in the Apple Store app or on Apple's online store.

Apple says completing the preparation lets shoppers check out with a single click once ordering begins. In practice, that means choosing a configuration and confirming details such as payment and delivery in advance, so the final purchase takes a tap rather than a full checkout. Apple has used similar preparation tools ahead of other high-demand launches, where stock and delivery slots can move quickly.

Shortly before the iPhone Duo's pre-orders, Gadget Review summarised what Apple has and has not published about service costs for its first foldable. Several of the figures come from other outlets and we could not check each one independently.

In the United States, the report says the Duo falls under Apple's generic iPhone fee schedule: $29 for screen or back-glass damage, $99 for other accidental damage and a $149 deductible for theft or loss. A standalone U.S. AppleCare+ price for the Duo was not listed. The report cites the AppleCare One plan at $19.99 a month for up to three devices, with extra devices at $5.99 each.

Apple has introduced the iPhone Duo, its first foldable phone. Pre-orders begin on Friday, October 16 at 5 a.m. Pacific time, and the phone goes on sale on October 23 in the United States and more than 70 other countries and regions. Another 28 markets follow on October 30.

U.S. pricing starts at $1,999 for 256GB, then $2,199 for 512GB, $2,599 for 1TB and $3,199 for 2TB. It comes in Star White and Night Sky.

The Duo uses a book-style design. It has a 5.4-inch outer screen and a 7.6-inch inner display, and MacRumors reports a matte nano-texture finish intended to cut glare and make the crease less visible. The rear cameras are a 48-megapixel main and a 48-megapixel ultra wide, with a 12-megapixel Center Stage camera on the outer display.

Apple sent out invitations on August 26 for its September event, scheduled for Wednesday, September 9 at 10 a.m. Pacific time. The tagline on the invitation was "Surprise and shine."

Ahead of the event, 9to5Mac summarised what was widely expected. The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max were reported to keep the size and basic design of their predecessors, with changes aimed at the display, camera and connectivity. Rumored details included a variable-aperture main camera, a smaller Dynamic Island and Apple's C2 modem.