Apple CEO John Ternus says iPhone Duo was shaped around a large-screen experience, not the familiar approach of joining two narrow phone displays. In a new interview, he also discussed Siri AI’s role, the engineering problems behind Apple’s first foldable, and the unexpected question that put him in the CEO job.
Speaking in a Canal+ Clique interview, Ternus said Apple wanted an unfolded shape that felt right for a large canvas. The company drew on its years of iPad work instead of producing what he described as an awkward square made from two phone shapes.
iPhone Duo started with the open screen
Ternus said the team faced many hardware problems, including the hinge, folding display, and long-term reliability. That account supports Apple’s wider explanation of why it waited to launch iPhone Duo, although independent durability testing will matter once the device reaches buyers.
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His description also adds another route to the same design decision. Apple designers recently said iPhone Duo was shaped like a paper notebook, with proportions intended to feel consistent open or closed. Ternus highlighted the animation that travels across the screen as the phone unfolds as a favorite detail.
Siri AI is not meant to replace people
On artificial intelligence, Ternus repeated Apple’s position that Siri AI is not designed to become a user’s friend. He framed human relationships as essential to learning and happiness, placing the assistant as a useful tool rather than a substitute for personal connection.
Ternus also described being surprised when Tim Cook and Apple’s board asked whether he would consider becoming CEO. His answer contrasts with the guarded response he gave during earlier succession speculation, when he focused on the hardware job he already held.
He does not present his leadership as a reset. Ternus says Apple’s focus on products, customers, and innovation remains intact, with iPhone Duo serving as the first major test of that continuity under its new chief executive.
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