John Ternus reveals why iPhone Duo was so late and it just makes so much sense to me

This is why Apple's foldable iPhone Duo is so late to the party.

iPhone Duo folded and unfolded in both colors
It's about time, Apple! | Image by Apple
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The iPhone Duo is late to the party. Scratch that, it’s very late to the party. Apple took so long to enter the foldable smartphone market that it was announced by a new CEO, John Ternus.



Ternus and Senior Vice President of Marketing — Greg “Joz” Joswiak — sat down for an interview following the release of the iPhone Duo. When asked when Apple knew it was time for the iPhone Duo to become a reality, Ternus had an answer that just makes sense.

Apple knew it was go time when it saw the nano-texture coating




The iPhone Duo features a genius nano-texture coating for its internal display. This coating serves a very important purpose: it minimizes reflections and glare.

Getting hit with glare from bright lights is when the display crease of a foldable smartphone becomes most apparent. Eliminate the glare, and you achieve a very convincing illusion of a folding display that sits completely flat when open.

CEO John Ternus says that when Apple’s executives first saw the nano-texture coating in action, that’s when they decided that it was finally time for the company’s first-ever foldable iPhone. Especially because it apparently doesn’t feel as “cheap” as the displays on rival phones.

Is the nano-texture coating good enough to make you want to switch?
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It makes perfect sense


One of the biggest reasons for Apple’s hesitation in entering the foldable smartphone market had been the display crease. The company did not want to make a foldable iPhone that didn’t look completely flat when unfolded.

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Though Apple wanted its first-ever foldable to be totally crease-free, that did not happen. It was simply not possible given current technological limitations.

Which is why when the higher-ups at Apple saw the nano-texture coating, they decided it was time to release a foldable iPhone. This was as good as it was going to get for a while, so why should Apple wait any longer?

If the iPhone Duo looks like it has the flattest unfolded display on the market at the moment, then that’s good enough for Apple. Not to mention the fact that many of Apple's fans seem to be praising the iPhone Duo, even if they personally might not be getting one for various reasons.



Apple had a “funny codename” for the coating




According to Greg “Joz” Joswiak, something that Apple is really proud of is how the company managed to keep this coating a secret. It’s Apple’s superweapon against rival foldable smartphones and they did not want it getting out in the slightest.

Joz did express how the aspect ratio for the phone unfortunately leaked. He also remarked on how quick other manufacturers were to jump on it and release rival phones before the iPhone Duo.

Huawei, for example, put a spin on its Pura X phones and released the Pura X Max. Samsung, of course, revealed the Galaxy Z Fold 8 earlier this year. Both phones have been a great commercial success in large part due to the new form factor.

Which is why Apple was so secretive about the coating. People in the know inside the company used a “funny codename” for the coating that Joz and Ternus still refuse to reveal. Somehow, Apple managed to stop even supply chain-level leaks, ensuring that the coating would be the one thing that the iPhone Duo has that none of its competitors do.

It’s about time the iPhone Duo hit shelves!




Personally, I’m just really glad to see a foldable iPhone finally become a reality. I also agree with Joz, Apple managed to hide its plans a lot better this year. There was even a point during the event where I was wondering if the Duo wasn’t going to be shown off at all.

Regardless, it’s about time that the iPhone Duo started hitting store shelves. With Apple now competing in the foldable smartphone market, I expect a lot more competition in the coming years.

I also won’t be surprised if other manufacturers, who have never made foldable phones before, also jump in with their own offerings.

The iPhone Duo has stolen the spotlight!

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