Apple CEO showed off unreleased foldable iPhone at Emmys, sparking celebrity frenzy

Apple ↘ 0.80% CEO John Ternus turned heads at Emmy weekend by pulling the unreleased iPhone Duo from his tuxedo jacket, igniting a wave of requests from Hollywood stars eager to get their hands on the $1,999 foldable before its public debut.

Stars "Begging" for Early Access

According to Page Six, as reported by Yahoo Entertainment, Ternus showed off the device while making rounds at an Apple party held ahead of the awards show. "People were begging him for the phone," one source told Page Six. One unnamed celebrity reportedly asked the CEO to put him "on the list" for a device, while another insider said Ternus was "working the room" with the foldable in hand. During an interview with Deadline on the red carpet, Ternus pulled the phone from his pocket and opened it up for reporters.yahoo

The appearance doubled as a victory lap for Apple, which celebrated a strong night at television's biggest awards ceremony. Ternus spent the evening mingling with stars including Jon Hamm and Stephen Colbert. The outing also marked one of his most visible public moments since officially succeeding longtime CEO Tim Cook.yahoo

A Hinge Apple Wants You to Judge

Beyond the celebrity fanfare, Apple's hardware team has been making the case for the Duo's engineering credentials. Tom Marieb, Apple's vice president of hardware engineering, told TechRadar that he is "especially proud" of the device's hinge design and invited customers to hold the company accountable for how the display crease holds up over time.extremetech

The iPhone Duo uses a matte nano-texture inner display that Apple says scatters reflections and makes the fold line less noticeable. "Hold us accountable to that, please," Marieb said when asked whether the crease would worsen with use. Apple does not claim to have eliminated the crease entirely but says the matte finish should be more forgiving as the hinge ages.extremetech

Display Technology With a Longer Runway

The Duo may also serve as a proving ground for broader display changes across the iPhone lineup. UBI Research reported Tuesday that Apple's 2029 Pro iPhones could adopt the same polarizer-free OLED technology, known as Color Filter on Encapsulation, that is expected to be used in the Duo's Samsung-supplied folding panel. The technology can improve light transmission by roughly 33 percent and cut power consumption by up to 25 percent, according to Samsung's internal testing. UBI Research estimates that scaling the technology to Pro models would involve 90 million to 100 million panels annually.macrumors

The iPhone Duo is set for preorders on October 16, with sales beginning October 23. It features a 5.4-inch outer display and a 7.6-inch inner display, starting at $1,999.routenote+1