New Apple CEO demos foldable iPhone Duo at Emmys

Apple ↗ 0.24% chief executive John Ternus arrived at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday night in Los Angeles, pulling the unreleased iPhone Duo from his tuxedo jacket pocket to show off the company's first foldable iPhone to celebrities and press on the red carpet.

A CEO's Hollywood Debut

The appearance at the Peacock Theater marked one of Ternus's first major public outings since he officially took over as Apple's CEO from Tim Cook on September 1. According to 9to5Mac, Deadline caught Ternus arriving at the ceremony, where he gave impromptu demos of the device to attendees. Apple TV+ had a stake in the evening's proceedings — the streamer's horror-comedy "Widow's Bay" led all programs with eight Emmy wins.9to5mac+2

The iPhone Duo Takes Center Stage

The iPhone Duo, unveiled at Apple's "Surprise and Shine" event on September 9, is the company's first foldable smartphone. It features a 5.4-inch outer display and a 7.6-inch inner screen that opens like a book, powered by the A20 Pro chip. The device starts at $1,999 for the 256GB model, with preorders set for October 16 and availability on October 23.9to5mac+3

Ternus has been actively promoting the device since its announcement. Last week, he handed the phone to streamer IShowSpeed at Apple's Cupertino campus, who called it "amazing" before barking at the CEO in his trademark fashion.yahoo

Samsung's Counterpunch

The Emmy appearance comes as Samsung ramps up its own marketing offensive. Samsung New Zealand released an ad featuring a real estate agent from Palmerston North who happens to be named Tim Cook, delivering Apple-style lines like "This is the best phone I've ever had. You can quote me. Tim Cook from Palmerston North". The ad promotes the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and leans into Samsung's seven-year head start in the foldable category — a lead that Apple is now openly challenging under its new chief executive.phandroid