CUPERTINO, California — Apple is preparing to make one of the biggest changes to the iPhone in years, with the company widely expected to unveil its first-ever foldable iPhone at its September 9 product event—the first major Apple launch under newly installed CEO John Ternus.
The highly anticipated device could push the iPhone into a completely new price category, with multiple reports putting its expected price above $2,000, while giving Apple a chance to reshape a foldable-phone market that competitors have been developing since 2019.
But the device isn’t the only story.
For Ternus, the launch represents his first major public test since taking over as Apple’s chief executive from Tim Cook on September 1. After 15 years under Cook, the spotlight is now firmly on the longtime Apple hardware executive to prove that the company can still create products capable of generating the kind of excitement associated with its biggest breakthroughs.
THE IPHONE IS FINALLY GOING FOLDABLE
Apple has stayed out of the foldable-phone race while Samsung, Huawei, Google and other manufacturers experimented with the technology.
That patience could now become Apple’s advantage.
Reports indicate that the anticipated device will open in a book- or passport-style design, transforming from a conventional phone into a significantly larger display. Rumors have suggested a screen of roughly 5.5 inches when closed and 7.8 inches when opened, although Apple had not publicly confirmed those specifications before the launch.
The expected strategy is classic Apple: enter a category after competitors have spent years testing the technology, then attempt to solve the problems that have prevented foldables from becoming mainstream.
Among the biggest engineering challenges are the hinge, screen crease, durability, and resistance to dust and water.
THE $2,000 QUESTION
The biggest obstacle could ultimately be the price.
Reuters reported that the foldable iPhone could cost more than $2,000, with other analysts and reports suggesting the price could climb even higher. That would make the device substantially more expensive than Apple’s mainstream iPhone models and place it firmly in the ultra-premium smartphone market.
Yet analysts believe Apple’s enormous customer base could make the strategy work.
IDC has estimated that Apple could capture a major portion of the foldable market after launch, while Reuters reported expectations that the company could sell every unit it is capable of producing.
In other words, Apple may not need foldables to become an immediate mass-market product.
It may simply need to make them desirable enough that consumers are willing to pay Apple’s premium.
JOHN TERNUS’ FIRST BIG TEST
The timing gives the launch an even greater significance.
Ternus, 51, spent roughly 25 years at Apple and previously served as the company’s senior vice president of hardware engineering. His background makes the foldable iPhone particularly symbolic: the first major product event of his tenure is expected to showcase Apple’s hardware ambitions.
Cook, meanwhile, has moved into the role of executive chairman, ending his tenure as CEO while remaining involved with Apple at the board level and in external relationships.
The transition therefore isn’t simply about a new iPhone.
It marks the beginning of a new chapter for Apple.
BUT THE FOLDABLE IPHONE ISN’T TERNUS’ ONLY PROBLEM
Apple’s next CEO also faces pressure in another crucial area: artificial intelligence.
Reuters reported that Apple’s revamped Siri and broader AI strategy could become one of Ternus’ first major tests. Apple has faced criticism for moving more slowly than rivals in generative AI, while competitors such as Google and OpenAI continue to rapidly develop AI-powered products and assistants.
That means Ternus needs to accomplish two things at once:
Make the iPhone exciting again—and convince consumers that Apple can keep up in AI.
The foldable device could provide the hardware breakthrough.
AI could determine whether that breakthrough translates into a longer-term strategy.
APPLE IS ALSO CHANGING ITS IPHONE STRATEGY
Another potentially significant shift is Apple’s product calendar.
According to Reuters, Apple is expected to concentrate its September launch on its premium devices, including the anticipated foldable model and the iPhone Pro and Pro Max, while lower-priced models could be refreshed later.
That would represent a notable change from Apple’s traditional approach to its annual iPhone cycle.
The strategy could also help Apple manage seasonal demand and reduce its dependence on a massive sales surge during the holiday quarter.
THE BIGGER BET
Apple is entering the foldable market years after its rivals—but that delay may be precisely what makes the launch so important.
Samsung and other manufacturers have already learned what consumers like and dislike about foldable phones. Apple now has the opportunity to build on those lessons while leveraging the iPhone’s enormous ecosystem and customer base.
The question is no longer whether foldable phones are technically possible.
The question is whether Apple can convince millions of people that they finally need one.
And with a potential $2,000-plus price tag, a brand-new CEO and an increasingly competitive AI race waiting in the background, Apple’s first foldable iPhone may be about much more than a new screen.
It could be the first major statement of the John Ternus era.
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