Preorders for the iPhone Duo, with prices starting at $1,999, will begin Oct. 16, with availability starting Oct. 23.
The annual September launch event also marked the first keynote by new Apple CEO John Ternus, who took the helm Sept. 1 from Tim Cook.
MORE: New Apple CEO unveils latest iPhone lineup, including a foldable model called Duo
New Apple CEO unveils latest iPhones, including foldable model Duo
After the rollout, ABC7 Eyewitness News anchor Nancy Chen sat down with Apple's Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing for iPhone and Apple Watch, Kaiann Drance, in a local Bay Area exclusive interview.
CHEN: "This is the biggest change we've seen to the iPhone since it debuted nearly two decades ago. Why now?"
DRANCE: "We wanted to create an experience on a foldable design that we wanted to use for ourselves. Something that met the standards of iPhone and was remarkably familiar to iPhone in that way as well. And that's what we did. And you open it up, it's got this gorgeous, beautiful, large display, and then you close it. It still has a beautiful display that fits easily in your pocket and you can hold it with one hand. And what brings it together is this reimagined iOS experience."
CHEN: "This is also the most monumental rollout we've seen in years, coming less than two weeks after John Ternus began his tenure as CEO. What does this lineup and Wednesday's keynote tell us about what Apple will be like under his leadership?"
DRANCE: "Well, we are very excited to have John in our leadership position and excited for what the future brings. One thing that I think we're all focused on is continuing to focus on the product and those user experiences, right? And hopefully you saw that today with us bringing impactful things to iPhone 18 Pro, things that benefit you every day, like camera performance, battery life, intelligence, and creating experiences with an iPhone Duo that we really think will delight our users."
CHEN: "We also got a chance to get a closer look at what Siri AI will look like. It was announced earlier this year, but this was really the first time we got to see it in action. There are some who have said that Apple has been slow to get into the AI race. What would you say that this launch says about where Apple is now in that race?"
DRANCE: "Well, Siri AI is a big step forward. It's incredibly personal, it's conversational, and what sets it apart in our approach to AI is that we're looking at that personal context but with privacy at its core."
CHEN: "I hear privacy, I hear how important it is to the core of what you're doing here at Apple. I know a lot of people have been concerned about AI in general. What would you say to them and how this all melts together?"
DRANCE: "Well, we're really looking carefully about the AI experiences that we bring, and continuing to do that with privacy as a top priority in how we develop it. And ultimately, it should be helpful for you, and it should a benefit to your capabilities on your iPhone, just to make your life a little easier. And that's our goal, to help our users."
You can watch the full interview below
ABC7's Nancy Chen sits down with Apple executive after release of new folding iPhone Duo