Apple's iPhone Duo: A Foldable That Threatens the iPad and Flirts With the Mac

Apple unveiled the iPhone Duo, its first foldable smartphone, on Wednesday, September 9, marking a strategic shift under new CEO John Ternus, who succeeded Tim Cook on September 1. The device aims to establish a "smart personal platform" for daily life. The Duo features a dual-screen design and a more powerful A20 Pro chip with enhanced on-device AI capabilities, delivering desktop-level performance. Demonstrations showed it running games like Monster Hunter with console-quality graphics and multitasking like an iPad or desktop computer. The presentation notably omitted any mention of the iPad or Mac, as the Duo begins absorbing their functions. This move signals Apple's willingness to cannibalize its own product lines to blur the line between premium smartphones and entry-level laptops.