Apple CEO John Ternus did an interview with Canal+ talk show Clique following Apple's September event. He discussed the iPhone Duo's design, difficulties Apple ran into when developing it, his plans for Apple, and more.
On the design of the iPhone Duo, Ternus explained why Apple went with an iPad-like shape when the device is unfolded.
I think it's something new and unique, right? But I think we didn't want to just do what we'd seen other people do, which is sort of take two phone shapes and stick them together and then you get this weird square thing. We came at it from we want to build a large screen experience that feels right to us. And obviously we've been doing that for a long time with iPad. And so we knew kind of the shape, you know, we came up with this new aspect ratio.
Ternus said that when developing the iPhone Duo, there were "so many problems" to solve, but a foldable was an opportunity for Apple employees to "be really clever" and "come up with entirely new things." He said some of the hardware engineering problems Apple had to address involved the design of the hinge and the display, and making them reliable.
When asked to share his favorite iPhone Duo trick, Ternus showed off the device's opening animation. "I mean, this is really fun, you know, the animation that you get as you open it across from one side to the other. It's just sort of whimsical and fun. And it brings a smile to your face."
Ternus reiterated Apple's stance on AI companions, saying that Siri AI is "not designed to be your friend," which is something we heard earlier this year from Craig Federighi. Ternus said Apple doesn't want to replace human relationships. "They're how we learn, they're how we grow, they're how we find joy and happiness," he said.
Then-CEO Tim Cook and Apple's board asked Ternus if he wanted to be the next Apple CEO. Ternus didn't say when he was approached, but he said the question came as a surprise. "When Tim asked me if it was something I would consider, I would say the good news is I was sitting down, because I never in a million years would have imagined that happening," said Ternus.
As Apple's CEO, Ternus said he doesn't have plans for a radical change. He was asked if Apple was going back to its roots under his leadership, with more of a focus on engineering products.
I don't think anything's really changed. Sure, I'm new in this job, but the focus on innovation, the focus on products, the focus most importantly on our customers, that has never changed. That's been here from the beginning.
I am super passionate about products. I love building things. That's why I've been here so long. That's why I love what I do. And so I'm excited to continue doing that. But I don't think of it as some radical change.
Ternus said it was "amazing" to be able to say "one more thing" on stage at Apple's September event. "I've seen Steve say it, and I've seen Tim say it," he said. "And so having the opportunity for me to say it was pretty magical. Kind of goosebumps."
The full interview includes Ternus' thoughts on Tim Cook, the AI race, Apple's environmental goals, the Vision Pro, the new parental controls added in iOS 27, and more.
