GoKawiilApple's John Ternus details iPhone Duo's 2011 origins in TIME interview
Apple hardware engineering chief John Ternus told TIME that work on a foldable device began as early as 2011, when he and five colleagues filed a patent application exploring batteries and circuit boards for folding electronics. Ternus said he was unimpressed by other companies' earlier foldable phones, calling them 'cheap and crappy,' and described pushing his team to keep refining the iPhone Duo's design even as rivals shipped foldables years earlier. Apple VP Richard Dinh also described how Ternus urged engineers to avoid settling for an adequate surface material, leading to a custom polymer nanotexture surface and a hinge with over 100 precision components.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The account suggests Apple prioritized matching its own design standards over speed to market, which could explain why its foldable arrived roughly a decade after competitors. Ternus's comments, as relayed in the interview, frame the delay as a deliberate engineering choice rather than a setback, though that framing comes from Apple executives themselves rather than independent verification.
- Ternus says Apple's foldable research dates back to 2011, nearly 15 years before the iPhone Duo's release.
- Apple executives describe deliberately slowing development to avoid what Ternus called 'cheap and crappy' foldable designs.
- The iPhone Duo's surface uses a custom polymer and nanotexture, built on a hinge with over 100 precision components.
Apple iPhone Duo — This is the very device at the center of Ternus's interview—Apple's long-awaited foldable iPhone built to avoid the 'cheap and crappy' feel of earlier foldables. If you're curious about Apple's take on folding displays and hinge engineering, it's worth checking out firsthand.
See Apple iPhone Duo on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: 9to5mac.com — Ryan Christoffel, 2026-10-15
Published there as: “John Ternus talks iPhone Duo, ‘cheap and crappy’ foldables in new interview”
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