Apple CEO John Ternus sat down for an interview after Apple’s September event. He talked through the thinking behind iPhone Duo’s design, repeated Apple’s position on Siri AI, and described how Tim Cook approached him about the CEO job.
The interview aired on the French talk show Clique. Ternus has been CEO since the spring. The questions moved from hardware to how he got the job.
Apple Skipped the Two-Phone Look for iPhone Duo, Ternus Explains
Most foldable phones open into a squarish shape built from two phone-sized panels. Ternus said Apple wanted no part of that look for its first foldable phone. Apple says that is also why it waited years to enter the foldable market.
Apple treated the unfolded device as a large-screen product first. Ternus said the team used years of iPad experience to land on a new aspect ratio. The ratio was designed around the shape iPhone Duo takes when it is fully open. Apple’s design team has said separately that the notebook form shaped the fold itself.
Ternus agreed with Apple’s hardware team, which has called the hinge the hardest problem to solve. He added that the display needed durability guarantees to survive years of daily folding. That difficulty gave engineers room to invent new solutions, he said.
Asked for his favorite iPhone Duo trick, Ternus pointed to the opening animation that plays as the two halves unfold. He called it a small, playful touch that makes people smile the first time they see it.
Siri AI Still Won’t Act Like Your Friend, Apple’s CEO Confirms
Ternus repeated that Siri AI has firm limits by design, echoing comments Apple software chief Craig Federighi made in June. He insisted that it is not designed to be your friend.
Ternus said Apple does not want its AI to stand in for real relationships. He pointed to human connection as the source of learning, growth, and joy, and said Apple does not want technology to take that place.
Tim Cook Personally Asked Ternus to Become Apple’s Next CEO
Ternus said Tim Cook and Apple’s board approached him directly about taking over the company. Cook stepped down as CEO this spring. Ternus said the offer caught him off guard and that he never expected it.
Ternus said he is not planning a dramatic shift in direction day to day, even though he has said he is open to major acquisitions and new product categories. He said the focus on innovation, products, and customers was part of Apple long before he became CEO. He added that he loves building things, which is why he has stayed this long.
Ternus also talked about closing Apple’s September keynote with “one more thing,” a line tied to Steve Jobs and later used by Tim Cook. Saying it himself for the first time felt like a real moment, he said, and he compared it to getting goosebumps on stage.
The keynote also confirmed the launch details for iPhone Duo, which remains on track for October.
