Apple CEO John Ternus spoke in an interview after Apple’s September event about the iPhone Duo’s design and development challenges, Siri AI, his unexpected appointment as CEO, and other topics discussed in the full interview.
iPhone Duo design and engineering
Ternus explained why Apple adopted an iPad-like shape when the iPhone Duo is unfolded, saying, “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.”
He said there were “so many problems” to solve during development and called the foldable an opportunity for Apple employees to “be really clever” and “come up with entirely new things.” Ternus added that some of the hardware engineering problems Apple had to address involved the design of the hinge and the display, and making them reliable. Asked for his favorite iPhone Duo trick, he demonstrated 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.”
Siri AI and human relationships
Ternus reiterated Apple’s stance that Siri AI is “not designed to be your friend,” noting that Apple does not 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.
Becoming CEO and his priorities
Ternus said then-CEO Tim Cook and Apple’s board asked him if he would consider becoming the next Apple CEO; he did not specify when the approach occurred but described the question 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,” he said.
As CEO, Ternus said he does not plan a radical change in direction. “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,” he said. “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.” He also called it “amazing” to be able to say “one more thing” on stage, saying, “I’ve seen Steve say it, and I’ve seen Tim say it, and so having the opportunity for me to say it was pretty magical. Kind of goosebumps.”
The full interview additionally covers 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.
