Apple CEO John Ternus and marketing chief Greg Joswiak have offered new details on the design philosophy, engineering, and secrecy surrounding the company's first foldable device, the iPhone Duo, in a joint interview with Tom's Guide and TechRadar.

Why Apple waited to build a foldable

Ternus said the timing of the iPhone Duo's release came down to when the product idea finally met Apple's standards "for quality and durability, but also for design." He described the foldable form factor as "a greenfield of opportunity," giving Apple's engineers a chance to rethink several aspects of iPhone design from the ground up.

Joswiak added that Apple studied existing foldable phones on the market and came away unimpressed, calling the competition "not particularly inspiring." He said Apple's response was twofold: first, the Duo's wider 1:1.4 aspect ratio was meant to avoid the look of two phones "awkwardly stuck together," a common criticism of rival foldables. Second, Apple invested heavily in software to differentiate the Duo from other folding phones on the market.

Engineering the foldable display

Ternus went into detail on the inner display's construction, noting that its top layer is polymer rather than glass. That material choice required Apple to develop an entirely new process for applying its nano-texture finish, which the company already uses on some of its other displays to reduce glare.

According to Ternus, competing foldable displays often use "cheap-feeling plastic surfaces" that feel wavy and wrinkly to the touch. He said Apple's nano-texture approach eliminates that issue, resulting in a screen that is "beautifully flat" and "incredibly durable" while still feeling good under a finger.

Keeping the project under wraps

Joswiak said he is "super proud" of how tightly Apple controlled information about the iPhone Duo ahead of its announcement. The team reportedly added extra security measures around the project and used an unusual internal code name that Joswiak declined to share, saying it had nothing to do with the actual product.

Despite the secrecy, some leakers correctly predicted the device's distinctive aspect ratio before launch. Joswiak acknowledged this, saying there were "a lot of coincidental instances" of people guessing the correct proportions, which prompted Apple to lock down information even further in the final stretch before the reveal.

Justifying the $1,999 price

Addressing the iPhone Duo's $1,999 starting price, which is well above Apple's standard iPhone lineup, Ternus argued that the device still represents strong value given its capabilities. Joswiak echoed that sentiment, pointing to the product's name as a reflection of its dual nature: "It's called iPhone Duo for a reason. It's like two products."

Apple opens pre-orders for the iPhone Duo on Friday, October 16, with the device set to launch on October 23. The foldable iPhone was officially unveiled earlier this month, marking Apple's first entry into the foldable phone category after years of speculation about the company's plans in that space.