News
John Ternus's first Apple event as CEO
Confirmed: On September 9, 2026 — eight days after becoming CEO — John Ternus led Apple's fall product event and introduced iPhone Duo, the company's first foldable iPhone, plus the iPhone 18 Pro lineup.
What happened
Confirmed On **Wednesday, September 9, 2026**, Apple held its fall hardware event at Apple Park. **John Ternus**, CEO since September 1, led the keynote. Apple's newsroom published the product announcements the same day.The headline product was iPhone Duo, Apple's first foldable iPhone. Apple also introduced the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, plus new Apple Watch and AirPods models (Watch Series 12, Watch Ultra 4, and AirPods 5 in contemporaneous coverage).
The event branding used in Apple's August teaser was "Surprise and Shine."
What Apple quoted Ternus saying
From the iPhone Duo newsroom release:
"iPhone Duo is the most transformational change to iPhone since the original."
He tied the device to hardware and software engineered together, a larger display that still fits in a pocket, and the A20 Pro chip. Full short excerpts live on the quotes page. Product specs belong on iPhone Duo.
Why it matters for a new CEO
This was Ternus's first fall product event in the CEO chair — the annual show Cook had hosted for 15 years. Reuters called it a glimpse of how he intends to shape Apple in the AI era. That framing is Reuters, not Apple's slogan.
Reported Reuters wrote that Ternus pitched the iPhone as an "intelligent personal hub" running AI on-device when possible, with **privacy** as the differentiator.This site will not invent an "AI strategy" beyond what Apple and named newsrooms published that day.
Calendar
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| April 20, 2026 | Apple names Ternus next CEO |
| September 1, 2026 | Ternus becomes CEO; Cook becomes executive chairman |
| September 9, 2026 | First fall event as CEO; iPhone Duo announced |
| October 16, 2026 | iPhone Duo pre-orders (Apple) |
| October 23, 2026 | iPhone Duo availability (Apple) |
Labels
- Confirmed: event date, CEO on stage, iPhone Duo as first foldable, Apple's quoted lines, pre-order and availability dates in the newsroom release.
- Reported: newsroom color about AI privacy framing, competitive price comparisons, market-share forecasts.
- Not claimed here: sales results, which do not exist yet as of this writing.
Read next
- iPhone Duo — what Apple said
- Who is Apple's new CEO?
- Day-one CEO briefing
- Apple primary source: Apple unveils iPhone Duo
Related reading
Sources
- Apple unveils iPhone Duo (Apple Newsroom)
- Five takeaways from Apple’s biggest product showcase of the year (Reuters)
- Everything Apple announced at its fall iPhone event, from the foldable iPhone Duo to an always-listening Apple Watch (TechCrunch)
- Apple’s new CEO John Ternus reveals the foldable iPhone Duo (CNN Business)
- Tim Cook to become Apple Executive Chairman; John Ternus to become Apple CEO (Apple Newsroom)
Last updated 2026-09-11. Dates change only when the page is actually revised.