New CEO. New iPhones. A $1,999 dual-screen device. And AI moving deeper into Apple’s everyday ecosystem.
Apple has opened its biggest product event of the year with more than a new iPhone-it has opened the John Ternus era.
Making his debut as CEO, Ternus has unveiled the latest additions to Apple’s ecosystem, led by the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, a new dual-screen iPhone Duo, and AI-powered features for the Apple Watch. For a company that has mastered the art of turning product launches into cultural moments, the first major event under new leadership carries significance beyond the hardware itself.
The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max arrive in Glacier and Burgundy, with prices starting at $1,199 and $1,299, respectively-$100 more than the previous generation. The Pro promises up to 24 hours of battery life, while the Pro Max reaches 30 hours, as Apple navigates rising component costs and a global memory shortage.
But the real attention-grabber is the iPhone Duo, priced at $1,999. The dual-screen device features a 7.6-inch inner display, titanium construction and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. Apple has also redesigned iOS to support multitasking across the two screens, along with Pencil functionality.
Meanwhile, the Apple Watch Series 12 pushes AI further into everyday use through Audio Intelligence, allowing users to capture conversations, rewind 15 seconds and generate summaries through Siri Recap. Apple says privacy remains central to the experience.
The company also introduced AirPods 5, bringing active noise cancellation to its entry-level AirPods range.
From a marketing perspective, the launch is classic Apple: make technology feel bigger than technology. The products may be new, but the strategy remains familiar-create desire, establish a premium narrative and turn hardware into a cultural conversation.
For Ternus, the bigger challenge begins now: can Apple’s next chapter be as compelling as its last?
