After years of speculation, Apple is finally gearing up to unveil its first foldable smartphone. The device has reportedly been years in the making, but its journey gained momentum after Tim Cook became convinced that Apple could no longer ignore the growing popularity of foldable phones. The device has reportedly been years in the making, but its journey gained momentum after Tim Cook became convinced that Apple could no longer ignore the growing popularity of foldable phones. A recent report has provided a backdrop to why the foldable iPhone holds greater significance than being just another new iPhone. It connects one of Cook’s major product pushes with the first major launch of the Ternus era.
According to a recent report by Bloomberg, Apple had been studying foldable phones and display technology for years, even before Samsung launched the Galaxy Fold in 2019. The company initially considered a device that would work more like a foldable iPad mini, opening into a larger tablet.
However, the idea later changed. Apple felt that a foldable iPhone would appeal to more people, so it started focusing on making a phone that could compete in the growing foldable phone market. The project later became one of Apple’s most complicated hardware projects.
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The direction for the iPhone foldable became much clearer around 2020 as Tim Cook returned from a trip to Asia with a strong interest in foldable phones. Bloomberg report, suggests that during his visits to China and other parts of the region, Cook saw consumers using folding phones from Samsung, Huawei and other smartphone brands.
The experience reportedly convinced him that Apple needed to be part of the market. Cook then pushed for greater focus on a foldable iPhone, becoming one of the project’s strongest supporters.
Tim Cook’s involvement was important because creating products was not usually his main job. He was mainly known for managing Apple’s finances and supply chain. Apple’s hardware and design teams usually handled the early stages of developing new products. However, Cook’s support made the foldable project more important within the company.
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The person responsible for taking the project into Apple’s next chapter is John Ternus. He became CEO on September 1, just days before the expected introduction of the foldable iPhone.
Ternus was already closely involved with the project before becoming CEO. The early technology work was developed under Dan Riccio, Ternus’ predecessor as Apple’s hardware engineering chief. Ternus later became one of the key people pushing the product towards completion.
That makes the foldable iPhone an important early moment for Ternus. Cook helped put the idea on Apple’s priority list, while Ternus is now responsible for presenting the finished product and convincing customers that Apple’s version of a foldable phone is worth the premium.