John Ternus has been Apple CEO for just over a week, and he’s fronted what is likely the biggest device announcement in a decade or more, opting for a “One More Thing” reveal of Apple’s first ever foldable smartphone – the iPhone Duo

While not a surprise to anyone thanks to leaks and rumours for well over a year now, solidified in the last six months thanks to the “dummy” mock up models which case manufacturers use to plan their own product roadmap, Apple’s first foldable comes over seven years since Samsung revealed their first Fold, and just two months after that company’s eighth generation Foldables were announced.

In revealing the iPhone Duo, Apple showcased a seamless transition between open and close, as well as intuitively splitting the screen when watching content and reading messages for example

The form factor chosen is the same as Samsung’s Fold8 and several other Chinese brands not available in Australia.  It’s essentially the size of a Passport, making the front screen feel wider in the hand thanks to it not being as tall as any other phone that width.

Opened up, the iPhone Ultra features a 7.6-inch screen, with a shared ratio on the smaller  5.4-inch front screen so all the content looks the same with the choice of screen size.

Critically, the iPhone Duo supports the USB-C Apple Pencil, the first time an iPhone has supported the Apple Pencil, and – in competitive terms, something Samsung no longer offers on their foldable.

Inside users can enjoy video content, a better reading or browsing experience and an all round small or mini tablet-like screen.

A new set of split screen options allows you to not just split the screen but pair apps as split to revisit another time.

Apple has brought back TouchID with the iPhone Duo too, so a simple fingerprint tap unlocks the device and varies payment or identity.

The iPhone Duo goes on Sale October 23, with the price in Australia starting at $3,499

Trevor Long travelled to the USA as a guest of Apple