Apple's CEO and marketing head discuss how competitors copied their foldable iPhone Duo design due to leaks, while keeping the unique nano-texture display secret.
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<img alt="" data-caption="John Ternus, Apple CEO, holds an iPhone Duo at the launch event. | Bloomberg via Getty Images" data-portal-copyright="Bloomberg via Getty Images" data-has-syndication-rights="1" src="https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/09/gettyimages-2293827608.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100" />
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John Ternus, Apple CEO, holds an iPhone Duo at the launch event. | Bloomberg via Getty Images </figcaption>
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<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Apple was far from the first company to announce a passport-shaped folding phone this year, but that doesn't mean it wasn't copied. As my colleague <a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/991141/apple-first-foldable-iphone-launch-influence-john-ternus">Dom Preston already explained</a>, it's almost impossible to keep product development secret when Apple and its competitors all share the same global suppliers. </p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Apple's new CEO John Ternus and head of marketing Greg 'Joz' Joswiak addressed the topic <a href="https://www.tomsguide.com/phones/iphones/interview-apple-ceo-john-ternus-on-his-defining-moment-for-the-iphone-duo">during an interview</a> with <em>TechRadar</em>'s Lance Ulanoff and Mark Spoonauer of <em>Tom's Guide</em>.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">"People knew through leaks that we were working on a foldable," said Joz. "Unfortunately, they got the aspect ratio, and a lot of coincidental instances of people fin …</p>
<p><a href="https://www.theverge.com/tech/993795/apple-addresses-iphone-duo-copycats">Read the full story at The Verge.</a></p>
# Apple addresses iPhone Duo copycats
Source: [https://www.theverge.com/tech/993795/apple-addresses-iphone-duo-copycats](https://www.theverge.com/tech/993795/apple-addresses-iphone-duo-copycats)
[](https://www.theverge.com/authors/thomas-ricker)
Thomas Ricker
is a deputy editor and Verge co\-founder with a passion for human\-centric cities, e\-bikes, and life as a digital nomad\. He’s been a tech journalist for 20 years\.
Apple was far from the first company to announce a passport\-shaped folding phone this year, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t copied\. As my colleague[Dom Preston already explained](https://www.theverge.com/tech/991141/apple-first-foldable-iphone-launch-influence-john-ternus), it’s almost impossible to keep product development secret when Apple and its competitors all share the same global suppliers\.
Apple’s new CEO John Ternus and head of marketing Greg ‘Joz’ Joswiak addressed the topic[during an interview](https://www.tomsguide.com/phones/iphones/interview-apple-ceo-john-ternus-on-his-defining-moment-for-the-iphone-duo)with*TechRadar*’s Lance Ulanoff and Mark Spoonauer of*Tom’s Guide*\.
“People knew through leaks that we were working on a foldable,” said Joz\. “Unfortunately, they got the aspect ratio, and a lot of coincidental instances of people finding that an interesting aspect ratio\.” By “people,” Joz means[Samsung](https://www.theverge.com/tech/972387/samsung-galaxy-z-fold-8-review),[Huawei](https://www.theverge.com/tech/914807/huawei-pura-x-max-launch-price-specs-availability), and[Xiaomi](https://www.theverge.com/tech/991008/xiaomi-18-fold-hands-on-impressions-specs-wide)who all announced wide foldables ahead of Apple\.
What did remain a secret is the folding nano\-texture display unique to the iPhone Duo\. “What I’m super proud of — we kept it secret,” said Joz\. “We put the extra security on it\. We didn’t talk about it to anybody\.”
The whole interview is worth a watch\. Ternus’ boyish enthusiasm is a refreshing change from the more measured Tim Cook, signaling his roots as a hands\-on engineer\. You can see it when describing his first interaction with a prototype of the display\. “Oh this is it, this is what I want,” he said, eagerly grinning\.
The new head of Apple is clearly a[product guy](https://www.theverge.com/2019/12/17/21026112/apple-tim-cook-iphone-watch-tv-decade-blockbusters-walt-mossberg), just like its mercurial founder\.
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- Thomas Ricker
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