On a September day, John Ternus, Apple's new CEO, unveiled the Duo, a long-awaited foldable phone, in Silicon Valley. His hands visibly shook during the event, which he later attributed to adrenaline and lack of sleep. IShowSpeed, a popular influencer, livestreamed his encounter with Ternus to 61 million subscribers, highlighting the CEO's nervousness. This event also marked Ternus's public debut as a leader, a figure described as a "cipher" in the mold of Apple's minimalist design. The Duo represents Apple's most radical iPhone design change since 2007, a concept Ternus and other engineers had patented years prior. The new foldable phone is the cover story for Time’s “Best Inventions of 2026,” an accolade for which Humane’s AI Pin was awarded in 2023. Apple notably skipped a White House luncheon for AI leaders, setting themselves apart from other tech giants. Apple executives argue they are focused on personalized, privacy-preserving AI rather than engaging in the industry's "lunatic fringe." Ternus believes users will still seek Apple devices to interact with any future super-intelligence. This strategy, though a bet, aims to differentiate Apple from competitors' high capital expenditure in AI.