The man whom Steve Jobs accused of lacking product passion has initiated the most unusual iPhone of the past two decades. The trigger was a trip to Asia – and the device is now being unveiled by his successor.
One day before the unveiling of the foldable iPhone, Bloomberg traced the device's backstory. According to them, the impetus came from Tim Cook himself, specifically from an observation made in 2020. For a CEO whose strengths have always been seen in supply chains and numbers, this is a remarkable footnote – also detailed in our assessment of his 15 years at the helm.
Key Facts at a Glance
- According to the report, Tim Cook returned from a trip to Asia around 2020 and urged Apple to enter the foldable phone market.
- The decisive factor, therefore, was how many people he saw in China and other countries in the region using foldable phones from Samsung and Huawei.
- Prior to this decision, Apple's teams were reportedly working on foldable iPads – Cook shifted the focus to a phone.
- John Ternus, who has been Apple's CEO since September 1st, is said to have brought the project across the finish line.
- The report is based on unnamed sources from within the company.
How the impetus came about
The account begins with a trip from which Cook, according to the report, returned unusually impressed. In China and other countries in the region, he saw how many people were already using foldable phones – devices from Samsung, Huawei, and other manufacturers. Back in Cupertino, he urged that their own efforts be accelerated, even though the market was small at the time.
An unnamed insider is quoted as saying that Cook was the earliest and most important advocate of the project; he had seen the devices all over Asia and declared that Apple had to be a player in this field.
Regarding its reliability: The report comes from a firm with a long and generally accurate track record of dealing with Apple internal matters, but relies on anonymous sources without supporting documents or public statements. There has been no confirmation from the company.
The foldable iPad became a phone
The most interesting part concerns what happened before Cook's decision. Apple's engineers and designers are said to have explored the form factor – but in a different direction: among other things, an iPad mini that could be unfolded into a larger iPad was considered.
Cook then shifted the focus to a phone. This explains a situation that is rare at Apple: that a form factor is researched for years without resulting in a product. According to this account, the technology wasn't lacking, but rather the decision of what to apply it to.
Six years, not ten
The timeline warrants a second look, as the figures can easily become confusing. The report dates Cook's intervention to around 2020 – that's roughly six years until the presentation on September 9, 2026. The frequently cited decade refers to the entire development effort, including basic research prior to Cook's decision.
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 2019 | Samsung is launching its first foldable phone |
| around 2020 | Cook is pushing for his own device after the Asia trip |
| September 1, 2026 | John Ternus takes over as CEO |
| September 9, 2026 | The unveiling of the foldable iPhone is expected. |
The gap to the competition remains remarkable: Seven years separate the first production model of a competitor and Apple's response. In a field where Apple usually appears as a late but thorough follower, that's a long time even by its own standards.
Whoever made it across the finish line
The second half of the story belongs to John Ternus. He is said to have used his influence to bring the project to fruition – as head of hardware development, before taking over as CEO in early September. According to previous reports, the timing of the change was deliberately timed to coincide with the launch of this device.
This creates an unusual situation: The new CEO begins his term with a product initiated by his predecessor and which he himself brought to completion. Those who have previously perceived Ternus primarily as a quiet engineer can find more about him in our profile on his appointment.
What history says about Cook's tenure
The obvious interpretation is that Cook was indeed a product person. This is too simplistic. What the report describes is not a design decision, but a market observation translated into a resource decision – precisely the discipline Cook has always represented. He didn't invent the folding technology, but recognized that a niche would become large enough to justify Apple's investment.
For you as a buyer, one thing is particularly relevant: A device developed based on market research is built for sales figures, not for technical proof. This suggests a product designed for everyday use rather than a showpiece – how well it succeeds, however, ultimately depends on the hinges, the folds, and the price.
The available sources must be considered. A backstory, recounted shortly before the product launch via anonymous sources, also serves the company as a framing narrative for the sales launch. This doesn't make it wrong, but it does explain the timing.
A delayed farewell
Cook has been chairman of the board since September 1st, no longer as CEO. His last product will therefore only be released after his departure – and will be launched by someone else.
Do you still consider the foldable iPhone part of Cook's legacy because he initiated it – or does it already belong to his successor's tenure, who finalized it? Feel free to disagree in the comments.
