TIME magazine named the iPhone Duo the Invention of the Year for 2026, highlighting Apple’s first foldable phone as a pivotal shift since the original iPhone in 2007.

John Ternus emphasized that the right solution became clear over time, while Richard Dinh, Apple’s Vice President of Product Design, praised the team’s persistence and global supply-chain efforts to bring the iPhone Duo to life.

Ternus’s long-running involvement with foldable screen research goes back to 2011, including patent work and early efforts to advance display tech, with TIME noting his critique of earlier, lower-quality foldable attempts.

TIME credits the iPhone Duo with addressing common foldable weaknesses through a hinge with more than 100 precise components, a nanotexture display to boost durability, and a minimized screen crease, illustrating a fusion of design, hardware sophistication, and user experience.

Apple’s foldable strategy lagged behind competitors, but the iPhone Duo launched in 2026 after years of work; Ternus and his team pursued a more advanced solution, including global collaboration to develop nanotexture display tech.

TIME’s Best Inventions list surveys editors and reporters worldwide and highlights 300 innovations across hardware, AI software, healthcare, and green energy, situating the iPhone Duo among 2026’s standout technological breakthroughs.

The iPhone Duo is presented as emblematic of Apple’s philosophy and a symbol of the Ternus era, suggesting its success could steer John Ternus’s future leadership direction.