The “Dive” comes in a passport-inspired design, with rounded edges. It unfolds to reveal a large screen that can be used either horizontally or vertically, while a smaller screen appears on the external face when the phone is closed.

Apple says that when it’s opened, Dive becomes the thinnest iPhone ever produced by the company, in an attempt to combine the experience of a traditional phone with the large screen offered by foldable devices, according to Reuters.

More than just a foldable screen

The new phone’s significance lies not only in its design but also in the fact that it represents the biggest re-invention of the iPhone since the launch of the iPhone X in 2017, when Apple ditched the actual home button on the screen.

The announcement of Dive comes at a particularly significant time. It is the first major event for Apple’s product launches under its new CEO, John Ternus, who took over from Tim Cook.

Cook was present at the beginning of the show through a video clip in which he introduced how the event would start. His last appearance showed him saying: “It’s not me, it’s your man,” referring to Ternus.

The new CEO faces a huge task, not only in developing the company’s products but also in convincing consumers that the foldable phone is worth switching to, especially with predictions that its price will exceed $2000.

iPhone: The cash cow

iPhone is the backbone of Apple’s business, generating $209.6 billion in revenue during the company's latest fiscal year, just over half of its total sales.

That’s why any fundamental change in the phone’s design or how it is presented to the market carries significance beyond the product itself, especially since Apple relies heavily on iPhone success to sustain business growth.

With “Dive,” the company is betting on a market that remains relatively limited, even though competing companies like Samsung Electronics and Huawei Technologies have been selling foldable phones since 2019.

While these devices have remained a niche product attracting tech enthusiasts in particular, research firms predict Apple’s entry will change the rules of the game.

The International Data Corporation (IDC) estimates that the company could sell all the foldable devices it can produce and capture around 40 percent of this segment by the end of next year.

Artificial intelligence at the heart of the battle

But the new phone wasn’t the only star of the show. Turnus tried to put artificial intelligence at the center of Apple’s new vision, presenting iPhone as a personal AI hub that maintains user privacy.

Turnus said some companies seek to collect and store personal data, emphasizing that “trust has limits when your data is not under your control.”

He added that "Apple Intelligence" works on the device itself whenever possible, referring to Apple's strategy to limit sending user data to external servers.

In the same context, Lilyan Rincon, responsible for artificial intelligence products at Apple, presented an updated version of Siri, saying it will work with around 300,000 applications when launched.

"iPhone 18 Pro" raises price ceiling

Alongside the foldable phone, Apple unveiled the "iPhone 18 Pro" and "iPhone 18 Pro Max," its latest versions of conventional smartphones.

But this time, prices are higher than the previous generation. The starting price for the "iPhone 18 Pro" is $1,199, while that for the "iPhone 18 Pro Max" starts at $1,299, an increase of $100 compared to the starting prices of the "17 Pro" and "17 Pro Max."

The iPhone 18 Pro operates on the new A20 Pro chip, which the company says provides enhancements that help run advanced AI models directly on the phone.

Apple faces deepfake crisis

Amid the growing spread of AI-generated or manipulated images, Apple also introduced a new standard called "Apple Reference Image."

The standard aims to help prove the authenticity of images captured with new "iPhone 18 Pro" cameras.

The company also announced its support for the "SynthID" standard, which aims to identify images created or edited using artificial intelligence.

However, the "Apple Reference Image" feature will not be available to users in the European Union or China.

Cheaper headphones... and new features

The event was not limited to iPhones; Apple announced a new version of AirPods with a starting price of $129, featuring noise cancellation for the first time in the company's budget headphone category.

The company will also release a version priced at $149 that includes additional features, including wireless charging and volume control via the headphone stem by swiping your finger up or down.

Apple Watch enters a new health phase

In the wearable devices sector, Apple unveiled the "Apple Watch Series 12" and "Apple Watch Ultra 4," with a clear focus on health and fitness features.

Both watches include a new sensor system that collects heart rate data more frequently, as well as supporting features aimed at assessing recovery and fitness.

Apple said the new devices use Apple silicon chips and improved sensors to provide what it described as the most accurate heart rate tracking on a wearable device.

A real test for Tim Cook’s leadership

Behind all these products, John Ternus faces an early test of his leadership at Apple.

The new CEO, who was in charge of the company’s hardware sector, has been relatively out of the spotlight for years, except for his participation in a limited number of product launches and sustainability initiatives.

Now he will have to lead the company at a time when artificial intelligence is coinciding with rapid changes in the smartphone market, and Apple must convince consumers to pay more for new devices.

Betting on changing sales cycles

The impact of the foldable phone may not be limited to iPhone design; it could extend to how Apple rolls out its products throughout the year.

Analysts predict that the company will postpone updates for lower-priced iPhones until next spring, focusing at this stage on the new foldable phone alongside the Pro and Pro Max models.

This is an attempt to reduce dependence on the traditional sales jump during the end-of-year holiday season in the United States and Europe, and achieve a more balanced revenue cycle throughout the year.

Thus, Diu does not just offer a foldable screen; it represents a broad bet on the future of iPhones and Apple’s ability under Tim Cook to redefine a product that accounts for more than half its revenues at a time when the rules of competition are changing due to foldable phones and artificial intelligence.