‘It’s a pretty big deal’: Spike credits Apple for its first real innovation in years with the foldable iPhone
Sep 9, 2026, 7:46 AM
Apple is expected to unveil its first foldable iPhone on Wednesday. The device, rumored to be called the iPhone Ultra or iPhone Duo, reportedly features a 7.7- to 7.8-inch internal display, up to 2TB of storage, and a starting price between $2,000 and $2,300.
Apple’s “Surprise and Shine” event will also be the first big product launch for new CEO John Ternus, who took over for Tim Cook on Sept. 1.
Spike O’Neill, co-host of “The Jake and Spike Show” on KIRO Newsradio, said he discovered Apple’s new product launch by accident because he Googled a new phone for his wife.
Spike explains how one Google search opened the advertising floodgates
Spike said his wife is looking for a new phone, so he did a quick search on what the newest iPhone costs. That single search triggered an avalanche of targeted ads.
“Boy, did I open the floodgates, because now I know that Apple’s releasing a brand-new product this week,” Spike said. “That’s all I’m seeing on my phone now is ads for the new Apple foldable iPhone.”
Spike explained that when he went to the Apple store to look at phones, the employee told him the new hardware was coming and that the old models wouldn’t be discounted because chip and memory costs have kept prices high.
“The new iPhone, which is being released on Wednesday, is going to cost, they say, upwards of $2,000,” Spike said. “It’s the first-ever foldable iPhone.”
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Spike credits Apple for not rushing to be second
Spike acknowledged that foldable phones have been on the market for years, including models produced by Samsung, Motorola and Google, but said Apple was smart to wait.
“iPhone, which hasn’t really been an innovator in the industry in quite a few years; the iPhone really hasn’t changed. It’s gotten a little rounder, a little shinier, a little more durable, but it’s still basically the same iPhone, just a little bit nicer version of the same thing,” Spike said. “This is the first real technical innovation Apple has done in quite a while, so it’s a pretty big deal for them.”
He said Apple’s playbook has always been to let competitors go first and then do it better.
“I give Apple credit for not rushing to be the second person coming out with a foldable phone,” Spike said. “Everybody else kind of led the way on that, and what Apple does is do the same thing better than anybody else. I think their foldable phone will be sleeker, more efficient, more technologically advanced than everybody else’s.”
Spike also noted that new CEO John Ternus, who previously led Apple’s product development, is the right person to oversee the launch.
“He knows about innovation and technological developments,” Spike said. “He’s the right guy to do this launch.”
Watch the full discussion in the video above.
Listen to “The Jake and Spike Show” weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio 97.3
