AP Dhillon Joins Apple CEO John Ternus at Apple Park for iPhone Duo Launch
Musician AP Dhillon and actor Triptii Dimri attended Apple's Cupertino keynote alongside CEO John Ternus for the launch of the foldable iPhone Duo.
Apple’s September keynote in Cupertino was more than a new phone launch. The company revealed its first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, while inviting South‑Asian music icon AP Dhillon and actor Triptii Dimri to the foldable‑screen spectacle. The event was also the first public appearance of Apple’s new chief executive, John Ternus, and the moment when a South‑Asian artist’s creative workflow was put front and centre in a global technology launch.
Apple’s September keynote, held on 9 September 2026, was a high‑profile affair that drew a mix of musicians, creators and tech insiders. Apple’s new chief executive, John Ternus, hosted the event in Cupertino’s Apple Park, and the company used the platform to unveil its first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo.
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Two days before the keynote, on 8 September, Apple and Dhillon dined privately at the park. A photograph of the two men together quickly circulated on social media, adding an element of celebrity to the tech event.
AP Dhillon’s presence at the launch was a moment that bridged music production and hardware innovation. The singer, who began creating music in a homemade garage studio on a MacBook and continues to use Logic Pro for production, said, “I made my first songs on a MacBook in a garage, and I still open Logic every day. Half my ideas start as a voice note on my iPhone at 3 a.m. So being at Apple Park on the day Apple introduced a completely new kind of iPhone, and getting to sit with John and talk about what artists actually need from these tools, is something I will not forget. South Asia is one of the most creative places on earth and one of the places that loves Apple the most. I was proud to be in that room representing that.”
“I made my first songs on a MacBook in a garage, and I still open Logic every day. Half my ideas start as a voice note on my iPhone at 3 a.m. So being at Apple Park on the day Apple introduced a completely new kind of iPhone, and getting to sit with John and talk about what artists actually need from these tools, is something I will not forget. South Asia is one of the most creative places on earth and one of the places that loves Apple the most. I was proud to be in that room representing that.”
AP Dhillon, via Cinebuster
Triptii Dimri, a rising star in Indian cinema, also attended the launch. Dimri shared a photograph with Dhillon on social media, giving fans a glimpse of the Indian entertainment personalities present at the high‑profile event.
The iPhone Duo’s price became a lightning‑rod for memes and commentary. In India, the device was priced at ₹2,99,900, a figure that sparked jokes about the phone’s name and price. “Duo” was joked to mean “two jobs and two salaries,” while others compared the price to that of a Royal Enfield motorcycle, gold, or Bitcoin. Samsung joined in on the satire with “So far, so same” and “reheating our leftovers” memes. The price was also a point of comparison with Apple’s other releases that day: the iPhone 18 Pro started at ₹1,64,900 and the Pro Max at ₹1,79,900.
| Device | Price (₹) |
|---|---|
| iPhone Duo | 2,99,900 |
| iPhone 18 Pro | 1,64,900 |
| iPhone 18 Pro Max | 1,79,900 |
Apple also announced new colour variants for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max in Glacier and Burgundy. The company highlighted a new variable‑aperture lens system for authentic photo capture, a deeply integrated AI assistant, and performance boosts that together form the next generation of hardware.
Apple’s September keynote has set a new precedent for how technology companies can engage with global cultural icons. By bringing AP Dhillon and Triptii Dimri into the fold, Apple not only showcased its latest hardware but also highlighted the growing influence of South‑Asian creativity in the tech sphere.
