IShowSpeed Steals Apple’s iPhone Duo Launch With “History-Making” Backflip in Front of CEO

Apple spent years developing its first foldable iPhone.

IShowSpeed needed only a few minutes with it before deciding to backflip while holding one.

The 21-year-old streamer attended Apple’s September 9 product event at Apple Park in Cupertino, where the company unveiled the iPhone Duo, its first foldable smartphone.

While getting hands-on with the new phone alongside Apple’s new CEO, John Ternus, Speed suddenly announced that he wanted to become the first person to perform a backflip while holding an iPhone Duo.

Then he actually did it.

Speed completed the flip, landed safely and somehow managed not to send Apple’s brand-new $1,999 phone flying across the room.

The clip immediately spread across social media and became one of the most talked-about moments from Apple’s launch. (The Mac Observer)

Image description: Real photograph taken inside Apple’s September 2026 product event showing the new foldable iPhone being held up for cameras.

IShowSpeed Turns Up at Apple Park

Apple’s September event was already a major moment for the company.

The event marked the debut of the iPhone Duo, Apple’s long-awaited first entry into the foldable smartphone market.

It was also one of the first major product moments under newly appointed CEO John Ternus, who succeeded Tim Cook at the beginning of September. (AP News)

But among all the journalists, analysts and invited guests at Apple Park was somebody who tends to make events considerably less predictable:

IShowSpeed.

Speed livestreamed portions of his experience from Apple’s campus, eventually getting close enough to the new iPhone Duo to try it himself.

The livestreamer gets hands-on with the new device while attendees and cameras surround the demonstration area.

Image description: Real image from Apple Park during the iPhone Duo launch, showing the streamer interacting with the device while members of the press record the moment.

ALT text: IShowSpeed holding iPhone Duo at Apple Park event

Speed Meets Apple CEO John Ternus

The interaction became even more unexpected when Speed met Apple CEO John Ternus.

Ternus handed Speed the new foldable device and allowed him to examine it during the livestream.

Speed also took a selfie during their interaction and reacted enthusiastically to the phone. (IShowSpeed Said)

For most people, that would have been enough.

You meet Apple’s CEO.

You get early hands-on access to Apple’s first foldable iPhone.

You take a selfie.

You leave.

Speed apparently had another idea.

“I Gotta Be the First Person”

While holding the iPhone Duo, Speed suddenly decided he needed to do something nobody else had done.

He announced that he wanted to become the first person to perform a backflip while holding the iPhone Duo.

Then, standing only feet away from Apple’s CEO and surrounded by people filming him, Speed launched himself backwards.

He completed a full rotation.

Landed.

And most importantly:

He did not drop the phone.

Reports covering the moment described Speed celebrating immediately afterwards and declaring himself the first person to pull off the stunt with Apple’s new device. (The Mac Observer)

The viral interaction quickly became one of the most shared moments surrounding Apple’s new-product event.

Image description: Real event photograph showing the streamer beside an Apple executive as people around them record the interaction.

“I Flipped the iPhone”

The best part came after the landing.

Speed celebrated the successful backflip before making an extremely obvious but perfectly timed joke about Apple’s first foldable phone.

He pointed out that he had literally flipped the iPhone.

Then, after risking Apple's brand-new device for the stunt, he casually asked Ternus whether he wanted his phone back. (ARY News)

It was classic Speed.

Apple had spent an entire keynote carefully explaining engineering, software, displays and its new hinge system.

Speed’s demonstration was essentially:

Can it survive me doing a backflip while holding it?

Apparently, yes.

Apple’s CEO Could Only Watch

The moment was particularly funny because Apple product launches are usually incredibly controlled.

Everything is polished.

Every camera angle is intentional.

Every device sits exactly where it should.

Then IShowSpeed shows up.

Within minutes, Apple’s most expensive new iPhone is being carried through the air during a backflip.

Coverage of the clip showed Ternus standing nearby throughout the stunt as the crowd reacted. (NDTV Sports)

Apple’s new foldable device being demonstrated during the company’s September launch event.

Image description: Real Getty Images photograph from Apple Park showing the foldable iPhone Duo being handled at the launch.

What Is the iPhone Duo?

The stunt happened during the launch of one of Apple’s biggest new products in years.

The iPhone Duo is Apple’s first foldable iPhone.

Rather than folding vertically like an old flip phone, the Duo opens like a book.

When closed, users get a 5.4-inch outer display.

Open it and the phone reveals a much larger 7.6-inch inner display. Apple says the larger screen is designed for content, gaming and running multiple apps side by side. (Apple)

The device is built from titanium and uses a new precision hinge designed to support the folding screen.

Apple also says it is the thinnest iPhone the company has produced when fully opened. (Apple)

Apple’s first foldable iPhone displayed open during the launch event.

Image description: Real close-up photograph of the iPhone Duo opened at an angle, clearly showing its foldable inner display and hinge.

iPhone Duo Specs

Apple officially confirmed the device starts at $1,999, with higher-storage configurations becoming considerably more expensive. (Apple)

That means Speed was doing a backflip with a phone worth roughly two thousand dollars in his hand.

No pressure.

The iPhone Duo Is Apple's Biggest iPhone Design Change in Years

Apple entering the foldable market is significant.

Samsung, Google, Huawei and other manufacturers have already spent years experimenting with foldable smartphones.

Apple waited.

The company is now betting that its combination of hardware and software can make foldables attractive to a much larger group of people. (Reuters)

Apple says the Duo’s displays maintain the same aspect ratio when switching between the outside and inside screens, which should make apps transition more naturally.

It also introduces Split View, allowing two apps to run side by side.

Users can even open two windows of the same application.

The phone will also support Apple Pencil later in the year. (Apple)

Members of the press and invited attendees photograph the iPhone Duo during Apple’s hands-on session.

Image description: Real photograph from the Steve Jobs Theater showing multiple iPhone Duo devices on display as attendees photograph and test them.

This Was Also John Ternus’ First Huge iPhone Moment

There was another reason this Apple event mattered.

John Ternus had only recently become Apple CEO, succeeding Tim Cook on September 1.

That meant the iPhone Duo launch effectively became one of the first major opportunities for Ternus to establish himself publicly as the face of Apple’s next era. (AP News)

And one of his first viral moments as CEO ended up involving IShowSpeed doing a backflip.

That's one way to start.

Fans Thought the CEO Looked Nervous

The clip quickly spread across Instagram, X and streamer communities.

Naturally, much of the reaction focused on Ternus watching Speed launch himself backwards with Apple's new $1,999 product.

Some viewers joked that Apple’s CEO looked worried about what was about to happen.

Others said Speed was probably the only person who could turn an Apple hardware demonstration into something like this.

The original clip quickly accumulated millions of views, with one widely circulated version surpassing 6.6 million views shortly after being posted. (NDTV Sports)

Speed Basically Gave Apple a Free Durability Test

Apple spent significant time talking about the Duo’s durability.

The company says the phone uses:

Grade 5 titanium

Ceramic Shield

Ceramic Shield 2

and a hinge built from more than 100 components. (Apple)

Speed didn't test any of those features scientifically.

But he did demonstrate one important specification:

The phone can apparently survive being held during an IShowSpeed backflip.

That probably wasn't in Apple's official testing procedure.

Why This Moment Went So Viral

There are plenty of celebrities and creators at technology launches.

Most of them take pictures.

They hold the product.

They post:

“Thanks Apple for having me!”

Then they leave.

Speed is different.

His entire brand is built around unpredictable livestream moments.

So putting him in one of the most carefully controlled environments in technology was always going to create an interesting result.

The contrast is what made the clip work.

Apple: precision, presentation and carefully controlled product demonstrations.

Speed: "I'm going to backflip with this."

The combination was almost guaranteed to go viral.

Apple’s Foldable Era Begins

Away from the viral stunt, Apple’s new device represents a major strategic move.

Foldable phones still make up a relatively small portion of global smartphone sales.

But Apple entering the category could dramatically increase consumer awareness.

Reuters reported that analysts expect Apple to quickly become a major player in the foldable market, even with the Duo's premium $1,999 starting price. (Reuters)

The company is clearly positioning the Duo as an ultra-premium device rather than a replacement for every normal iPhone.

Whether consumers agree remains to be seen.

When Does the iPhone Duo Come Out?

Apple has confirmed that iPhone Duo preorders begin October 16, 2026.

The phone officially becomes available on:

October 23, 2026

It will launch in two colours:

Star White

and

Night Sky. (Apple)

The starting price is:

$1,999

with storage configurations ranging from 256GB up to 2TB.

IShowSpeed Might Have Created the Best Ad Apple Never Planned

Apple obviously didn't need Speed to explain the specifications.

There were dozens of journalists doing that.

But if the company's goal was to get younger viewers talking about the iPhone Duo, allowing one of the world's biggest streamers to run around Apple Park with one certainly didn't hurt.

Within hours, the clip was everywhere.

Not because of:

The processor.

The camera.

The hinge.

Or iOS 27.

People were talking about the iPhone Duo because:

Speed did a backflip with it.

That might not have been part of Apple's marketing plan.

But it worked.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did IShowSpeed really do a backflip with the iPhone Duo?

Yes. During Apple’s September 2026 event, Speed performed a backflip while holding the newly announced iPhone Duo and landed without dropping it. (The Mac Observer)

Was Apple CEO John Ternus there?

Yes. Ternus was standing nearby during the interaction and had handed Speed the phone shortly beforehand. (NDTV Sports)

Did Speed drop the iPhone?

No.

He successfully completed the flip while continuing to hold the device.

Is IShowSpeed really the first person to backflip with an iPhone Duo?

Speed declared himself the first person to do it, and current coverage has repeated the claim. There is obviously no official global record keeping track of iPhone Duo backflips, so it is best understood as part of the joke surrounding the stunt. (The Mac Observer)

How much does the iPhone Duo cost?

The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 in the United States. (Apple)

Is the iPhone Duo actually foldable?

Yes. It is Apple's first foldable iPhone and opens to reveal a 7.6-inch inner display. (Apple)

When does iPhone Duo release?

Apple says the phone will be available beginning October 23, 2026, with preorders starting October 16. (Apple)

Who is Apple's CEO?

John Ternus became Apple's CEO in September 2026 and led the company's latest iPhone launch. (AP News)

Final Thoughts

Apple unveiled one of its most important new products in years.

Its first foldable iPhone.

A completely new form factor.

A $1,999 starting price.

A new CEO.

A new era for Apple.

And somehow one of the biggest stories to come out of the event was:

IShowSpeed doing a backflip.

It perfectly sums up why Speed continues generating viral moments almost everywhere he goes.

He took an environment known for tightly controlled product demonstrations and immediately turned it into a livestream.

Apple may have introduced the iPhone Duo.

But for a few moments inside Apple Park, Speed absolutely stole the show.

And considering the phone survived the stunt?

Apple might as well add:

“IShowSpeed backflip tested”

to the specification sheet.

Sources

Apple officially announced the iPhone Duo on September 9, confirming its 7.6-inch folding display, A20 Pro chip, $1,999 starting price and October 23 release date. (Apple)

Coverage from The Mac Observer, Times of India and other outlets documented Speed’s backflip while holding the iPhone Duo during the Apple Park event. (The Mac Observer)

Reuters and AP reported on Apple’s wider event, the iPhone Duo launch and John Ternus’ first major iPhone launch as CEO. (Reuters)

Last updated: September 11, 2026.