You only get one chance at a first impression, and getting to introduce Apple’s first folding phone is certainly a strong way to start things off as Apple’s CEO. On The Vergecast today, we’re talking all about Apple’s launch event: how John Ternus did in his first appearance as CEO, what we make of the new iPhones, and whether Apple is stepping into dangerous territory with its new AI features on the Apple Watch.

First up, Allison Johnson joins me to discuss the new iPhones, which she had a chance to test in Cupertino. Both of us have some questions about the new variable aperture camera on the iPhone 18 Pro — and whether the real upgrade simply lies in the wider aperture, not the ability to stop it down. Then we dig into the iPhone Duo and how Apple decided to pick and choose the best parts of Android foldables.

After that, Victoria Song joins me to discuss the new Apple Watches, which she also had a chance to test out. We dive into the new sensor array and whether it allows for legitimately new metrics or just more vibesy health data. And then we both break down a little while figuring out what it means that Apple added the ability for both new Apple Watches to have an always-on microphone that summarizes all of your conversations.

This is an Apple-packed episode, so from there we jump to a special segment with Nilay Patel and David Imel, who speak with AI researcher CJ Trowbridge about the state of running local LLMs on the Mac. Finally, it’s the long awaited return of the Thunder Round, as we race through stories so that Allison can make it to the airport. We’re chatting OpenAI math drama, digital ocarinas, and more.

If you want to learn more about this week’s stories, you can check out the links below: