Apple has scheduled a special event for September 9 at 10 a.m. PT, carrying the invitation tagline “Surprise and shine.” The company has not detailed what it will show, but the date lines up with a wave of reporting that points to new iPhone hardware, including Apple’s first foldable device, arriving alongside the annual Pro-model refresh.
The event also marks a leadership change: Apple confirmed that John Ternus, previously the company’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, became chief executive on September 1, moving Tim Cook into the role of executive chairman. That makes this Ternus’s first product keynote as CEO.
What Apple itself has actually confirmed
Apple’s own invitation, posted to its developer news page, says only that the company is holding “a special Apple Event on September 9 at 10 a.m. PT,” to be streamed on apple.com, the Apple TV app, and YouTube Live. Everything beyond the date, time and tagline, including every specific product name described below, comes from outside reporting rather than an Apple announcement, and should be read as expectation rather than confirmed fact until Apple’s keynote actually airs. Members of the press are expected to attend in person at Apple Park in Cupertino, California, while the keynote itself is expected to be prerecorded, following the format Apple has used for its last several fall launches.
The iPhone 18 Pro upgrades reporters expect
Coverage from 9to5Mac describes an iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max that are expected to keep their predecessors’ general shapes and screen sizes while changing what’s inside: a variable-aperture main camera, a smaller Dynamic Island cutout, and Apple’s own C2 cellular modem are the three upgrades that outlet says have circulated in the supply chain for months. A variable aperture would let the lens physically widen or narrow depending on lighting conditions, a feature long available on some Android flagships but not yet on an iPhone. Reports also point to a possible new color option, described as a dark cherry shade, alongside more familiar black, silver and light blue finishes.
A foldable iPhone, described but not yet named
The most closely watched expected announcement is Apple’s first foldable iPhone, widely rumored to carry the name iPhone Ultra even though Apple has not confirmed any branding. Multiple outlets, including 9to5Mac, describe a book-style design that opens like a small tablet: an outer display in roughly the 5.3-to-5.5-inch range for use while closed, and an inner foldable screen estimated between 7.6 and 7.8 inches when unfolded. Rumored details include a titanium frame, a display designed to minimize the visible crease that has affected competing foldables from Samsung and Google, and Touch ID built into the power button in place of Face ID, since a front-facing notch is harder to fit into a folding screen. Reporting also describes two front-facing cameras and a dual-camera system on the back, though Apple has disclosed no camera specifications of its own.
Price expectations for Apple’s most expensive phone yet
Because a foldable display, a titanium chassis and a dual hinge mechanism all add cost, most reporting expects the new device to become Apple’s most expensive iPhone at launch. 9to5Mac’s coverage cites a likely starting price around $1,999, with some supply-chain estimates suggesting a higher-capacity configuration could reach as much as $2,500. Other outlets covering the same rumor cycle have floated a range as high as $2,299 for a base model, underscoring that even reporters following Apple’s supply chain closely have not converged on a single number. Apple has not confirmed a price for any product it may show on September 9.
Why there’s no standard iPhone 18 this time
Unlike prior Septembers, reporting suggests Apple is not planning to introduce a standard iPhone 18 at this event. Multiple outlets describe Apple splitting its annual lineup for the first time, holding the standard iPhone 18, a new iPhone 18e, and a second-generation iPhone Air for a separate spring 2027 launch instead. If that reporting holds, September’s event would be built entirely around the higher-end Pro models and the foldable, a departure from the usual pattern of introducing the full iPhone lineup, budget model included, on the same day each fall.
Apple Watch and AirPods updates also expected
Beyond phones, coverage points to an Apple Watch Series 12 and an Apple Watch Ultra 4, both expected to focus on new processors and health-tracking features rather than a visual redesign, along with a fifth-generation AirPods model. A camera-equipped AirPods Pro variant with Visual Intelligence features has reportedly been pushed back to 2027 rather than appearing this month. Apple has already released updated Mac mini and Mac Studio desktops earlier in the same week, both set for release on September 22, which some reporters have read as evidence the company wanted its desktop refresh clear of the calendar before the September 9 keynote.
This article was produced with the assistance of AI and reviewed by Morning Overview editors prior to publication.
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