Apple has confirmed its fall event for Wednesday, September 9 at 10 a.m. Pacific, under the tagline “Surprise and shine” — and this one is genuinely historic on two counts. It’s expected to bring Apple’s first foldable iPhone, rumored to be called the iPhone Ultra and priced around $1,999. And it will be the first Apple keynote of the John Ternus era: Ternus takes over as CEO on September 1, with Tim Cook moving to executive chairman, per 9to5Mac. One more twist: if you want a regular iPhone 18, you won’t find it here — Apple is reportedly splitting its iPhone launch in two, with the standard models pushed to spring 2027.
Key Takeaways
- The "Surprise and shine" event is Wednesday, September 9 at 10 a.m. PT, streamed on apple.com, YouTube, and the Apple TV app.
- Expected: iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, Apple's first foldable iPhone (rumored ~$1,999), Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, and AirPods 5.
- The standard iPhone 18, 18e, and iPhone Air 2 reportedly wait until spring 2027.
- Preorders are expected Saturday, September 12, with devices in stores September 18.
The headliner: Apple’s first foldable
The foldable iPhone is the reason this event matters beyond the annual upgrade cycle. The rumored specs, compiled from 9to5Mac and MacRumors: a book-style design that opens to an inner display around 7.7 inches (estimates range 7.6 to 7.8), with an outer screen of 5.3 to 5.5 inches for phone-style use. Reports describe a titanium frame, an ultra-thin profile, and a “virtually crease-free” display — the industry’s white whale.
Some notable compromises are rumored too. MacRumors reports the device would use Touch ID built into the power button instead of Face ID, plus two rear cameras and a single front camera — and AppleInsider notes the lack of a telephoto lens “could be a problem” for buyers used to Pro-level cameras. Software is part of the pitch: MacRumors says iOS 27 is expected to be tailored for the foldable with side-by-side apps and iPad-like multitasking.
Then there’s the price. Most estimates point to a starting price around $1,999, with some configurations possibly reaching $2,500, per 9to5Mac — which would make it the most expensive iPhone ever sold. CNET reports the foldable remains on track for a September debut despite chatter about manufacturing snags, though early availability may be limited to the U.S.
Even the name is unsettled: “iPhone Ultra” leads the rumor mill, but AppleInsider hedges with “iPhone Fold,” and nothing is confirmed until Apple says it on stage.
iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: a focused spec bump
The Pro models are expected to keep their predecessors’ designs and display sizes, per 9to5Mac, with the changes concentrated in three areas: a variable-aperture main camera, a smaller Dynamic Island, and Apple’s C2 cellular modem. MacRumors adds a simplified Camera Control button — and reports the variable-aperture camera might be exclusive to the Pro Max, which may also run slightly thicker for a bigger battery.
Under the hood, AppleInsider expects the 2-nanometer A20 Pro chip, with packaging changes that should run cooler for longer. The fun part: colors. Rumors point to a dark cherry and a light blue joining black and silver, per 9to5Mac — CNET calls them potentially “among the more eye-catching colors the company has offered,” alongside last year’s orange.
One caution flag from AppleInsider: between June’s price rises and the ongoing memory crisis, the iPhone 18 Pro “could cost $300 more” than the iPhone 17 Pro. That’s a rumor, not a certainty — but pricing is the number to watch on the 9th.
What’s NOT coming: the great iPhone split
Macworld’s framing is blunt: “The iPhone you want might not be there.” For the first time since the modern lineup took shape, Apple is reportedly splitting its iPhone launches into two waves. September gets the premium tier — 18 Pro, Pro Max, and the foldable. The standard iPhone 18, budget iPhone 18e, and iPhone Air 2 are expected around March 2027, per Bloomberg via CNET.
Macworld explains the logic: launching six phones at once buries some of them, while two launch windows give Apple “two opportunities each year to dominate the smartphone conversation” and smooth out manufacturing. CNET adds the revenue angle — spreading launches keeps sales flowing year-round. But for budget buyers, the practical meaning is simple: the affordable models are months away. Also missing this fall, per Macworld: a new Apple Watch SE, which has never been updated in back-to-back years.
The rest of the lineup: Watches, AirPods, and maybe a smart home surprise
MacRumors’ six-product forecast rounds out with:
- Apple Watch Series 12 — faster chip, longer battery life, fitness improvements, and a new ceramic case option.
- Apple Watch Ultra 4 — spec bump plus expanded satellite features, including Apple Maps via satellite and photo messaging via satellite (also coming to Ultra 3).
- AirPods 5 — two models, with and without active noise cancellation. The wilder AirPods rumor — a version with built-in cameras for AI-powered Visual Intelligence — is expected next year at the soonest, per 9to5Mac.
The maybes, more likely reserved for an October event per MacRumors: an OLED iPad mini, a new Apple TV with Siri AI support, an updated HomePod mini, and an all-new Home Hub — a 6-to-7-inch smart display with FaceTime, in tabletop and wall-mounted versions. Don’t expect Macs: Apple preempted the keynote by announcing new M5/M6 Mac mini and Mac Studio hardware on August 25, releasing September 22, per CNET and 9to5Mac.
When can you actually buy one?
CNET’s read on the calendar is the most useful part of the preorder puzzle. Apple’s pattern puts preorders on the Friday after the keynote — September 11 this year. But that’s the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, and CNET expects Apple to avoid the date out of respect, shifting preorders to Saturday, September 12, with devices in stores Friday, September 18. Whether the foldable ships on the same schedule as the Pro models is still unclear.
What happens next
The keynote streams September 9 on apple.com, YouTube, and the Apple TV app — prerecorded as usual, per AppleInsider, with press getting hands-on time at Apple Park afterward. Watch for four things: the foldable’s real name and price, whether the iPhone 18 Pro’s rumored $300 price hike materializes, how much stage time Siri’s AI overhaul gets, and how John Ternus frames his first keynote as chief executive. Then comes the fall cadence: preorders around September 12, retail September 18, the new Macs on September 22, and a likely October event for the iPad mini, Apple TV, and smart home hardware. If the split-launch strategy is real, this is the new Apple: fewer products per keynote, more keynotes per year. And Apple isn’t the only September stage — Meta Connect follows on September 23 with a hardware story of its own.
Quick poll
Would you buy a foldable iPhone at around $1,999?
For the record: 9to5Mac reports some configurations could reach $2,500 — and the standard iPhone 18 reportedly isn't due until spring 2027.
FAQ
When is Apple’s September 2026 event? Wednesday, September 9 at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET, streamed on apple.com, YouTube, and the Apple TV app. The tagline is “Surprise and shine.”
Is Apple really releasing a foldable iPhone? All signs point to yes — a book-style foldable rumored to be called iPhone Ultra, with a roughly 7.7-inch inner display, titanium frame, and a starting price around $1,999, per 9to5Mac and MacRumors.
Will the regular iPhone 18 be announced on September 9? Reportedly not. Apple is splitting its lineup: only the 18 Pro, Pro Max, and the foldable launch this fall, with the standard iPhone 18, 18e, and iPhone Air 2 expected around March 2027, per CNET citing Bloomberg.
When do iPhone 18 Pro preorders start? Likely Saturday, September 12 — CNET expects Apple to skip its usual Friday slot because it falls on the 25th anniversary of 9/11 — with availability September 18.
Why is this event a big deal for Apple leadership? It’s the first keynote with John Ternus as CEO. He succeeds Tim Cook on September 1, with Cook becoming executive chairman, per 9to5Mac.
