Tomorrow morning at 10AM Pacific, Apple takes the stage at the Steve Jobs Theater, for its the annual September 9 event. It will be the company’s first major product launch since erstwhile Hardware VP John Ternus officially succeeded Tim Cook as CEO on September 1 — with Cook stepping back to executive chairman after 15 years. New boss, new products, and if the leaks are right, a genuinely new category for Apple.
The iPhone Ultra — Apple’s first foldable
This is the one everyone’s been waiting for. Apple is expected to unveil its first foldable iPhone on September 9, rumoured to be called the iPhone Ultra, with a book-style design featuring a 5.3–5.5-inch outer display that unfolds into a 7.7–7.8-inch internal screen with a wide 4:3 aspect ratio.
The compromises are real. Apple is expected to replace Face ID with a side-mounted Touch ID fingerprint sensor embedded in the power button, and the telephoto camera is reportedly being dropped in favour of a dual-lens rear layout to keep the chassis thin. Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman confirmed MagSafe support, contradicting earlier reports it might be omitted, and battery capacity is rumoured at 5,000–5,500mAh — potentially the largest ever fitted to an iPhone.
On price: one can expect a starting price in the $2,099–$2,299 range, with the highest-end configurations potentially surpassing $3,000 — easily the most expensive iPhone ever made. Pre-orders are expected later this week, with retail availability on September 18, though supplies could be limited.
The Familiar iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max
The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are the headlining slab iPhones this cycle, built around a new 2-nanometer A20 Pro chip expected to run cooler and more efficiently than its predecessor. The chip is reported to be 18% faster and 30% more power-efficient than the A19 Pro, paired with 12GB of RAM and a custom C2 modem.
One catch: the standard iPhone 18 is not launching in September 2026 — Apple is holding it back for a spring 2027 release alongside the iPhone 18e and iPhone Air 2. If you want a new iPhone this year, you’re going premium whether you like it or not.
Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4
The Apple Watch Series 12 is expected to feature a significantly upgraded chip — Apple held back a major improvement with the Series 11, making this a more substantial generational step — with Touch ID in the side button and deeper Apple Intelligence integration. A ceramic case option is also expected, alongside the Apple Watch Ultra 4 with incremental improvements and enhanced battery life.
AirPods 5 and smart home updates
AirPods 5 are expected at the event, though AirPods Pro with Visual Intelligence are being pushed to next year. On the smart home front, a refreshed HomePod is expected alongside an Apple TV 4K with an A17 Pro chip, and a HomePod Mini 2 with better sound and a new red colour option.
Tomorrow also marks the first Apple event under John Ternus. The products are set. The leaks are thorough. What nobody knows yet is what kind of CEO Ternus will be on stage — and whether Apple’s era of Tim Cook’s careful, measured showmanship gets replaced with something different.
That is one, genuine, surprise left.