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It’s official: Apple’s upcoming CEO, John Ternus, will reveal the iPhone 18 Pro and the first foldable on September 9.
On August 26, Apple sent media invitations confirming a special event on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, at the Steve Jobs Theater on Apple Park’s Cupertino campus. The invite carries the tagline “Surprise and shine” alongside a glowing Apple logo. The event starts at 10 a.m. Pacific Time and will stream live on Apple’s website, the Apple TV app, and YouTube.
This year’s event carries extra weight for one reason that has nothing to do with hardware.
A new CEO will take the stage. This will be the first Apple product event led by John Ternus as CEO. Ternus is going to take over from Tim Cook on September 1, just over a week before the event. Cook has led Apple since 2011, when he succeeded Steve Jobs. Ternus previously served as senior vice president of hardware engineering, where he oversaw the development of the iPhone, iPad, and AirPods lines for more than a decade.
Counting down with everyone! https://t.co/FhRumftT4S
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) August 26, 2026
Apple has not confirmed a product lineup for the “Surprise and shine” event, but multiple news outlets report a packed event. Expected announcements include:
- iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, both expected to come with a new A20 Pro chip built on a 2nm process. The design is expected to stay close to the iPhone 17 Pro, though the camera system may get an upgraded variable aperture lens.
- Apple’s first foldable iPhone, marking the company’s first new phone form factor since the iPhone X in 2017.
- Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4.
- Possible smart home hardware, including a long-rumored smart home hub, an updated Apple TV 4K, and a refreshed HomePod mini.
Notably, no standard iPhone 18 is expected at this event. Reports indicate Apple is holding that model back until spring 2027, continuing a split release pattern the company has used for entry-level phones in recent years.
The foldable iPhone is the most anticipated device on the list, and also the most ambiguous in terms of details. Its name is still unclear. Some reports call it the iPhone Fold, while others say Apple may brand it the iPhone Ultra as part of a broader Ultra tier that could eventually include other products.
Rumored specs for iPhone Fold are:
- A book-style folding design, roughly 5.5 inches when closed and around 7.6 to 7.8 inches when opened.
- Touch ID instead of Face ID, likely due to space constraints from the folding mechanism.
- No telephoto camera, a trade-off tied to the phone’s thin profile.
Price estimates vary widely across reports, ranging from around $1,999 to nearly $2,900 for higher-storage configurations. Given that spread, the final price remains one of the bigger open questions heading into the event.
Alongside hardware, Apple is expected to share launch dates for its next round of software: iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS Golden Gate.
The event may also bring a more capable version of Siri, referred to in reports as Siri AI. This version reportedly uses large language model technology, allowing it to complete tasks across apps like Messages and Calendar rather than just answering questions.
Beyond the foldable, reports suggest broader price increases across the new iPhone lineup this year. The main driver cited is a global memory chip shortage, which has pushed up component costs industry-wide, not just for Apple.
How to Watch
The event begins at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET) on September 9 and will be available through Apple’s website, the Apple TV app, and Apple’s YouTube channel. Given the scope of what’s expected, from a new CEO’s debut to Apple’s first folding phone, this is shaping up to be one of the more closely watched Apple events in recent memory.
