Apple’s September 9 event at Apple Park will be the first public test of John Ternus since he replaced Tim Cook as chief executive on September 1. The company is billing the keynote “Surprise and shine,” but the product slate reads more like a stress test: a likely price increase on the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, a foldable “iPhone Ultra” that arrives two months after Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8, and a base iPhone 18 that may not appear until early next year alongside a rumored iPhone 18E and refreshed iPhone Air. The livestream starts at 1 PM ET on Apple’s site, Apple TV, and YouTube.
The CEO transition frames the stakes
Ternus inherits a product cycle where the high end is being asked to carry more of the revenue load. Apple raised prices across nearly its entire lineup earlier this year, and the Pro models are the logical place for those increases to land on the phone side. Larger batteries, a smaller Dynamic Island, a variable-aperture camera, and four colorways, black, silver, light blue, dark cherry purple, are the cited upgrades. Whether that bundle justifies a higher sticker is the question investors will price in real time.
The Pro upsell carries the revenue
With the base iPhone 18 reportedly delayed to early 2027, the Pro and Pro Max become the only new iPhone revenue for the holiday quarter. That concentration risk is unusual for a September launch. If the price hike dampens upgrade rates, there is no cheaper new model to absorb demand. The rumored iPhone 18E and updated iPhone Air, if they exist, are not expected until the same early-2027 window.
The foldable arrives fashionably late
The “iPhone Ultra” would be Apple’s first foldable, using a passport-style design similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Xiaomi 18 Fold. The Verge’s Dominic Preston called the Samsung device “feels like the future.” Apple’s entry, if announced, would test whether the company can command a premium for a form factor the market has already sampled. No pricing or supply details have surfaced, and the source does not confirm the Ultra will launch rather than merely be previewed.
Wearables and audio fill the gaps
Mark Gurman of Bloomberg reports the Apple Watch Series 12 may bring back a ceramic case option alongside new band colors and configurations, with no major redesign. Always-on heart-rate sensing is the headline health feature. AirPods 5 are due after a multi-year gap but will lack the camera-equipped variant Gurman says is targeted for 2027. The upgrade is described as iterative: new chip, new sensors.