Technology and Science · updated 3h ago · 3 min read
Apple’s Surprise And Shine Event Set For September 9 In Cupertino
First foldable iPhone expected at Apple’s Sept 9 Surprise and Shine event. iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max expected alongside foldable reveal.
Which first foldable iPhone model Apple is likely to call.
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CNET
“Leaks increasingly point to “iPhone Ultra,” a label that would elevate the device above the Pro lineup”Read the original ↗
Naming differences signal uncertainty and shape how readers expect Apple to tier the device.
Sept. 9 Apple event
Apple’s “Surprise and Shine” event is set for Wednesday, September 9, at 1:00 p.m. ET / 10:00 a.m. PT from the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park in Cupertino, where the next iPhones are expected to be unveiled.
“next Wednesday, September 9, at 1:00 p.m. ET / 10:00 am PT from the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park in Cupertino”
CNET frames the foldable iPhone Ultra as a likely headline, saying the foldable iPhone Ultra’s release date will likely be announced on Sept. C9 but it “won’t come out that day,” with store shelves potentially arriving later in September or even October or November.
The New York Times says Apple is expected to introduce “a foldable smartphone with a bendable display that opens and closes like a book,” and it describes the event as a test of whether John Ternus can “breathe new life into Apple’s products and the splashy events that announce them.”
TechCrunch similarly places the foldable iPhone Ultra alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, noting the event is on Wednesday, September 9 at 10 a.m. PDT and that the standard iPhone 18 model isn’t expected to launch until next year.
Rumored specs and pricing
CNET reports that the foldable iPhone Ultra is expected to cost between $2,000 and $2,500, and it adds that Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says Apple has discussed starting prices as high as $2,200 with larger storage configurations nearing $3,000.C
CNET also says the inside display is rumored to be near tablet-sized at 7.8 inches, while it describes the likely software approach as side-by-side app layouts that should still let users drag and drop things between them.C
MacRumors’ cheat sheet describes the iPhone Ultra as a book-style foldable with an approximately 5.5-inch outer display and 7.8-inch inner display, and it says the device is expected to use an A20 Pro chip and 12GB of RAM.
For the event’s broader lineup, Diario AS says the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are expected to be unveiled, and it adds that pre-orders for the new iPhones could open on September 12 with September 18 being the most likely date for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max to go on sale.D
Why it matters now
Multiple outlets tie the foldable iPhone expectation to Apple’s leadership transition, with CNET saying the event is the first since outgoing CEO Tim Cook formally handed the keys to John Ternus and with TechCrunch calling it Apple’s first major product announcement since Tim Cook stepped down.
“In a recent survey, CNET found that 64% of people said they don’t want a foldable phone”
The New York Times frames the foldable as a mainstream test, saying the product event will be a test of whether John Ternus can “restore some of that pizazz,” while also noting that foldable smartphones still make up only a tiny slice of the smartphone market.
CNET adds that a recent CNET survey found 64% of people said they don’t want a foldable phone, and it says IDC analysts predict global foldable sales will jump 19% if the iPhone Fold launches in 2026, with Apple’s folding device capturing around 24% of the global market share.C
Looking beyond Apple’s own hardware, Gizmodo says newly appointed CEO John Ternus told staff in an internal memo that the launch “is going to be phenomenal,” and it places the foldable iPhone announcement alongside rumored iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, and AirPods 5.