On September 9, under the banner of a new era, Apple will step onto a stage it has long observed from a distance — the foldable phone market — while simultaneously handing its most iconic product line to a new chief executive. The moment carries the weight of both technological ambition and institutional transition, as John Ternus leads his first iPhone launch after Tim Cook's fifteen-year tenure. What Apple unveils will say as much about where the company believes the future of personal computing lives as it does about the courage required to redesign something the world already knows by hear
Apple's September 9 Event: Foldable iPhone Ultra, Pro Upgrades and New Leadership Debut
A device that opens like a paperback, with a 5.5-inch screen outside and 7.8-inch inside
Mark
So Apple is making a foldable phone. That's the headline, right? But I'm curious—why now? What changed?
Mimi
The rumors suggest Apple has been working on this for years, but the technology finally caught up to their standards. They wanted to do it their way, not copy Samsung's clamshell design. The book-style form factor, the thinness they're targeting—that's Apple's answer to the question of what a foldable should be.
Luke
But here's what we don't know yet: does the crease actually bother people, or is Apple solving a problem that doesn't exist? The rumors say they're focusing on making it less visible rather than eliminating it. That's a real engineering constraint, not a choice.
Mark
And the price—$2,000 to start. That's a lot of money for a first-generation product. Who's actually going to buy this?
Mimi
That's the bet Apple is making. They're positioning it as a premium device, not a mass-market phone. It's for people who want the latest technology and can afford it. The real question is whether the software—iOS 27 and how apps adapt to the larger screen—makes the experience feel genuinely different or just like a bigger phone.
Luke
Right. And we should note: all of this is rumor. Apple hasn't confirmed any of it. The specifications, the pricing, even the event title—these are all based on leaks and analyst reports. We'll know for certain on September 9.
Mark
What about the leadership change? John Ternus as CEO—does that matter for this product?
Mimi
It's symbolic, at least. Tim Cook built Apple into what it is, but Ternus is presenting a new generation of products under new leadership. That's a moment worth paying attention to.
Luke
Though we should be careful not to read too much into it. Ternus has been at Apple for years. This isn't a radical departure in strategy. The foldable was likely in development long before Cook stepped back.
Il Polso
- Apple is entering the foldable market not with a clamshell but with a book-style device that opens to near-tablet proportions — a direct challenge to the form factors Samsung has spent years normalizing.
- Engineering the foldable to just 4.5mm when open has forced real sacrifices: Face ID is gone, the rear camera system is reduced to two lenses, and the crease in the display remains an unsolved problem Apple is managing rather than eliminating.
- The iPhone 18 Pro line pushes forward with variable-aperture cameras and larger batteries, but the standard iPhone 18 may not arrive until spring 2027 — a strategic pivot that makes this the most Pro-concentrated September launch in Apple's history.
- Pricing signals a new ceiling: the foldable iPhone Ultra is expected to start above $2,000, with Pro model prices also rising, reflecting higher component costs and a deliberate repositioning toward premium buyers.
- Beyond phones, Apple is expanding its ecosystem footprint with a smart-home hub, refreshed Apple Watch and AirPods, and a suite of software releases — all arriving as iOS 27 prepares developers to build for a world of variable screen sizes.
On September 9, under the banner of a new era, Apple will step onto a stage it has long observed from a distance — the foldable phone market — while simultaneously handing its most iconic product line to a new chief executive. The moment carries the weight of both technological ambition and institutional transition, as John Ternus leads his first iPhone launch after Tim Cook's fifteen-year tenure. What Apple unveils will say as much about where the company believes the future of personal computing lives as it does about the courage required to redesign something the world already knows by heart.
Apple's September 9 event, titled "Surprise and Shine," arrives at a rare inflection point. John Ternus steps into his first iPhone launch as CEO, succeeding Tim Cook after fifteen years, and the product he is introducing is one Apple has never made before: a foldable iPhone.
The device, widely referred to as the iPhone Ultra, takes a book-style approach rather than the clamshell form that competitors have favored. It carries a 5.5-inch OLED display on the outside and unfolds to a 7.8-inch screen — compact tablet territory. Apple's defining engineering constraint has been thinness: 4.5mm when open, 9mm when closed. That ambition has shaped every compromise. Face ID is absent, replaced by Touch ID embedded in the side button. The rear camera system carries two lenses rather than three. The foldable crease, still an unsolved challenge across the industry, is being minimized rather than eliminated. Despite the slim profile, the battery is rumored to be among the largest Apple has ever shipped, and the A20 Pro chip on a 2-nanometer process will power the device alongside 12GB of RAM.
The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max will not be overshadowed. Both are expected to introduce variable-aperture main cameras — allowing users to control how much light reaches the sensor — along with larger batteries, a smaller Dynamic Island, and new color options. The Pro Max may approach the foldable in battery capacity.
The event will also bring Apple Watch Series 12 with continuous heart-rate monitoring ambitions, AirPods 5 with an updated H3 chip, and potentially a smart-home hub featuring a seven-inch display, camera, and presence detection. Software release dates for iOS 27 and its companion platforms will be announced, with iOS 27 carrying particular significance as developers adapt to the foldable's shifting screen dimensions.
Perhaps the most consequential strategic signal is what will not appear: the standard iPhone 18 is rumored to be delayed until spring 2027. This September belongs to the Pro tier and the foldable, with pricing to match — Pro models rising by up to $300, and the foldable starting above $2,000. Pre-orders are expected September 12, with devices shipping September 18.
Apple is preparing to reshape its product line on September 9, and the centerpiece will be something the company has never made before: a foldable iPhone. The event, titled "Surprise and Shine," begins at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, and it arrives at a moment of transition—John Ternus will host his first iPhone launch as CEO, taking over from Tim Cook after 15 years at the helm.
The foldable device, referred to in rumors as the iPhone Ultra, represents a deliberate departure from the clamshell designs that Samsung and other manufacturers have popularized. Apple is pursuing a book-style form factor instead: a device that opens like a paperback, with a 5.5-inch OLED screen on the outside and a substantially larger 7.8-inch display when unfolded. When opened, it will have the proportions of a compact tablet. The engineering challenge Apple has set for itself is thinness. The device is expected to measure 4.5 millimeters when fully opened and approximately 9 millimeters when folded—a constraint that has forced real compromises. The crease that appears when a foldable screen bends has proven nearly impossible to eliminate with current technology, so Apple is instead focusing on making it less visible and ensuring the hinge remains durable over time.
The thinness requirement has also altered the phone's biometric approach. Rather than Face ID, the foldable will use Touch ID, with the fingerprint sensor built into the side button—a solution Apple already employs on some iPad models. The device will retain cameras on both the outer and inner displays for selfies and video calls regardless of whether it's folded or open. The rear camera system, however, will be simpler than the Pro models: two cameras instead of three, a Wide and an Ultra Wide, positioned to function in both folded and unfolded states. MagSafe charging is expected, though some leaked dummy units have not shown an obvious magnetic ring.
Performance will be driven by Apple's next-generation A20 Pro chip, manufactured on a 2-nanometer process and paired with 12 gigabytes of RAM. Despite the slim profile, the battery is rumored to hold between 5,400 and 5,800 milliamp-hours—potentially larger than the iPhone 17 Pro Max. The foldable will also likely include Apple's new C2 modem, though uncertainty remains about whether it will support mmWave 5G in certain U.S. models.
The conventional flagships will not be overshadowed entirely. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are expected to retain the design language of the iPhone 17 Pro series but will receive meaningful camera upgrades. Apple is developing a variable-aperture main camera that will allow users to adjust how much light reaches the sensor—a wider aperture for low-light photography, a narrower one for brighter conditions and greater control over background blur. The Dynamic Island will persist but in a smaller form. New color options, including dark cherry, light blue, and silver, are anticipated. The Pro Max model is rumored to feature a battery around 5,567 milliamp-hours, and Apple is exploring LTPO+ display technology to improve power efficiency.
Beyond phones, the event will introduce new Apple Watch and AirPods models. The Apple Watch Series 12 is expected to retain its familiar design while adding a ceramic case option and a faster processor. Apple is reportedly exploring a feature that would allow the heart-rate sensor to collect data continuously throughout the day, feeding insights into the Health app. The Apple Watch Ultra 4 will receive internal upgrades rather than a redesign. AirPods 5 will feature an updated H3 chip aimed at improving audio performance and reducing latency, with versions available with and without active noise cancellation.
Apple may also announce a smart-home hub with a seven-inch square display, camera, and presence-detection sensors designed to control smart-home products, run applications, support video calls, and interact with Siri. An updated Apple TV 4K with a faster processor and the HomePod mini with a new chip and color options are also possible. Software announcements will include release dates for iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS Golden Gate, tvOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27—with iOS 27 particularly important for the foldable, as developers will need to adapt applications to work across different screen sizes and support multitasking features like side-by-side apps.
One significant shift in Apple's strategy: the standard iPhone 18 may not appear in September at all. Current rumors suggest Apple could delay it until spring 2027, when it would launch alongside the iPhone 18e and a second-generation iPhone Air. That would make this September's lineup distinctly Pro-focused. Pricing for the Pro models is expected to rise by between $100 and $300 compared with the previous generation, driven partly by higher memory and storage costs. The foldable iPhone will command a premium entry price of at least $2,000, with higher-storage versions potentially reaching or exceeding $2,500. Pre-orders are expected to begin on Saturday, September 12, with devices arriving on Friday, September 18—a shift from Apple's usual Friday pre-order date, likely to avoid September 11.
Citazioni salienti
Apple is pursuing a book-style form factor with a 5.5-inch outer display and 7.8-inch inner display when unfolded, designed to feel like a compact tablet when fully opened— Rumor reports on foldable iPhone design
The foldable will use Touch ID rather than Face ID because the slimmer design leaves less room for the TrueDepth camera system— Reports on biometric authentication changes
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