Apple will hold a hardware event on Wednesday, September 9 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, announcing eight new products headlined by the iPhone Ultra, its first foldable iPhone in the company’s history. SVP of Marketing Greg Joswiak announced the event on August 26 with the tagline “Surprise and shine,” signaling the breadth of announcements ahead.
The event will stream across YouTube, the Apple Events website, and the Apple TV app. This September presentation marks Apple’s most product-dense announcement in years, following weeks of hardware announcements that have already brought 11 new products to market in 2026 alone.
iPhone 18 Pro Models and iPhone Ultra
Apple will debut three new iPhones: the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the iPhone Ultra foldable, all shipping with the A20 Pro chip built on a 2nm process. The Pro and Pro Max models are expected to feature a smaller Dynamic Island, a simplified Camera Control button, and a dark cherry color option. No standard iPhone 18 or iPhone Air 2 is expected to launch this month as Apple is deferring those more affordable models to spring 2027.
The iPhone 18 Pro Max will be slightly thicker than the Pro, accommodating a larger battery and potentially gaining an exclusive variable aperture camera that may not appear on the standard Pro model this year. That distinction would mark the first time Apple reserves that capability for its largest flagship.
The iPhone Ultra will measure around 5.5 inches when closed and 7.6 inches when open, with a wider-than-tall aspect ratio mimicking an iPad when unfolded. The device is expected to include a 7.7-inch inner display and 5.3-inch outer display with two rear cameras, one front camera, and a Touch ID power button instead of Face ID. The foldable form factor represents Apple’s first entirely new iPhone design since the iPhone X launched in 2017.
Watches, Wearables, and Smart Home Hardware
Apple will expand its watch lineup with the Apple Watch Series 12, now offering a ceramic case option, and the Apple Watch Ultra 4. AirPods 5 are expected to arrive in both active noise cancellation and standard variants.
The company will also unveil an all-new smart home hub featuring a 6-inch to 7-inch square display, an A18 chip for Apple Intelligence, and support for Siri AI and FaceTime. The hub will be available in both a tabletop version with a speaker base and a wall-mounted variant, placing it as a central control point for home automation and video calling.
The refreshed Apple TV is expected to include at least five new features:
- Processor: A17 Pro chip or newer
- Memory: 8GB of RAM for Apple Intelligence support
- AI: Siri AI integration
- Connectivity: Apple-designed N1 chip with Wi-Fi 7 support
- Remote: Updated Siri Remote
Price increases are expected across the new lineup due to ongoing memory shortages.
The foldable iPhone represents a major strategic shift; Samsung has dominated the foldable market for years while Apple deliberated on the category. By deferring the standard iPhone 18, Apple signals confidence that premium flagship devices and new form factors, rather than an exhaustive lineup, deserve this event’s focus. The smart home hub and upgraded Apple TV mark a more serious competitive push against Amazon and Google in categories Apple has historically left underserved.
