$2,000 iPhone Ultra and More Expected at September 9 Apple Event

Apple is gearing up for its annual fall hardware showcase on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. Dubbed “Surprise and shine”, the event marks a massive turning point for the tech giant. This is also the very first keynote helmed by John Ternus following his transition to CEO.

Instead of dropping an entire family of devices all at once, Apple is splitting the lineup across two seasons, as noted by Bloomberg. The standard iPhone 18, the entry-level iPhone 18e, and the second-generation iPhone Air have been held back for a spring 2027 release. That leaves September’s stage wide open for high-end foldable ‘iPhone Ultra’ alongside the flagship iPhone 18 Pro lineup.

The star of the show will undoubtedly be Apple’s first-ever foldable smartphone, widely tipped to launch as the iPhone Ultra or iPhone Fold. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that those who have spent time with the hardware came away thoroughly impressed by the hinge engineering and how comfortable it feels in a pocket. The book-style foldable reportedly features a 5.5-inch cover screen and unfolds to reveal a massive 7.8-inch inner display with a crease that is nearly invisible.

To pull off an ultra-thin frame that measures around 4.5mm when unfolded, Apple reportedly ditched Face ID entirely. Instead, the company is bringing back Touch ID, integrating the fingerprint scanner directly into the power button. Powering the foldable is TSMC’s cutting-edge 2-nanometer A20 Pro chip paired with 12GB of RAM to handle on-device AI workloads.

The camera array skips a telephoto lens in favour of dual 48-megapixel sensors, though Gurman notes the device surprisingly retains MagSafe wireless charging support. However, cutting-edge engineering comes with extreme sticker shock. Pricing is expected to start somewhere between $2,000 and $2,500.

Alongside the foldable, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will bring iterative yet significant hardware upgrades. Both flagship models retain their 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display dimensions, but they will sport slightly thicker bodies to house larger batteries and superior thermal cooling. Performance gets a big boost from the 2-nanometer A20 Pro processor and Apple’s second-generation custom C2 modem.

The main camera on the Pro Max model is expected to feature a physical variable-aperture mechanism, giving mobile photographers direct hardware control over depth of field and low-light performance. Expect a price hike as well, with rumors suggesting a $100 to $200 jump across the Pro lineup due to rising component costs.

Beyond phones, Apple will refresh its wearable lineup with the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4, both running on an updated S11 processor focused on health tracking and extended battery life. We could also see sneak peeks at upcoming home hardware, including a redesigned Apple TV and a smart display hub.