Apple has confirmed September 9 for its annual iPhone launch, and the invite sent out on Wednesday uses the tagline “Surprise and shine.” The keynote starts at 10am Pacific, which is 10.30pm IST, and will stream from the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park via Apple’s site, YouTube and the Apple TV app.Two things separate this from the usual September routine. It is the first Apple event with John Ternus running the company, since Tim Cook hands over the CEO title on September 1 and becomes executive chairman. The rumoured product list is also unusually long. Apple pushed the new Mac mini and Mac Studio out in late August, a slot it has used only once in the past decade, and several reports read that as an attempt to free up space on stage.
The foldable iPhone is the biggest launch expected on the day
The device drawing the most attention is Apple’s first foldable, which most reports expect to be called iPhone Ultra. Leaks point to a 7.8-inch inner display that opens like a book and a roughly 5.3-inch cover screen, with the A20 Pro chip and 12GB of memory.Rumours suggest two 48MP rear cameras and no telephoto lens, which would be an odd omission at this price. There are also claims that authentication falls back to Touch ID rather than Face ID.Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who says he has spoken to people who have used the phone, reports that the hinge and the way it fits in a pocket both impressed them, and that it works well as a camera viewfinder. He expects pricing to start above $2,000, roughly Rs 1.8 lakh before Indian duties, so the local figure would likely be higher.
The iPhone 18 Pro upgrade sounds modest, the price rise may not be
The iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max are widely tipped as a spec-bump year. Reports point to a 2nm A20 Pro with packaging changes meant to help thermals, Apple’s own C2 modem, a slightly larger camera bump and a dark cherry finish. A variable-aperture rear camera is rumoured to be a Pro Max exclusive, and under-display Face ID has been floated without much backing.Pricing is the bigger question. With memory costs climbing, Samsung and Google have each raised phone prices by about $100, and Gurman expects Apple to follow, which would put the iPhone 18 Pro near $1,199. Other estimates run steeper.The standard iPhone 18, the iPhone 18e and a second-generation iPhone Air are not expected in September, with reports pointing to 2027.
Watches, AirPods and new home devices make up the rest of the list
Apple Watch Series 12 is expected to be a light update, with talk of a health sensor tied to a fluoroelastomer band, while the Apple Watch Ultra 4 may get a redesign. AirPods 5 look likely, in ANC and non-ANC versions. The camera-equipped AirPods that leaked in a macOS Tahoe release candidate are still reported as a 2027 product.The home devices are the bigger unknown. Reports mention a refreshed Apple TV 4K, a new HomePod mini and a home hub with a seven-inch screen. Gurman reports Apple is reworking the accessory sections in its retail stores, which he takes as a sign of more than routine updates. An OLED iPad mini remains a wildcard.
Siri AI is the software behind most of these new devices
Most of the home hardware has reportedly been waiting on the Siri overhaul Apple previewed at WWDC in June. That keynote was structured differently from the usual run through each operating system in turn, with Apple instead laying out a cross-platform pitch built around Siri AI and Apple Intelligence.The version demoed uses large language model technology to let the assistant act inside apps such as Messages and Calendar rather than only answering questions. It is the feature Apple has been promising and delaying since 2024.Siri AI is expected alongside iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27 Tahoe, watchOS 27 and tvOS 27, reportedly in the back half of September and initially as a waitlisted beta. That timing matters for the hardware. A refreshed Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini would need newer chips to support it, which is one explanation for why those updates have taken so long, and a home hub with a screen makes little sense without an assistant that can act on requests.
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