On September 9, Apple holds an event called “Surprise and Shine” at 10am Pacific, its first major product launch run by someone other than Tim Cook in fifteen years. The headline product is one Apple has skipped for seven years while its rivals sold it: a folding iPhone.
The lineup
Apple is expected to introduce the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, running a new A20 chip, alongside its first foldable, reportedly called iPhone Fold. Rumors point to a roughly 5.5-inch outer display that opens into a 7.8-inch internal screen, with analysts at TrendForce estimating a starting price between $2,099 and $2,299, and higher-storage models likely crossing $3,000. Apple is reportedly skipping a base iPhone 18 and iPhone Air this round, pushing both to spring 2027 and splitting its usual single fall release into two smaller windows. Apple Watch Series 12 and Watch Ultra 4 are expected too, alongside updated AirPods, a new Apple TV 4K built around Siri’s overhauled AI assistant, and a rumored smart home display for controlling connected devices.
Why it matters
Apple built its reputation on entering categories late, only after competitors had worked out the flaws. Folding phones have spent seven years solving hinge durability, screen creasing, and battery life, first at Samsung and Huawei. Apple now enters that market at a price that makes its own iPhone 18 Pro look affordable by comparison, testing whether its brand can justify arriving last and charging a premium for it.
The event also doubles as John Ternus’s first public test as chief executive. He took over Apple on September 1, after Tim Cook stepped down following fifteen years running the company. Whatever ships on stage this week becomes the first product line investors, retailers, and competing marketing teams associate with Ternus, not Cook.
Bigger picture
The pricing story reaches beyond the Fold. Apple already raised prices on iPads, Macs, and its home lineup over the summer, pointing to a memory chip shortage driven by AI data centers competing for the same manufacturing capacity as consumer electronics. TrendForce estimates component costs could push new iPhone prices up 10 to 20 percent across the industry, meaning the iPhone 18 Pro series likely costs more than its predecessor even before the Fold’s separate premium is factored in. For a company that has held iPhone pricing steady for years to protect volume, that shift is worth watching well past this one keynote.
What’s next
Apple hasn’t confirmed pricing or availability, and early rumors suggest the Fold may launch in fewer markets than a standard iPhone at first. The real test starts after the keynote: whether buyers pay four figures for a first-generation folding phone, and whether Ternus keeps Apple on this new staggered release calendar or returns to a single fall launch in 2027.
