Apple officially set the date for its biggest product event of the year. The company sent out invitations on Wednesday for a special event dubbed “Surprise and shine,” promising a major hardware showcase at the Steve Jobs Theater in Apple Park on September 9.
The first folding iPhone will be the star of the show, along with the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, but there’s surely plenty more on Apple’s agenda. And one iPhone that’ll be notably missing.
Apple September event is the peak of the company’s year
The invitation that went out Wednesday features a glowing Apple logo surrounded by a blue haze with the words “Surprise and shine.” That doesn’t seem to drop any hints about what’s on the docket.
Surprise and shine! It’s almost time for the #AppleEvent, on Wednesday, September 9! pic.twitter.com/SLkIcNmLwP
— Greg Joswiak (@gregjoz) August 26, 2026
The Wednesday, September 9 event begins at 10 a.m. Pacific time, or 1 p.m. Eastern. Apple is expected to livestream the presentation for everyone who can’t attend in person.
While the “Surprise and shine” invitation doesn’t offer any hints about specific products, but Apple’s September event is traditionally when it unveils its latest iPhones and Apple Watch models. And we don’t have to wait until next month, because many of the details of these leaked out already.
The folding iPhone will steal the show
AI image: Google Gemini/Cult of Mac
The biggest announcement at Apple’s September event will surely be the long-rumored foldable iPhone… sometimes referred to as the iPhone Ultra.
Leaks point to a book-style design that opens to reveal a 7.8-in foldable display. It will usher in the most significant change to the iPhone design since… ever.
Bring on iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, but not iPhone 18
Photo: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
Apple is also expected to launch the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max at the September event.
The two iPhone 18 Pro models are rumored to be powered by Apple’s new A20 Pro processor, and get a smaller Dynamic Island along with improvements to wireless connectivity.
The iPhone 18 Pro Max could get an especially exciting upgrade: a variable-aperture main camera that will give photographers more control over depth of field.
But do not expect to see a regular iPhone 18 at this event. Multiple reports indicate that Apple will split its iPhone lineup into two annual launches. That means the iPhone 18, iPhone 18e and second-generation iPhone Air have been pushed back to spring 2027.
As a result, Apple’s September event will heavily feature premium handsets: iPhone Ultra, iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.
Don’t overlook Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4
New Apple Watch models are also expected at the September “Surprise and shine” event. We can look forward to the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4.
Neither model is expected to receive a dramatic redesign. Instead, Apple is reportedly concentrating on faster performance and improvements to health and fitness tracking. Still, a new-generation processor could provide a welcome performance boost after several years of relatively modest Apple Watch chip upgrades.
Rumors also suggest Apple could bring back a ceramic case option for the Series 12.
And much, much more
AI image: ChatGPT/Cult of Mac
The list of items on Apple’s agenda for the September 9 event could be quite long. But note that while the new iPhones and Apple Watches are a virtual certainty, the following products are considerably less so. Apple could easily save them for another event.
AirPods with cameras are still many months away, but AirPods fans might have something to look forward to: AirPods 5. Leaks indicate an updated version of Apple’s basic earbuds will once again come in a standard model plus one with active noise cancellation, and audio performance improvements to both are expected.
For many months, rumors have pointed to new versions of the Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini. They’ve apparently been held up waiting on the AI-enabled version of the Siri voice assistant, and that launches in September, so the wait could be almost over.
Speaking of Siri AI, rumors point to Apple entering a new category: a smart home hub designed around the smarter Siri. This will apparently be Apple’s first smart display built for the home. Expect a tabletop version and one that hangs on the wall, each with a seven-inch touchscreen.
Hello John Ternus, goodbye Tim Cook
Photo: Apple
Whatever gets unveiled, the September event will be a milestone for Apple. John Ternus is scheduled to become Apple’s CEO on September 1, taking over from Tim Cook. That makes “Surprise and shine” the first major iPhone launch under Apple’s new leadership.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 26 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh SE/30 (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer.
That’s because he’s a “tablet first” type of guy. Rather than use a Macbook, he connects a keyboard case to the iPad. And instead of a desktop Mac, he connects his tablet to a 27-inch display and full-size keyboard. (So don’t try to tell him that everyone has to use a Mac to be productive.)
Before coming to Cult of Mac, Ed wrote for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
