Apple Surprise and Shine Sept. 9: Foldable iPhone Ultra and iPhone 18 Pro Expected

Apple’s fall keynote is two days away. The “Surprise and Shine” event lands Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific—livestreamed on Apple’s site, YouTube, and the Apple TV app. It is also the first major iPhone show under new CEO John Ternus, which raises the stakes if a foldable finally joins the Pro lineup.

What’s expected on stage

MacRumors’ September guide expects the usual Pro stack—iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max—plus Apple’s first foldable, rumored under the name iPhone Ultra. Apple Watch updates and possible AirPods are also on the watch list. The standard non-Pro iPhone 18 is expected to skip September and arrive in spring 2027, according to the same guide—so September looks like a Pro-and-foldable show, not a full-line refresh.

The event name and date are confirmed. Almost everything about the foldable’s panels, chip, and price is still rumor until Apple speaks. Rocks will treat speculative retail sheets as noise until the keynote locks specs on camera.

Foldable rumors (unconfirmed)

Reporting aggregated by MacRumors points to a book-style foldable with a roughly 5.5-inch outer OLED and ~7.8-inch inner OLED. Other rumor items include a Touch ID side button—because there may be no TrueDepth Face ID space on the outer display—an A20 Pro built on 2nm, and MagSafe support cited via Bloomberg. Starting-price rumors run at least ~$2,000, with TrendForce figures of $2,099–$2,299 cited elsewhere.

None of those panel sizes, process-node claims, or dollar figures are confirmed Apple pricing. They are useful for setting expectations if you are deciding whether to wait before buying an iPhone 16/17-class handset. They are not a shopping list. If the foldable ships closer to two thousand dollars, it will be a niche flagship next to Pro Max, not a volume iPhone replacement for most buyers.

Why Ternus’s first big show matters

This is the first major iPhone event hosted by CEO John Ternus. A foldable debut—if it happens—would be the biggest form-factor shift since the iPhone X era, and it would land beside Pro models that usually carry the camera and silicon upgrades people actually pay to upgrade for. Even without a foldable, Pro camera and modem details will decide whether September is a must-watch or a skip-year for upgraders who already own a recent Pro Max.

TechTimes coverage around the Surprise and Shine branding also underscores that Apple is leaning into a “surprise” narrative for this cycle—another reason rumor discipline matters before Wednesday morning Pacific time.

How to watch

Mark September 9, 2026, 10:00 a.m. Pacific. Stream on Apple.com, YouTube, or the Apple TV app. Until then, ignore speculative “leaked” retail boxes and wait for on-stage confirmation. We will update with verified hardware once Apple finishes the keynote—and we will keep rumor labels on any Ultra price or panel claim that is not spoken by Apple.

Sources: MacRumors, TechTimes.