Overview
- Apple has confirmed a livestreamed “Surprise & Shine” event for Wednesday, Sept. 9, with the company expected to use the keynote to announce new hardware though product names and specs remain unconfirmed.
- Multiple outlets report the headline devices will be the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max plus Apple’s first foldable, often called the iPhone Ultra, but those device details are based on leaks and analyst reporting rather than official Apple statements.
- Leaks and supply‑chain analysts say the Pro models will spotlight a new A20 Pro chip reportedly built on TSMC’s 2nm node, Apple’s in‑house C2 modem, up to 12GB of RAM, and a variable‑aperture main camera that may be exclusive to the Pro Max.
- Coverage converges on a staged rollout with pre‑orders widely reported for Sept. 12 and retail availability around Sept. 18 for Pro models, while the standard iPhone 18 is increasingly likely to be delayed to spring 2027 and the foldable could ship later because of production limits.
- Suppliers and analysts point to higher DRAM and NAND costs, lower 2nm yields and wafer‑level packaging and foldable‑panel bottlenecks as the reasons for tighter early inventory and likely price rises for Pro models and a very high price for the foldable, effects that will hit buyers through limited stock and higher launch prices.