Apple will unveil its first Apple iPhone Ultra foldable on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, in what the company is calling its most product-dense hardware event in years. Senior Vice President of Marketing Greg Joswiak confirmed the date on August 26 with the tagline “Surprise and shine,” teasing a lineup of eight new products across iPhone, Apple Watch, AirPods, Apple TV, and a new smart home category.
The presentation will stream live on YouTube, the Apple Events website, and the Apple TV app. The fall event follows weeks of earlier hardware releases that have already brought eleven new Apple products to market in 2026, raising expectations for what could be the company’s most consequential product cycle in nearly a decade.
iPhone 18 Pro lineup ships with A20 Pro chip on a 2-nanometer process
Three new iPhones will anchor the September announcements: the iPhone 18 Pro, the iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the Apple iPhone Ultra foldable. All three will run on the A20 Pro chip manufactured on a 2-nanometer process, representing Apple’s first major node shift since the A19 generation.
The Pro and Pro Max models are expected to feature a smaller Dynamic Island, a simplified Camera Control button, and a new dark cherry color option. No standard iPhone 18 or iPhone Air 2 will appear this month, as Apple has deferred its more affordable models to a spring 2027 launch. The decision breaks from Apple’s traditional fall pattern of releasing the full flagship iPhone lineup simultaneously.
iPhone 18 Pro Max gains exclusive variable aperture camera
The iPhone 18 Pro Max will be slightly thicker than the standard Pro to accommodate a larger battery. According to the report, the larger flagship may also gain an exclusive variable aperture camera that does not appear on the smaller Pro model this year, marking the first time Apple has reserved that capability for its largest handset.
The move signals Apple’s intent to widen differentiation between its Pro-tier devices. The variable aperture would give photographers more manual control over depth of field and low-light performance, a feature that competitors such as Samsung have offered in select Galaxy models.
Apple iPhone Ultra foldable borrows design from iPhone Air
The Apple iPhone Ultra foldable will measure roughly 5.5 inches when closed and 7.6 inches when open, adopting a wider-than-tall aspect ratio that mimics an iPad when unfolded. Internally, the device is expected to include a 7.7-inch inner display and a 5.3-inch cover display, paired with two rear cameras, one front camera, and a Touch ID power button in place of Face ID.
The foldable draws heavily from the iPhone Air’s design language, using an ultra-thin titanium frame measuring about 5.6 millimeters when open with a polished titanium finish. It represents Apple’s first entirely new iPhone form factor since the iPhone X debuted in 2017, positioning the company to compete directly with Samsung’s long-dominant Galaxy Z Fold lineup.
Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 add health and ceramic options
Apple will expand its smartwatch family with the Apple Watch Series 12, which introduces a ceramic case option for the first time in several years. The Apple Watch Ultra 4 is expected to add blood pressure monitoring, continuing its positioning as a fitness-focused flagship wearable.
Both watches will likely pair with iOS 27, which Apple will release in conjunction with the event. AirPods 5 are also expected to arrive in both active noise cancellation and standard variants, completing the personal audio refresh for the fall lineup.
New smart home hub and Apple TV refresh push into Amazon and Google territory
Apple will introduce an all-new smart home hub featuring a 6-inch to 7-inch square display, an A18 chip for Apple Intelligence, and support for Siri AI and FaceTime. The device will ship in two configurations: a tabletop version with a speaker base and a wall-mounted variant designed as a central control point for home automation and video calling.
The refreshed Apple TV will include an A17 Pro chip or newer, 8GB of RAM for Apple Intelligence, an Apple-designed N1 chip with Wi-Fi 7 support, an updated Siri Remote, and Siri AI integration. Price increases are expected across the new lineup as ongoing memory shortages continue to pressure component costs. Together, the hub and the updated Apple TV mark a more aggressive competitive stance against Amazon’s Echo Show and Google’s Nest Hub in categories Apple has historically underserved.
iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS Golden Gate set for release alongside hardware
The September 9 event will also serve as the launchpad for release dates of iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS Golden Gate, all currently in developer beta. The three operating system updates will arrive in the days following the presentation, completing the software story for the new hardware generation.
By deferring the standard iPhone 18 and pairing that decision with the debut of the Apple iPhone Ultra foldable, Apple is signaling confidence that premium flagships and new form factors, rather than an exhaustive price-tier lineup, deserve the spotlight this fall. The September 9 event will test whether Apple’s eight-product approach can convert long-running foldable curiosity into mainstream demand.