Apple Surprise and Shine, the company’s next major product launch event, is officially scheduled for Wednesday, September 9, 2026, at 10 AM PDT / 1 PM EDT. The gathering carries historic weight: it is the first iPhone launch event led by new Apple chief executive officer John Ternus, who took the top job on September 1, 2026, after Tim Cook transitioned to the role of executive chairman. According to a leaked internal memo obtained by legal expert Srdan Kisic and posted on Threads, Ternus told Apple employees to brace for “a huge event that’s going to be phenomenal,” setting the tone for what could become one of the most consequential product reveals in the company’s recent history.
Ternus Steps Into the Spotlight After Tim Cook Era
The September 9 event marks the formal beginning of the post-Cook era at Apple. John Ternus, a long-time hardware engineer and one of the most respected product leaders inside the company, has now inherited the responsibility of fronting Apple’s flagship launches. Industry observers have called the upcoming keynote his defining CEO moment, the first opportunity for the new leader to project his own product vision directly to consumers, investors, and the broader technology ecosystem.
Internal communications suggest Ternus is treating the occasion with the gravity it deserves. The memo’s wording, “a huge event that’s going to be phenomenal,” mirrors the high-stakes energy that has historically surrounded Apple’s iPhone reveals. Sources inside the company say the new CEO views the launch as a chance to establish continuity with the Cook era while signaling subtle shifts in hardware priorities, particularly in industrial design and materials science.
iPhone Ultra Headlines the Hardware Lineup
The centerpiece of the Apple Surprise and Shine event is expected to be the iPhone Ultra, Apple’s first foldable iPhone. Suppliers have reportedly been told to prepare for production of 10 million units in 2026, signaling Apple’s confidence in the device despite an industry that has struggled to convert mainstream buyers. Industry forecasts cited in coverage of the event suggest Apple could capture roughly 25% of the global foldable phone market in its first year, placing the company in a strong second-place position behind Samsung.
Samsung has spent the summer of 2026 strengthening its own lead in the category, having already shipped the Galaxy Z Fold 8, Z Fold 8 Ultra, and Z Flip 8. That head start gives Apple both a competitive target and a clear runway. According to IDC analysts, the global foldable market could grow by as much as 19% in 2026 if the iPhone Fold launches this year, with Apple alone projected to grab approximately 24% of worldwide foldable share. The iPhone Ultra is also expected to feature hinges made from liquid metal, possibly sourced from Liquidmetal Technologies, with which Apple has a longstanding exclusive agreement.
iPhone 18 Pro, Apple Watch Series 12 Round Out the Lineup
Sharing the stage with the iPhone Ultra will be the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, both expected to run on Apple’s next-generation A20 Pro chip. The pairing echoes Apple’s 2017 strategy when the iPhone X was introduced alongside the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus at the September 12, 2017 event, then released in a split schedule with the iPhone 8 line shipping September 22, 2017 and the iPhone X arriving November 3, 2017.
Apple is also preparing updates to its wearable lineup. The Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 are both expected to debut at the same September 9 event, extending Apple’s footprint in the health and fitness category. The combination of a foldable flagship, two premium candy-bar iPhones, and two flagship smartwatches would mark one of the broadest single-event hardware drops in Apple’s history, a fitting statement for Ternus’s first turn as CEO.
Pre-Orders Start September 12, but Release Date Remains Uncertain
According to reporters Mark Gurman and Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple plans to open pre-orders for the new devices on Saturday, September 12, just three days after the keynote. Gurman has reported that the release date for the iPhone Ultra will fall on September 18, putting Apple on a tight but familiar rollout window. Kuo, however, has cautioned that production constraints could push the actual retail launch into October or November, mirroring the supply delays that affected the original iPhone X in 2017.
PhoneArena has separately reported that the iPhone Ultra faces serious delays tied to production issues, a detail that adds uncertainty to the September 18 timetable. If Kuo’s more cautious outlook proves accurate, Apple would be repeating a familiar pattern of staggering launches between its standard models and its premium halo device, a strategy that historically helped Apple manage yield constraints while maximizing press attention across multiple cycles.
Consumer Skepticism Looms Over the Foldable Pivot
Despite Apple’s bullish supply forecasts, consumer appetite for foldable phones remains mixed. A CNET survey cited in coverage of the event found that 64% of respondents said they do not want a foldable phone. That skepticism represents the central challenge for the iPhone Ultra: convincing mainstream buyers that a folding form factor is worth a premium price tag.
Apple’s entry into the segment, however, has historically reshaped entire categories the moment it arrives. The original iPhone redefined the smartphone industry in 2007, and the iPhone X normalized the all-screen design in 2017. Analysts argue that even a skeptical consumer base tends to convert quickly once Apple enters a market with a polished, tightly integrated product. The combination of Apple’s ecosystem lock-in, retail reach, and the Ternus-led hardware team’s reputation for fit-and-finish could meaningfully shift the 64% who currently reject foldables.
What to Expect From the Apple Surprise and Shine Keynote
Beyond the products themselves, the September 9 Apple Surprise and Shine keynote will serve as a referendum on John Ternus’s leadership style and strategic priorities. Investors will be watching for signals on Apple’s AI roadmap, services integration, and the company’s willingness to push into new form factors under fresh executive direction. Hardware engineers and supply-chain partners will be scrutinizing the iPhone Ultra’s durability claims, particularly around the liquid metal hinge design.
For now, the countdown to Apple’s Surprise and Shine event on September 9, 2026 has begun, and with it the start of a new chapter under Ternus’s tenure, one that could redefine the smartphone category much as previous iPhone launches once did. Apple Surprise and Shine on September 9 is shaping up to be the moment when the foldable era finally begins, and all eyes will be watching whether the hardware-first gamble pays off under Ternus’s tenure.
Source: https://www.phonearena.com/news/next-weeks-event-to-be-phenomenal-says-apple-ceo_id183017