Apple has finally revealed when it will launch its new iPhones.
The online event – named “Surprise and Shine” – will be held on 9 September, at 10am local pacific time or 6pm in the UK.
As usual, Apple did not explicitly say that it would launch the iPhone or anything else. But there are a whole host rumours and clues about what will be introduced.
iPhone 18 Pro
The headliner will likely be a new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. But it will be a relatively non-flashy upgrade.
It will keep the same design on the outside, for instance, after it was first introduced last year. But rumours suggest that it will get a new, deep red colour; better battery life; a new camera system that might explain the “shine” in the event’s title; and internal upgrades including a better chip, battery life and other upgrades.
iPhone Ultra
If the headliner is the iPhone 18 Pro, then the much-anticipated support act will be the iPhone Ultra. That device will be far more revolutionary than the Pro models.
It will represent Apple’s first ever foldable device, and so bring an entirely new design. And it will bring whole new kinds of software, too, since Apple will have to adapt the operating system to the bigger and folding display.
New AirPods
Apple could also use the event to introduce its new earphones. And they could come with a major change, too, with the addition of cameras to use for artificial intelligence.
Not an iPhone 18
There will be a notable absence this year: no iPhone 18. Apple is pursuing a split strategy this year – so that it will launch the more high-end phones in the usual September window, but leave the lower-end ones until the spring.
That will mean that there is no base iPhone, or an update to the cheaper iPhone 17e or the iPhone Air. Instead, the existing models will stick around a little longer.
