Apple’s first foldable iPhone expected at September event

Apple ↘ 0.80% is preparing to hold its annual iPhone event in early September, where it is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the company's first-ever foldable iPhone, widely rumored to be called the iPhone Ultra.

Event Timing and Lineup

With U.S. Labor Day falling on September 7 this year, reports point to September 8 or 9 as the likely date for the announcement. Apple has reportedly begun inviting retail employees to register to assist with the in-person event at Apple Park, following its usual pre-launch process.indiatoday+1

This year's launch will diverge from Apple's traditional approach. Rather than introducing the full iPhone range at once, the company is adopting a split release strategy, with the premium Pro models and the foldable debuting in September while the standard iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e are pushed to early 2027.vietnamnet+1

iPhone Ultra: Apple's Foldable Entry

The foldable iPhone is expected to feature a book-style design with an inner screen of around 7.7 to 7.8 inches and an outer display of roughly 5.3 to 5.5 inches. Reports put the starting price between $1,999 and $2,499, making it Apple's most expensive iPhone to date.ghacks+1

A color leak shared by leaker Sonny Dickson on August 8 suggests the device will be available in silver and dark blue, based on images of third-party camera protectors manufactured from supply chain information. The device is expected to use Touch ID built into the power button rather than Face ID, and to include two rear cameras.vietnamnet+3

iPhone 18 Pro Upgrades and Pricing

The iPhone 18 Pro series is expected to feature Apple's A20 Pro chip built on TSMC's Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited ↘ 1.20% 2nm process, a variable aperture camera system, a smaller Dynamic Island, and larger batteries. Analyst Jeff Pu has suggested the Pro models could see price increases of $250 to $300 due to component shortages.macrumors+1

Apple is also reportedly dealing with memory supply constraints, with around $1 billion worth of unpackaged processors sitting idle waiting for accompanying memory chips, which could lead to shortages at launch. A late-breaking addition to the September event may include camera-equipped AirPods, previously expected in 2027, after references to the hardware were discovered in iOS 27 beta code.hypebeast+1