Apple iPhone 18 Launch Could Change Everything With Foldable iPhone and More

Apple’s September 9 event could be one of its biggest in years, with the first foldable iPhone, iPhone 18 Pro models, new home devices, Apple Watch updates and John Ternus’ first keynote as CEO.

---

This year, the Cupertino-based tech giant has planned to hold its traditional iPhone event on Wednesday, September 9, and the upcoming event promises to become one of the most crucial product launches of the brand in more than a decade. At the event, the tech giant plans to present the new designs of iPhones, the new Pro series, new updates of home appliances, new Apple watches and Airpods, and the latest version of its operating system.

However, this year’s iPhone launch event promises not only to bring some new products but also becomes an important leadership change at Apple. For the first time since September 1, when Cook has resigned from the position of CEO, the iPhone launch event will take place under the leadership of John Ternus.

Apple’s First Foldable iPhone Could Steal the Show

Perhaps the most significant news from this event will be the launch of the very first foldable iPhone from Apple. The same iPhone design concept has been around for many years until 2017 when Apple came up with its first major iPhone redesign by removing the Home button and adding Face ID.

Currently, Apple is working on yet another big redesign that will see the launch of an iPhone that can either be called the iPhone Ultra or iPhone Fold. This time around, instead of its usual slab design, Apple is working on making the new iPhone foldable. This is an opportunity for Apple to join an already existing market segment of Android phones.

While Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip series and other similar compact foldables are book foldables or while Galaxy Z Fold series devices are similar to a laptop, Apple’s upcoming foldable iPhone will likely feature a passbook foldable shape. This foldable smartphone might have the 4:3 aspect ratio when folded.

It is especially significant for Apple since, until now, Apple has failed to produce a breakthrough consumer gadget apart from the iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch. Since the Vision Pro has not become mainstream yet, the debut of a foldable iPhone is very significant. It is crucial for Apple to get its foldable iPhone right since it will bring a needed innovation to the iPhone family.

iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max Expected

In addition to the folding model, Apple is set to launch the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. These models will not likely shake up the design as much as the folding iPhone does.

iPhone 18 Pro models will likely revolve around performance upgrades and better camera specifications with rumors suggesting a powerful A20 chipset, better camera and smaller Dynamic Island. Apple can launch some new color variants as well.

Another interesting change might come from Apple's entire approach to releasing new iPhones. There have been some leaks about how Apple is preparing to stagger the release of its iPhone lineup, with Pro models coming in the usual fall window and regular iPhone models coming after that.

This means that the standard iPhone 18 or any successor to the iPhone Air will likely not come this year along with the Pro lineup. Anyone looking for iPhone 18 or iPhone Air 2 will have to wait for its March release in the spring.

Apple Could Finally Refresh Its Home Product Lineup

While the iPhone is likely going to steal the limelight, Apple could take the opportunity to refresh its home devices category, which has been ignored for quite some time now. Some of the home-based products that have been under development include a new Apple TV and a refreshed HomePod mini.

The new version of the Apple TV could be equipped with a faster chipset that would allow it to perform better, especially when running Apple's latest Siri AI technology. Moreover, the improved performance would also make it ideal for gaming and other applications.

The HomePod mini could also get an upgrade when it comes to the hardware of the device. The updated model is expected to have an improvement in terms of the internal components, which would enable Apple to run its latest Siri AI software.

HomePad Could Be Apple’s Next Big Home Device

Possibly the most fascinating home product would be the long-speculated smart home hub of Apple. It is commonly known as the “HomePad” and will supposedly incorporate the capabilities of both a smart speaker and a touchscreen control panel.

This concept is basically a combination of a HomePod and an iPad-like screen. This gadget can be placed on your kitchen countertop, work desk or any other place in your house from which you want to control the smart home gadgets, enjoy some entertainment or even use other Apple services.

Though it has been in development for many years now, the recent focus by Apple towards AI and a smarter Siri could actually make it quite interesting to watch out for.

New Apple Watch and AirPods Models

Also on tap for an update is the Apple's wearable devices line-up. The company could release its Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4, even though radical changes will be unlikely.

Rather, the new generation of Apple Watches would focus more on advanced processors and functionalities, including health and fitness monitoring. The improvements will help the device become more advanced without altering much of its current design.

AirPods are also expected to see some iterative improvements. Even though there is little information about that right now, Apple would launch new hardware features for the earbuds line-up.

iOS 27 and Other Software Updates

Besides, Apple would be able to unveil the finished versions of their new operating systems during the event in September. iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27 and visionOS 27 would be launched by the company.

Earlier this year, Apple introduced these new operating systems, so we may expect that the September event would not feature many surprises in this aspect. Nevertheless, one specific point should be mentioned – the version of iOS 27 created specifically for the foldable iPhone.

The problem is that Apple has not shown how the system would work on such a device. Therefore, the September presentation would show the true abilities of this version of iOS 27.

Apart from the phones themselves, the launch of iPhones can be seen as the start of a new era for Apple. John Ternus became the new CEO of Apple on September 1st, succeeding Tim Cook who has led the company for 15 years.

Even though Ternus has been working at Apple for many years already and is known for his work on hardware development, this will be the first time he will be launching iPhones as the CEO of Apple. Hence, it will be interesting to see how he positions Apple's products and what kind of presentation style he has.

Nevertheless, the event cannot be viewed as a shift of Apple's vision of things. The company will continue to sell its new products and improve its ecosystem. What is more interesting is how the new CEO will eventually influence the company's strategy.

Higher iPhone Prices

But there is something else that is of particular importance when it comes to the iPhone 18 Pro range – the price tag. Indeed, Apple has been making price hikes of their other products lately – such as iPads, Macs, and Home products – leaving the iPhones' prices rather stable.

This time, however, everything seems to be different and Apple is going to follow suit, as well. The growing prices of components, especially when it comes to memory needed for the development of the AI industry, made consumer electronics makers hike up prices for their products.

Thus, the price tag of the new iPhone 18 Pro range would be notably higher compared to that of its iPhone 17 Pro predecessors. The question remains how much.

Apple’s launch could be far from an ordinary release of the next iPhone model. Indeed, the first foldable iPhone could become one of the greatest changes for the brand’s smartphones since the release of the iPhone X, whereas the new iPhone 18 Pro, Apple Watch, and AirPods will be released following the existing schedule of the company.

On top of this, the appearance of a new Apple TV, updated HomePod mini, and possibly the long-awaited HomePad may mean that Apple is getting ready to focus on the development of the smart home devices market. Combined with the debut of the new Apple CEO, John Ternus, and potentially increased prices of iPhones, all this could make the event of September 9 exciting for everyone.