The biggest Apple event in years is now just one week away. Apple has officially confirmed its September 9 product event — themed “Surprise and Shine” — where it will unveil the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the product the entire tech world has been waiting for: Apple’s first-ever foldable iPhone, widely expected to be called the iPhone Ultra. Here is everything confirmed and credibly leaked ahead of the most significant Apple launch since the iPhone X.

The Event: September 9, 10 AM PT (11:30 PM IST)

The iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and Apple’s first foldable iPhone are confirmed for September 2026. The event takes place on September 9 at 10 AM PT, with the tagline “Surprise and Shine” and an invitation featuring a glowing Apple logo with a sun shining through. Indian viewers can watch the livestream on Apple’s YouTube channel at 11:30 PM IST on September 9.

Pre-orders for the new iPhones are expected to open on September 11 or 12, with retail availability from September 18. The foldable iPhone may ship slightly later due to limited early production quantities.

The iPhone Ultra: Apple’s First Foldable

This is the announcement that has the tech world holding its breath. Rumored to be called the iPhone Ultra, Apple’s first foldable is expected to use a book-style design with an outer display measuring between 5.3 and 5.5 inches and an inner display measuring between 7.6 and 7.8 inches.

Renders point to a short, wide “passport-style” book-fold design — a 5.5-inch cover display and a 7.8-inch inner display at roughly a 4:3 ratio, closer to an iPad mini than the Galaxy Z Fold’s tall aspect ratio. This design philosophy is deliberate: a 4:3 inner display is wider and less tall than Samsung’s foldable inner screens, making it feel more like an iPad mini in hand when open rather than an elongated phone.

The foldable iPhone is rumored to feature a titanium frame, an ultra-thin design, and a virtually crease-free display. It may use Touch ID integrated into the power button instead of Face ID, alongside two front-facing cameras and a dual-camera system on the back.

The price will be significant — reports suggest the iPhone Ultra will be Apple’s most expensive iPhone ever, potentially above ₹2,00,000 in India. Apple expects to sell around 50 million units globally — an extraordinary target that reflects the company’s confidence that it can make foldable phones truly mainstream in a way no Android manufacturer has managed at this scale.

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: The Upgrades That Matter

The biggest announcement for the Pro models this year will focus on new display, camera, and connectivity technology. Rumours point to three main upgrades: a variable-aperture main camera, a smaller Dynamic Island, and Apple’s C2 cellular modem.

The variable aperture main camera — moving between f/1.4 and f/2.8 optically — would be a significant hardware upgrade, allowing the camera to control depth of field mechanically rather than computationally. This is a feature that Xiaomi has offered on the 16 Ultra (f/1.4–f/2.8) and that Apple users have been waiting years for.

The iPhone 18 Pro Max will be 6.9 inches while the iPhone 18 Pro will be 6.3 inches. Both retain the established ProMotion OLED design language with a Dynamic Island cutout. The A20 Pro chip — Apple’s first built on TSMC’s 2nm process — will deliver performance improvements and expanded on-device AI capability through a larger Neural Engine.

New Colours: Dark Cherry Is the Hero

There are expected to be four colours for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: Dark Cherry, Light Blue, Dark Grey, and Silver. The hero colour for this launch is Dark Cherry — which is actually more of a purple-based deep fuchsia than a dark red. Dark Cherry is expected to dominate pre-order demand the way Deep Purple did for the iPhone 14 Pro.

Apple Intelligence 2.0: The AI Upgrade

The iPhone 18 Pro lineup will launch with Apple Intelligence 2.0 — the most significant upgrade to Apple’s AI platform since its introduction. With the A20 Pro’s larger Neural Engine C1 running dedicated on-device AI processing, features include a fully rebuilt Siri with persistent conversation memory, real-time writing assistance in every app, and advanced photo and video processing that runs entirely on-device. For Indian users, Hindi language support in Apple Intelligence is expected to expand significantly with this generation.

What This Means for India: Pricing and Availability

India has been in Apple’s first-wave launch countries since iPhone 15. The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are expected to go on sale in India on September 18, alongside the US and other tier-1 markets. Pre-orders will open on Apple.com India on September 11 or 12.

Expected India pricing based on Apple’s historical pricing patterns and current exchange rates:

All pricing is estimated based on leaks and exchange rates. Official India pricing will be confirmed at the September 9 event.

The Big Question: iPhone Ultra vs Galaxy Z Fold Ultra

Samsung launched the Galaxy Z Fold Ultra in India at ₹1,99,999 just weeks ago — and now Apple is about to enter the foldable market for the first time. The comparison will define the premium smartphone conversation for the rest of 2026 and into 2027. Samsung has nearly a decade of foldable experience; Apple has its ecosystem, software integration, and the Neural Engine C1 AI advantage.

For Indian buyers who have been waiting to see Apple’s first foldable before committing: September 9 will answer every question. Watch the livestream. The biggest Apple launch in a decade is seven days away.

Published September 2, 2026 · Digital Idea Tech News · All unconfirmed specifications are based on pre-launch leaks and may change at announcement.