Apple Event on September 9th: Anything New Other Than the New CEO?

Apple is back with its annual September ritual: unveil a new iPhone, call it revolutionary, improve the camera, make the chip faster and then spend several minutes explaining why the battery now lasts slightly longer. But this year, at least one thing is genuinely different. John Ternus is the new Apple CEO, taking over from Tim Cook after 15 years, and September 9 will be his first major iPhone launch in the new role.

So, what else is new?

Well, Apple may finally have an answer: a foldable iPhone.

The long-rumoured iPhone Ultra is expected to feature a book-style design with a roughly 5.5-inch outer display and 7.8-inch inner screen. It could use an ultra-thin design, a new hinge and potentially Touch ID instead of Face ID. The expected price? Around $2,000 or more. Nothing says “innovation” quite like making the phone fold and the price unfold.

Then there are the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max, expected to bring the usual Apple magic: a faster chip, better cameras, larger batteries, display improvements and possibly a variable-aperture main camera. In other words, the iPhone will probably look remarkably like the previous iPhone, except now it will be better at doing things you didn't realise needed improving.

The Apple Watch Series 12, Watch Ultra 4 and AirPods 5 are also expected, bringing processor, health and audio upgrades. Because apparently even the products that already work perfectly need an annual reminder that they are slightly faster.

Apple could also unveil new home products and release details for iOS 27. Meanwhile, the standard iPhone 18 may wait until spring 2027, along with the iPhone 18e and iPhone Air 2.

So yes, Apple may finally have something genuinely new.

A foldable iPhone.

But let's not overlook the biggest innovation of September 9: Apple has a new CEO.

After years of incremental upgrades, that might be the one update nobody needs an Apple keynote to explain.